"First thing I do in Paris": Viral video shows woman covering her valuables with tape in French capital to protect them from getting stolen

A video showing a woman using brown packing tape to secure her valuables while travelling in Paris has gone viral on X, garnering nearly 9 million views. Titled "It is not a joke, it is hectic in Paris," the clip has triggered widespread discussion, with users sharing mixed reactions and personal experiences about safety in the French capital.

Woman tapes valuables to avoid theft

The video begins with the woman wrapping brown packing tape around her wrist to conceal her wristwatch. She then tapes her fingers to cover the rings on both hands before securing her purse around her waist with tape.

She also uses two pieces of tape to fasten her sunglasses in place, wraps tape around her smartphone to keep it secured in her right hand and places another strip of tape over her necklace to hide it.



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Video draws millions of views

The unusual method of protecting valuables quickly gained traction on X, attracting more than 8 million views and prompting thousands of comments from users.

While some questioned whether such precautions were necessary, others shared their own experiences in Paris.

Users divided over precautions

One user asked, "Do they steal this much?" Another commented, "Why not just taking them off," to which the woman replied, "It is safer."

A different user wrote, "This is an exaggeration, I don't care. It's never this bad. Even in Brazil!"

Others said they had encountered safety concerns during visits to Paris. One user claimed that members of their group had their bags targeted as soon as their bus arrived, alleged that they faced an attempted robbery on the metro and said a knife was pulled on them in a park at night, adding that they would not return to the city.

Another user recalled one of their first experiences in Paris, saying someone jumped past the train station barrier immediately after they scanned their ticket.

A woman also shared that she experienced "real fear" on multiple occasions in Paris, alleging that a man grabbed her arm on the street without warning and describing repeated harassment near the Eiffel Tower by people trying to sell souvenirs. She added that despite those experiences, visiting the Louvre and the Palace of Versailles made the trip worthwhile.