I had an unfortunate travel experience on a TGV train from Marseille to Paris. Waving good bye to one of my new favorite places in France, I boarded a train in old Aix to Marseille and then in Marseille I transferred trains to a train to Paris. I was in car number 8 - the last car on the train where there is no conductor monitoring people entering and exiting the train. I lugged my heavy suitcase onto the train and dragged it up to the second level where my seat was. I placed it on the luggage rack with a dozen other suitcases. My suitcase was clearly labeled and had a pink ribbon tied to the handle - so as to make it uniquely mine. From my seat I could see my suitcase. The train departed from Marseille and everything was fine.
The train then stops at the AIX TGV station. There is a lot of movement going on at this point with people getting on and off but I can still see my suitcase on the luggage rack. Before the train starts moving again I need to get up out of my seat to let the person whose seat is next to me get in. As I'm swiveling around to let the man in, the train begins to move as I turn to sit back down and my luggage is gone from where I had seen it the whole time. I initially start to panic but then think maybe someone rearranged the rack to fit theirs in while I had turned for probably all of ten seconds. I search high and low and my suitcase is no where to be seen. I immediately find a conductor and report my situation. He calls the AIX TGV station to see if someone took it by mistake and brought it to lost luggage, but no such luck. He then searches multiple cars with me and nothing turns up.
The conductor then proceeds to tell me that this scenario has been happening a lot. What happens in that thieves get on in Marseille (and other cities with little conductor monitoring) on to cars seven and eight where there are no conductors and have enough time to scope out a victim and steal luggage and get off the train at AIX TGV all before the conductors come through to check tickets. And the thieves complete this circuit all day long. The conductor told me that they pick their victims by scoping out individuals traveling alone and who appear to be too cautious. I thought I was doing the right thing by monitoring my luggage but apparently that constant watching was what made me an unfortunate victim of crime. They must watch everyone board the train to identify luggage with person.
I called the US embassy in France after speaking with the conductor and she confirmed that this has been happening quite frequently. Once I arrived in Paris I met with the police at Gare de Lyon and filed an appropriate police report. And I was apparently the tenth victim of this sort of crime on Thursday afternoon alone. Crazy scary!
Luckily this was the end of my trip before flying home, so all the thieves got was two weeks worth of dirty clothes, toiletries, and a few souvenirs that totaled maybe 70-80 euros. They probably thought my constant watching meant there were real valuables in there, but in reality it was just material things that I can easily replace. Yes, it was a nuisance and cost money to replace my wardrobe, but I had all my valuables, phone, camera, passport, and money, etc all on me - so in the end, I ended up safe and they didn't really get anything.
Rather than take a metro from Gare de Lyon to Gobelins I paid the money for a cab because I didn't want anyone to try and take what little I had left. I checked in to my hotel with my purse and a small carry on bag after a two week amazing race around France.
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