Drink spiking: bad experience in Roppongi

[typing]

Not to belittle your experience but it doesn't matter where you are (America, Japan, Italy) there are basic rules of saftey whenever you go out drinking, these rules should be even moreso enforced when you're in a country that's not your own.

-Only bring as much as you want to spend plus a little extra "Just in case"
-Have a sober person with you to watch out for you.
-watch your drink.
-Leave your credit cards at home.

Even if your drink wasn't spiked in those tiny cramped bars if you're not watching yourself your wallets could have just as easily been pickpocketed.

Other then that, it's kind of too bad, specially since the police most likely don't care and unless the thief turns your wallet in they're not even going to try to locate it.

[winters]

Originally Posted by Polar

Never saw any of that when I was staying there

Really? As far from what I could tell there were at least one or two (some working in pairs) down every street branching from a main street (I don't recall a name for it) trying to "drag" in western looking guys. They won't touch you or do anything to you if you refuse, but they are quite annoying when walking around.

[Columbine]

Originally Posted by typing

-Only bring as much as you want to spend plus a little extra "Just in case"
-Have a sober person with you to watch out for you.
-watch your drink.
-Leave your credit cards at home.

- Keep your key and the little extra somewhere other than your wallet. Then if it gets pinched or lost you can still get home!

[MMM]

-Go to one of the hundreds of drinking districts in Tokyo that doesn't have a reputation of ripping people off.

[tini0211]

Wow! I mean, of course you have to be careful while going out in a foreign country, but I guess thanks to your warnings I will take care more than I thought I would!!!
So thanks for telling!

[Polar]

It's been said before but drink spiking happens here in Canada quite frequently too.

[Columbine]

Originally Posted by Polar

It's been said before but drink spiking happens here in Canada quite frequently too.

And the UK, sadly usually for more sinister reasons than pinching your cash.

[typing]

Originally Posted by Columbine

- Keep your key and the little extra somewhere other than your wallet. Then if it gets pinched or lost you can still get home!

Never bothered to do that while I've been in Japan but I don't go out. I've only been to Roppongi twice, once on accident when I was trying to get home on the last train, woke up in Roppongi and was trapped there for the night

Vibe of the place scared the ever living shit out of me but I found a gara gara which had an all night course for 1500Y till first train.
Second time was with about 7 or 8 friends, we had a place booked till midnight and then we just walked around and looked at places till first train, anyplace that had a cover charge were were all "uuummmmm Noooo." cus you know, we're cheap, I don't drink, and we were a mixed group of Japanese and foreigners so most people just left us alone.

[Columbine]

Originally Posted by typing

Never bothered to do that while I've been in Japan but I don't go out.

It's just a general rule of thumb if you're going out for the night, especially for girls as we tend to stick stuff in a clutch purse and not think about it. I lived in a bit of a rough area before though, and for a while, bag-snatching was a big issue. I got one bag nicked, but I'd put all my valuables elsewhere so they'd just gone off with some lip-salve and some flip-flops and I wasn't in any trouble to get home because of it.

I should maybe add for guys "Stop keeping your wallet loose in your back pocket. It's dead easy to steal from there."