how to follow up on a theft in delhi?
February 2, 2014 6:41 PM Subscribe
my day bag was stolen from a train in delhi. contents: my camera (and all the pictures from my trip), a handheld digital audio recorder, my journal of the last week, an ipod, my glasses, and a lot of other stuff that i can't imagine anyone would care about. what's my next move?
it was all my fault. it happened at the stop before new delhi (don't know the name). i stupidly stepped off the train to grab a chai and stretch my legs - i was absent for about 90 seconds. fortunately, my passport, credit cards, and cash were on my body, so no problems there. i searched the surrounding car, but no luck. when i got off the train, i went to the security office at the station, but no one there spoke english. i went to my hotel, where the concierge offered to help me get to the police so i could fill out a report, but he said that that would really only be useful for filing an insurance claim once i get back to the states. nothing that was stolen is especially valuable by us standards - the ipod was on it's last legs, the camera was your baisc power shot variety that was probably 5 years old and repeatedly outdated.
it's just that it's my stuff! there were over 3000 photos on there! the audio recorder had composition material dating back about 9 months - not to mention sound recordings from my trip that were of great sentimental value.
the hotel front desk guy later suggested that i go to the embassy. i think his thinking is that it's the responsible thing to do, that the only way to address crimes like this is to draw attention to it. i understand his point and will perhaps do that - but i'm trying to manage my expectations. also, as it's my last day in india, maybe there's a more postive way to spend my time.
that's the biggest issue - this trip has been so wonderful in so many ways, it's just heartbreaking to see it end on such a negative note. i worked so hard on documentig things so that they could remain with me for a very long time. of course i still have the experiences and the memories, but it's hard to fathom that all of that effort is now just gone.
so - a 2-parter: what is my next practical move? and how do i frame this in order to retain as much positive feeling about my trip as possible.
namaste.
it was all my fault. it happened at the stop before new delhi (don't know the name). i stupidly stepped off the train to grab a chai and stretch my legs - i was absent for about 90 seconds. fortunately, my passport, credit cards, and cash were on my body, so no problems there. i searched the surrounding car, but no luck. when i got off the train, i went to the security office at the station, but no one there spoke english. i went to my hotel, where the concierge offered to help me get to the police so i could fill out a report, but he said that that would really only be useful for filing an insurance claim once i get back to the states. nothing that was stolen is especially valuable by us standards - the ipod was on it's last legs, the camera was your baisc power shot variety that was probably 5 years old and repeatedly outdated.
it's just that it's my stuff! there were over 3000 photos on there! the audio recorder had composition material dating back about 9 months - not to mention sound recordings from my trip that were of great sentimental value.
the hotel front desk guy later suggested that i go to the embassy. i think his thinking is that it's the responsible thing to do, that the only way to address crimes like this is to draw attention to it. i understand his point and will perhaps do that - but i'm trying to manage my expectations. also, as it's my last day in india, maybe there's a more postive way to spend my time.
that's the biggest issue - this trip has been so wonderful in so many ways, it's just heartbreaking to see it end on such a negative note. i worked so hard on documentig things so that they could remain with me for a very long time. of course i still have the experiences and the memories, but it's hard to fathom that all of that effort is now just gone.
so - a 2-parter: what is my next practical move? and how do i frame this in order to retain as much positive feeling about my trip as possible.
namaste.
If you have travel insurance and want to make a claim, you usually need a police report. So if that's the case, you may ask your embassy for advice on how to best do that.
posted by AnnaRat at 7:12 PM on February 2, 2014
posted by AnnaRat at 7:12 PM on February 2, 2014
Unfortunately, it's most likely gone. However, you will need a police report to collect insurance, and it's in your best interest to get that done. If you don't have insurance on any of these items, don't bother. Go walk around Lodhi Gardens and get a coffee and think "damn!"
As for the memories...write everything down while it's still fresh in your mind, I agree there. You won't regret it.
For future reference, I suggest 1. investing in a cloud storage account for your travel stuff and really using it and 2. investing in a small external hard-drive you can leave in the hotel room, which you can copy all your stuff too.
I'm a professional journalist/travel writer who works in very theft-prone places and this approach definitely helps me feel more "safe."
You should also consider getting insurance for your camera if you're really invested in photography. I'm really glad I did.
posted by cheberet at 8:10 PM on February 2, 2014 [5 favorites]
As for the memories...write everything down while it's still fresh in your mind, I agree there. You won't regret it.
For future reference, I suggest 1. investing in a cloud storage account for your travel stuff and really using it and 2. investing in a small external hard-drive you can leave in the hotel room, which you can copy all your stuff too.
I'm a professional journalist/travel writer who works in very theft-prone places and this approach definitely helps me feel more "safe."
