Stolen passport in Rome - Embassy closed

[Pushka]

Just read on Cruise Critic of an Aussie couple whose passports and credit cards were stolen from them in a Rome train station by classic gypsy distraction/steal act yesterday.

They are due to start a cruise Rome time today but the Embassy won't see them until Monday.

Surely when you are the victims of a crime overseas they could be a little more helpful? Or do you need be the the offender to get help?

 

[Denali]

Man, that sucks.

I swear I mumble a "bloody Gypsies" mantra constantly when I'm in Europe.

Could they have gotten on the cruise with a copy of their passport and a police report?

 

[Quickstatus]

Why would consular staff assist citizens on a weekend?. There is so much to do in Rome on a weekend than assist a citizen.

 

[PineappleSkip]

The Roma Termini tradition continues I see.
Cheers skip

 

[Pushka]

Man, that sucks.

I swear I mumble a "bloody Gypsies" mantra constantly when I'm in Europe.

Could they have gotten on the cruise with a copy of their passport and a police report?

They've tried. Its with Celebrity. They are holding their cabin (hardly a biggie, they did pay for it 90 days ago) and refunding shore excursions (which are fully refundable anyway at this time) and that's it. They can join the ship at another port but cruise will be five days in by then assuming they get processed Tuesday.

We had a private driver from cruise port to Rome. He was Romanian and he hates the gypsies. He came to the rescue of a US person who was being pushed around and circled by a group of gypsy women in Rome. So their men came in and beat him up. It went to Court - turned out the woman they were circling was not a tourist but from the US Embassy! Needless to say the lot of them got thrown into jail and the US Embassy worker called him her saviour.

You needed to see a group of gypsy women cat fighting in Notre Dame square in Paris. Disgusting. Cleared the square out.

 

[Pushka]

An update. The couple can only be provided with emergency passports and as their trip was a transatlantic info USA, USA won't accept emergency passports. Their trip has canceled and flying home in the next day or so. Insurance covering everything. Awful end to a dream trip.

 

[bam71]

Awful all right but at least a positive outcome - could have been worse. Why would they have had their passports on them at Termini?

 

[Quickstatus]

Positive outcome IMO is they avoided a cruise!!!

 

[Pushka]

Awful all right but at least a positive outcome - could have been worse. Why would they have had their passports on them at Termini?

They were travelling on a train across Europe and into Rome to embark on a cruise. Passports not optional.

Positive outcome IMO is they avoided a cruise!!!

Cruises in the Med are fabulous.

 

[Quickstatus]

Cruises in the Med are fabulous.

Maybe when Im 80.
Back to the stolen passports - what is the validity period of an emergency passport

 

[blackcat20]

That's really disappointing for them.

 

[JohnK]

Awful end to the trip. Really need to be careful with important possessions.

 

[Pushka]

Maybe when Im 80.
Back to the stolen passports - what is the validity period of an emergency passport

Wrong - Med cruises are very port intensive with long periods of travel, walking, heat and crowds. Would never do a Med cruise in my '80's unless I could afford to go private driver all the way. The average age on such cruises is around 50 - newly retired, or families although not so many young kids. The Caribbean on the other hand - full of scooters and walkers. Nup.

Not sure about the emergency passport.

The gypsy scams rely on tourists being kind and helpful. They will throw what looks to be a baby at you - you catch it of course and in the confusion they grab the bags. Of course the baby is a bundle of rags.

The petition - sign a petition for some noble cause and then demand 5 Euros - they are very threatening so of course you pay. They always ask if you speak English so I answer 'sprechen ze deutch' - or something that sounds like that, and they go away. The dropped coins - pick them up for the person and they steal from you as happened here; wedding ring - especially around the River Seine - they drop the ring and then ask if its yours - then try to exchange money for it.

It is made all the more appalling because the crime is committed from an act of kindness on your part.

 

[Quickstatus]

Disneyland is full of scooters too.

 

[trooper]

Just for info...... Australian embassies don't have the staffing for 24/7 service....which is why the 24 hour assistance line is answered here. A friend of mine is the 1st Secretary at a European embassy... Australian staff? The Ambassador... her... and the 2nd Sec.

That's it. She works ridiculous hours as it is.

They could get a full replacement passport if they had some time..... it would have to be sent from London I expect.... and note MANY countries do accept the Emergency Passport..its unfortunate that their onward travel was to the USA...which does not.

A "little more helpful"? Every time an Aussie overseas is scammed? Might as well live at the office then....

 

[Pushka]

There is scamming that requires Embassy involvement and scamming that doesn't. I had such a theft in HCM that just involved police. Clearly this was different.

They didn't have time to wait for a passport to be flown in as the ship would already have left Europe and through to USA.

 

[OATEK]

It was a few years ago now that my passport was nicked the evening before we were due to fly out of London. Had it in a shirt pocket (yes I know, foolish but my first time out in the bigger world) returning from the BA offices in the city after sorting out seats for our family group of 5 rather than leave it to pot luck at the airport (no online checkin back then).

Rang OZ overnight and the next being a working day was directed to the High Commission at opening time (1oam?). Had to obtain photos etc, told to return at 2pm and was issued a 1 year temporary passport. I was told that if I applied for a new passport within 12 months, with all the full doco, then I would get another 9 years without further cost. Rules may have changed since, but the HC staff saved my family from flying home without me that day.

As I said at the start, it was a good few years ago....

As for embassy staff being available 24/7 on the off chance, I don't believe that is reasonable. A lot of people try to put them down as just "public servants", but many have a very tough time trying to obtain support for those who find themselves on the wrong side of the law, and in places where bombs go off with monotonous regularity and shots are periodically fired. I know a couple who were on a posting to country where there was a revolution, tanks in the square outside, no fresh food for weeks for their children etc. This may not be the experience of all, but I do not like people taking potshots out of ignorance.

Instead, this needs to be yet another lesson to travellers of the risks they face in a foreign country if they let their guard down.

 

[trooper]

And the things some folks expect DFAT staff to be able to do!

Like get people out of jail...because "that offence would only get a fine in oz".... Well.. I learnt about extraterritoriality as an interesting historical artefact while studying Asian history.... some Aussies clearly believe it still exists... and applies to THEM!

Or when something bad happens overseas... they want to know why the "Guvmint" hasn't sent aircraft in immediately to pull their relations (who are Aussie citizens but RESIDENT over there) out.... and are staggered to find that the Government doesn't know where these people are... "Don't they keep track"?

Lol.... amazing stuff....

 

[Franky]

The same people who were in Lebanon when the last Israel/Hezbolah war broke out way back, and our government chartered 2 x Qantas flights to repatriate them home. Some demanded FF points for the trip, and from what I heard, most never paid the fares they were billed by our grateful government.

 

[Pushka]

Which has nothing to do with a stolen passport.