By Ru Ge

Two weeks after Jane and I arrived together at Copenhagen University as exchange students from China, we each experienced culture shock - albeit of in different kinds. Jane lost 4,000 kroners and her Danish ID card to a pickpocket, while I was taken aback by the frankness of the Copenhagen Metro which featured a warning on the subway information screen - "Be Aware of Pickpockets," written in both in English and Danish.

Danish professors have warned us of pickpockets being on the rise but we didn't take notice until Jane's unpleasant walk in Stroget, one of the busiest shopping streets in central Copenhagen. Even though her purse was placed in the bottom of her backpack and she was sure that it was zipped up, she nevertheless discovered that her purse had been stolen after she left Stroget.

Pickpockets must be on the rise in the subway, to such an extent that the metro company sees fit to warn the passengers in very blunt language. The atmosphere has become more tense in public areas, and I once heard a mother say to her daughter in English: "I'll keep an eye on your backpack. Don't worry my darling."

Denmark might seem like a perfect kingdom for Chinese because many of us have been greatly influenced by Hans Christian Andersen's fairy-tales since we were very little. But it is clear to me now that no matter how rich a country is, there will always be social problems.

Our Danish friends told us pickpockets strike not only on public transportation but also at frequent tourist attractions. I started to think about the police presence in Copenhagen and why they don' t do something to combat petty crime. "Police don't have the man power," I was told when I asked a Danish friend.

To visitors and foreign students, my advice is: never let your guard down when you do sightseeing, shopping or commuting. Keep your guard up and your wits about you, as thieves could be lurking around any corner, ready to snatch your bags and purses.