Shoe security?

bexta

Hi, I have recently spoken to 3 separate friends who all warned me about my shoes being stolen either on overnight train whilst sleeping or when leaving them outside temples.
I was considering taking my comfortable leather walking shoes (no laces)(expensive) and a pair of flip-flops, but no I am thinking old cruddy sneekers and flip-flops.
I have found a couple of posts refering to this
What are the chances? I dont want to become shoeless
Can you carry your shoes into a temple in a bag or is this totally disrespectful?
Thanks for any help offered

Wanderlife

Most popular temples have shoe keepers who charge a small amount to look after your footwear. Though the possibility of losing your shoe exists in trains it is not probable. It depends on what class you travel and through which part.

butterball

Seems like a very minor worry....



... and give the shoe keeper his rupees... we all need to make our money.

bexta

Thanks, I will be happy to pay the shoe keeper his rupees and now my mind has been releived of this minor worry

butterball

After 5 trips to India now, I have found theft to be one of my least worries.. although in saying that , I do not want to tempt fate !

Suggest just being sensible and , in this type of situation, just 'play the game' - shoe keeping will cost you only a handfull of rupees ( 3-5 ? ) and it will make everyone happy...

Remember, overly paranoid tourists stick out like a sore thumb, and you can actually attract more attention if you appear too concerened about your belongings.. Use common sense and you'll be fine... and hey, you loose it - get something new...

Layman

Most temples have shoe-keepers, who charge you one rupee per pair (in some temples, it is free). They will give you a card with a number written on it, another card with the same number is placed near your shoes. This is to identify them when you claim it back.
There is some chance of losing your footwear on trains, if you take them off. This can happen not only at night, but also during daytime on the train, especially if you are lying on the upper bunk, and have left your shoes on the floor. Urchins who offer to clean the train floor or beggars are known to steal footwear. Be careful especially when the train is not in motion (at stations). I have lost a pair of shoes myself and speak from experience. You might be better off wearing an old pair of shoes / chappals on the train, or 'hiding' your footwear under the lower bunk. The side berths pose the maximum risk, as they are at the aisle and most accessible to the shoe thieves.
One other thing - if you wear jewelry (esp Indian women who wear necklaces / chains), do not sleep with your head close to an open window, while traveling by train. This is an issue only at night time that someone might steal your necklace through the window - this does happen some times.

SHIMLA

If a temple does not have a shoe-keeper, then the trick is to discard each shoe at a different spot! A thief will never steal one shoe, without its matching pair!! Do remember where you left each, though !!!

__________________
Whoever said money can't buy happiness didn't know where to shop !

lobo

Damm shoe thiefs what next!!!!!
I only carried one pair i wouldnt have fancied getting of at old dehli station shoeless!!!!!

ikimasho

on an overnighter, a travel companion took off the shoes and woke up to find they had disappeared.......it seems that they had travelled to the front floor/door area and then when the bus stopped for pee/tea breaks they had fallen out of the bus......got to love those mountain roads!!!and those indian bus drivers!

they were not expensive and replaced by a new pair for 30 rupees so it was not such a big deal

i made a rule for myself when i was packing: anything i truly loved did not go into the backpack.....needless to say now that i am home i still have all the things i thought i couldnt live without - but after my trip there seems to be so little importance and almost no attachment to these items.......hmmmmm...

__________________
"To be enlightened is to be enlightened about something." Thich Nhat Hahn

Ikuru

My personall expirience is that you dont need shoes in india. Ofcourse you Might need them! It depends what you are doing.... If you do mountin trekking etc you might need them but as loong as you are in warm places sandals should be enough and I guess if you are totaly worried (no reason) someone will take them from you at any time than hide them in you back pack, but it does sound to Paranoid...

Buy a cheap pair of flip flops and use them when you feel the need... I have thoes for heavu rain and dirty showerscabins and it is a great shoe.

__________________
http://www.ikuru.se My art.

mahmud

Just keep those in your pocket!!!

sudheer poppa

After a long journey through the south of India, I finally decided to close the journey in my native home town. When I woke up after a great night's sleep had no shoes waiting for me. Seemingly it was cleaned up. Then I had to walk bare foot all the way out of the railway station (well the touts and taxi drivers stayed away for the first time in the journey ). Caught a rickshaw and bought a Rs 40 hawai slip ons.

My suggestion is to buy chappals in India. You get good ones in the range of Rs 350-500. So better walk it, try it and use it. Shimla's sugestion is really usefull of keeping each foot wear in a different place in case of temples. In trains/buses, you can carry a small plastic bag to keep the shoes/slippers when not using and tuck it up in the overhead compartment or in the sides of the backpack.

Walking barefoot IS a BIG worry. Trust me, I am talking from experience.

__________________
We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools - MLK

Pic Page 1
Pic Page 2
When my life changed over a week