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Pickpocketed

CHRISTOPHER Coffman has my sympathy as a fellow pickpocketing victim ["The Misworn Money Belt: Or, What Not to Do on Your Summer Vacation," April 15]. It happened to me -- in Spain, too.

One additional tip: Make a list of numbers -- passport, credit cards (I scramble those numbers for extra protection), phone cards and so on, as well as a photocopy of the information page of your passport. Keep a copy in a different place from your valuables. If you're traveling with companions, carry each other's lists.

Lynda Meyers

Arlington

THE ARTICLE brought to mind an incident that occurred when my son and a couple of schoolmates rented a car in Spain. Arriving in Madrid, they parked in a central square, locked the car with their suitcases inside and went to look for lodging. When they returned to the car, everything inside had been stolen, including their passports and airline tickets.

At the U.S. Embassy, they found that they were not the only ones in this predicament. Thievery was endemic in Madrid, and American tourists, among others, were the victims.

My son and his friends then bought several dozen white T-shirts and had them printed with "I LOST MY HEART IN MADRID." On the back: "AND MY WALLET, MONEY AND PASSPORT ALSO." They sold every one of the shirts outside the U.S. Embassy to their fellow victims.

Maurice Wolf

Alexandria

PERMIT ME to provide the following suggestion, something I have done for years: Affix a couple of strips of Velcro to your pocket just below the opening, effectively locking the pocket. That will make it difficult for a pickpocket to remove items without your realizing it.

Do not use Velcro strips that are self-adhesive, as they do not stick very well to cloth. There is a version with a heat-activated adhesive, available in craft and fabric stores.