Safety with your phone, seems super basic right?
Well, as you might have seen recently, my phone almost got stolen OUT OF MY HANDS as I was standing on a sidewalk in Barcelona. I was confirming the address I was headed to, and a guy on a bike whizzed by me, firmly grabbed my phone, and tried to yank it out of my hands. It happened so quickly, and the guy was down the street before I could even start screaming at him. Luckily, I have a strap on my phone case worn cross-body, and it saved the day.
As a side note—I didn’t buy the strap for safety, I bought it because my pants don’t always have pockets. I’m also always taking pictures from iffy places, like hot air balloons or safari vehicles, and I’ll admit that I sometimes set my phone down and forget where I left it. Never really considered the strap for theft prevention, it was more for klutz prevention.
I’ve had a bunch of questions about cases and phone safety since then, so I thought I’d compile some case ideas as well as better strategies.
Phone cases with straps
A basic case with strap
A case like mine, with wallet
A tether that you can use with an existing phone case (I saw this in use and it’s pretty tough)
Same tether with a slot for a credit card
Some of these include a wrist strap.
How to Avoid Becoming a Target
On top of a phone case, I’ve been thinking about what I could have done better. Here are some thoughts on ways to modify your behavior to ward off this kind of attack:
—wear your phone under your jacket so it isn’t visible
—keep both hands on your phone when you use it on a street
—find a sheltered area to use your phone, rather than a sidewalk
—if you can’t find a sheltered spot, turn your body away from the flow of traffic and stand close to a wall, since a biker/moped/running thief cannot grab it
—Keep some local cash on you in a pocket in case you do lose your bag or phone, at least enough for cab fare back to your hotel.
—Know the local emergency number. In Spain, it’s 112.
—Have a travel partner photograph your phone so you can identify it in case it is found.
—Never-Ever set your phone on a table in a restaurant
Be careful out there, friends!