You should also consider getting insurance for your camera if you're really invested in photography. I'm really glad I did.
posted by cheberet at 8:10 PM on February 2, 2014 [5 favorites]
I'd call a newspaper and a TV statuon. Maybe they'll be interested in your story and someone will recover your camera. You've got nothing to lose by trying. Of course the focus should be on your wonderful photos of India, not the equipment.
posted by Dansaman at 9:05 PM on February 2, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Dansaman at 9:05 PM on February 2, 2014 [1 favorite]
Best answer: You frame this as having had the quintessential India experience where you lose something you greatly cared about and then let it all go because there was absolutely nothing you could do about it. THAT is how you do India. That's where the true souvenir and gift from India is.
(Hugs. I've been back home 5 days after three months there. India never leaves you, promise.)
posted by taff at 10:15 PM on February 2, 2014 [5 favorites]
(Hugs. I've been back home 5 days after three months there. India never leaves you, promise.)
posted by taff at 10:15 PM on February 2, 2014 [5 favorites]
I would try Stolen Camera Finder.
Back up as you go...
posted by devnull at 12:48 AM on February 3, 2014 [1 favorite]
Back up as you go...
posted by devnull at 12:48 AM on February 3, 2014 [1 favorite]
You will not be getting it back. I know it feels unfair but theft is really common and you just have to accept that there's nothing you can do.
Except file the claim for travel insurance, if they cover this sort of thing.
posted by discopolo at 7:37 AM on February 3, 2014 [1 favorite]
Except file the claim for travel insurance, if they cover this sort of thing.
posted by discopolo at 7:37 AM on February 3, 2014 [1 favorite]
Mod note: This is an answer from an anonymous commenter.
India-based U.S. Consular Officer here--but not your India-based U.S. Consular Officer.posted by cortex (staff) at 7:53 AM on February 3, 2014 [5 favorites]
While I'm sure the advice to contact the U.S. Embassy in Delhi is well intended, there's really nothing we are going to be able to do other than direct you towards the Delhi Tourist Police. We're happy to do that if you want someone to talk to, but it will probably be a pretty short conversation. Based on personal experience, the chances of retrieving your belongings are slim to none. I also doubt you would be able to attract much media attention towards "Foreigner Has Bag Stolen," short of producing some sort of viral media. (Indians love Facebook, so you could always try there. Twitter: not so much.)
It is exceptionally easy in India to file a police report (locally called a "First Incident Report," or FIR), so you may want to do that for insurance purposes. Further resources for U.S. citizens who are victims of crime overseas is available here, though you will see it is targeted more towards victims of violent crimes.
Sorry to hear that your trip ended on a poor note. Just be glad you didn't lose your passport or else you would get to spend an exceptional amount of quality time with me and my staff! (Hey, we're lovely people and have great magazines in the waiting room, but no one really wants to spend their vacation filling out passport forms.)
Good luck getting it all sorted, fingers_of_fire.
We had our rental car stolen with pretty much everything in it while on vacation (not in India, but...). When the car was finally recovered, I had to repeatedly call the police to find out if there had still been anything of ours recovered (there were a lot of things in the car of absolutely no value to anyone else, along with our own stupidly valuable things left unattended in a rental car). The cop 'in charge' of our case couldn't have sounded more annoyed that I had finally gotten through to him, and basically told me he hadn't bothered to look through the car, and it had been sent back to the rental agency.
The local cops have local issues to deal with (or, y'know, ignore). Theft like yours, that doesn't even rank, and, in my case at least, I was assured by pretty much everyone in the area that, if the cops even sort of felt like acting on it, they likely could have found the guy (we had eye witnesses who waited to give a freaking description of the thief!).
The people who took your things most likely separated the valuables from the not, and threw away anything they couldn't sell. It sucks, but yeah, you're not likely to ever see any of that stuff again.
What we took from our situation was that we became more careful about the things we do, and pay a lot more attention. It's a pricey lesson, but it works.
posted by Ghidorah at 4:07 AM on February 4, 2014
The local cops have local issues to deal with (or, y'know, ignore). Theft like yours, that doesn't even rank, and, in my case at least, I was assured by pretty much everyone in the area that, if the cops even sort of felt like acting on it, they likely could have found the guy (we had eye witnesses who waited to give a freaking description of the thief!).
The people who took your things most likely separated the valuables from the not, and threw away anything they couldn't sell. It sucks, but yeah, you're not likely to ever see any of that stuff again.
What we took from our situation was that we became more careful about the things we do, and pay a lot more attention. It's a pricey lesson, but it works.
posted by Ghidorah at 4:07 AM on February 4, 2014
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I've got no advice on the next move, but perhaps while the trip is fresh in your mind you could record some written memories? Write a summary of your trip, noevlla or journal style. Include the theft, it's just another experience, and as you say, all in all it wasn't too worrysome as you had your passport and money on you. It's totally ok to be bummed about this for a few days, but then try and let it go or your trip really will be tarnished.
posted by Youremyworld at 6:59 PM on February 2, 2014 [2 favorites]