Advice Needed - Update from the Streets of Berlin [BTS 32]

Your use of "we" in this when discussing tactics is suspicious, Roland. Hahaha

Very happy to be proven wrong!

Good tip, thanks!

Barcalona Amsterdam Pick pocket central. Everyone loses stuff in my home Ibiza but they are usually high and its their own fault

I agree with what both Marilyn and Brandon said. And I think you should separate the bizarre food part to another video to make the piece tighter, faster, more focus on the series theme. How about start with some tips on howNOT to be victim? BUT I want you to be successful, Mike. So here are some tips on how to get pickpocketed. No, Thats not my other job.😀 But I was victim twice And both happened in the Philippines. I don’t know,I seem to attract them🤪. Maybe I’ll go with you😜 1. Your wallet looks new. I know you just bought it. We know it’s just a decoy. 2. Most of us are kids (sometimes women with kids). You are in the wrong place. And time. Find something more touristy. Dress like one. You look like you know martial arts with the black shirt and beanie. Or like you are one of them. 3. We target Americans. Wear an American jersey. 4. Don’t be too obvious. With your camera and your wallet hanging almost out of your back pocket. We know you’re looking for us. And very alert. Look unsuspecting. 5. We come in tandem. And dressed very well. Like businessmen I will always pray for your safety Mike but I hope you’ll be successful in your next pickpocket adventure💫🤪. (Probably in Rome I heard the city is notorious too. ) Hope these tips help you get victimized. 😜 Can I pay you to get that Spock money? That looks cool! Always be safe, Mike! “ Live long and prosper!” 🐉

Hey bro, fantastic video. I personally enjoyed that the video was broken up with the Khao san experience, rather than just solely being about pick pocketing. It was cool to see what the atmosphere is like in the area. I also didn't feel that it was overly negative. You were basically testing a theory, and I think it was actually quite positive in the end that you were proven wrong haha!

Great thoughts Brandon. Both you and Marilyn have given me great insight into how to make this better. I agree it feels a bit pushy and negative, I won't be able to change it now, but it's great to be able to read this and learn how to make the next one better, more positive, and more useful for travellers. Really, it should be a travel tips style video about how to stay safe, not a "Hey look at me do this crazy thing" video with it does feel like a bit. As always, thank you so much for your comments man. This was very useful information for me.

Great points Marilyn. At this point the video is going to have to go live how it is, but I am going to record a couple more episodes of this video in Rome. I think it's a great idea to emphasize the positive aspects of the location through travel tips and beautiful BRoll. I agree that this was too focused on the negative aspects which is really not my style anyway. I'm going to take this comment forward to the next shoot, and make it much better.

Hey Mike! I thought it was actually fascinating to see the bizarre sights and sounds around you as you made your way through the crowd, especially the laughing gas and the crocodile/alligator (which I'm actually surprised you'd never had before that. I tried some alligator as a teenager and it was very much like you described). I also really liked seeing you meeting and interacting with tourists there. But I do agree with Marilyn that the pickpocketing aspect feels a bit heavy-handed. I know you didn't mean it that way, but I can see Thai viewers being hurt or offended that their country is being portrayed as a place where it's expected that tourists are taken advantage of. I wonder if it would come across differently if you added some info or stats on pickpocketing rates among tourists in general, mention that they happen more often in crowds, and then erase any mention of expectation that it may happen because it's that location. I don't know. It's possible that you having a camera could have deterred any would-be pickpockets, and as you've said in previous videos, you're also kind of a big guy, over six feet, and certainly look like you can handle yourself if something were to go south, so that alone may have deterred any pickpockets from daring to try. Thanks for asking us for our feedback, man! I hope you find it helpful. 🐉

Brandon Moore

Hi Mike! I think the 11+-minute video itself showing the nightlife of Khaosan in Bangkok is interesting. Particularly the showcase of strange and exotic streetfood with you eating them - that is so "Fearless and Far". Nice touch to include interactions there with non-Thai nationals as well. The only discomfort I felt about the video is the seemingly emphasis that pickpocketing is an almost sure incident in Thailand, Khaosan in particular. It did come across as a little" trying hard" to prove the point even with your narrative. Having said these, don't you think that your Thai (or even other nationalities) might take offense and think that you're singling out Thailand/Khaosan as a pickpocket's haven? I'm not sure how you can tweak and edit the video to make it more objective because there are certainly interesting and captivating moments there. Last point, could it also be because people see you with a camera and obviously recording which is why you're probably the last person they'll pick?