The Gold Ring

We were going from our hotel in Paris over to the food court at the building that contains the Louvre and two young women were coming toward us, looking like they were walking together. Right in front of us, also walking toward the Louvre, was a Nun. As the two young women approached us they split so that one walked by my daughter and the other walked by me. The one who was walking toward/by me almost bumped into the Nun. As she passed me she reached down to the ground and came up with a gold ring in her fingers.

Gold Ring from Paris, France street scam

She held it up and asked me in very broken English with a heavy French accent if it was mine. I shook my head and she tried it on her finger and it was way too big and she handed it to me to try it on and it was way too large for me too. After that she started to walk off and then suddenly turned around and walked quickly over to me and gave the ring to me, saying something about wanting me to have it. So we turned to walk off. 

All this time my instincts were that this was a scam or a set-up for a pickpocket thing. I hugged my purse to me and made sure no one could get in and all the while I was trying to watch her too. As we finally walked off she came running back to us making a gesture of taking food from her hand to her mouth...indicating that I should keep the ring, so Tammy gave her the equivalent of about $2.00 and the girl thanked us and finally went away.

So, here I sit with this *gold* ring...which is probably tin painted with gold paint....thinking on the past 4 days here in Paris and all the wonderful experiences and how this one little thing stands out. It was not an unpleasant experience, on the contrary, the girl seemed very nice and actually quite humble. 

People are actually the same the world over, as I have seen the pick-pocketing in Spain and this little scam in France I am reminded that the US isn't entirely free of such activities either and that we must always be on our guard, even if the perpetrators are nice or courteous. Personal safety is our own responsibility, especially when out and about alone or traveling alone, but even if you are with someone else, women have to be especially alert.

It is my hope that each of you will be aware of things around you, especially for your own personal safety, Janie