She Pulled Something From Her Bag Before Walking Around Paris. She Says It’s the First Thing She Does There – And People Can’t Believe It

A few months ago, when I shared what a tourist did in front of the Eiffel Tower, I honestly believed I had written about the most shocking thing someone could do in Paris.

Apparently, I was wrong.

Today, I am sharing something else entirely unbelievable.

In that previous article, the author presented the experience as a hack. This time, it is presented as a safety tip – the first thing a woman says she does when she is in Paris. Frankly, after you read her tip, you might wonder whether anyone out there is actually doing this. In fact, the comments people had are very interesting – I have selected the best!

But there is more.

I have worked in marketing and communication for more than 21 years, so I also looked at this from an online visibility and content strategy perspective. What this woman did in Paris may be only the beginning of the story. The video can be interpreted in several ways!

After watching more of her content, I noticed a pattern.

So, what happened?

I Know What It Is Like to Worry About Pickpockets

Before I show you what she does, I want to make one thing clear: I don’t dismiss concerns about safety when traveling, nor about pickpockets.

I come from a country where you learn to pay attention to your purse, phone and belongings. I have plenty of experience doing that both at home and while traveling. In fact, I created a complete guide explaining how to avoid pickpockets.

I don’t leave my phone unattended on a restaurant table. I don’t walk through packed public transportation with an open purse. I know that crowds, distractions and busy tourist areas can create opportunities for thieves.

I’ve been to Paris myself, and during my trip I spent two full days exploring the city on my own. I used the Metro, walked through busy streets, visited Musée d’Orsay and other attractions, and carried my phone, purse, money, jewelry and camera.

I paid attention to my belongings, especially in crowded places, but I had no problems.

That’s my experience, of course. Someone else can visit the same city and have a phone stolen within an hour. In fact, one comment under this woman’s video came from someone who said the same thing had recently happened to her father.

So yes, pay attention to your belongings in Paris. But I had never considered doing what this woman demonstrates.

What Was the First Thing She Did in Paris?

A woman traveling to Paris prepared to walk around the city. She had a purse, jewelry and sunglasses.

She also had a roll of brown packing tape.

Yes. Packing tape.

She started by taping part of her purse and securing it to her body. She put the tape directly across her clothes, her body and her bag.

But she didn’t stop there.

She placed another piece of tape over a ring. Then came an earring. She covered it with another piece of tape, attaching it to the side of her face.

Her sunglasses were next. She taped one side of the glasses near her temple. The tape also appeared to catch some of her hair.

I don’t know how firmly this would actually attach the sunglasses to her head. If someone tried to grab them, would the person fail? Or would they leave with the sunglasses and a few strands of hair?

There was another detail I couldn’t ignore.

Her phone remained in her hand while she walked around, filmed and took photographs.

The jewelry, purse and sunglasses needed packing tape.

The phone didn’t.

She Didn’t Post This Paris Tip Only Once

When I first wrote about these videos, their numbers were already impressive. They are considerably higher now.

The creator, Victoria’s Way, has posted at least two TikTok videos showing this Paris routine. They were filmed on different days but present the same central idea.

When I checked again, one of those videos had reached 19.7 million views and 32,200 comments on TikTok alone.

And that is only one platform. Her videos are also shared or reposted on Instagram, Facebook, X and elsewhere.

She has another Paris video containing several safety tips. In that one, she demonstrates ways to hold or secure a purse while sitting, blocks a hotel room door and hides jewelry inside what looks like a lipstick tube.

Those examples are very different from covering your face, accessories and belongings with packing tape, and some are much closer to the types of precautions travelers may realistically consider.

The subject isn’t limited to Paris attractions, either. In a video filmed in Spain, she once again demonstrates how she positions and secures her purse.

Safety and protecting belongings appear repeatedly throughout her content.

The Comments May Be Even More Interesting Than the Video

With more than 32,000 comments on this video alone, no single reaction matches what she does.

Some people laughed. Others defended Paris. Some agreed that travelers need to be careful but thought this went much too far. Some suggested far simpler solutions, while others outside France seemed genuinely concerned about what the video implied about visiting the city.

And yes, some of the comments made my day.

“Just Leave Your Jewelry Home”

This was probably the most common type of solution I encountered.

“How about we leave all that jewellery at home?”

“Why wouldn’t you leave them in a hotel safe, or holiday without jewellery and take a travel security handbag.”

“Think I’d rather just not wear the jewelry.”

Another simply said:

“Just leave your jewelry home.”

And one traveler explained how she handles valuables when traveling:

“I wear a travel wedding ring, not my real wedding set when traveling. In addition, I don’t bring my name brand purse… less stressful. You have to be a smart traveler. It can happen anywhere really, that’s are world 😞”

Another commenter who had visited Paris several times took a similar approach:

“I have been to Paris 3 times… never had an issue but call me crazy, I left my valuables home”

Whatever you think about the tape, leaving expensive jewelry somewhere secure certainly eliminates the problem of figuring out how to tape it to yourself.

“This Is So Unnecessary”

Many viewers didn’t offer an alternative technique at all. They simply couldn’t understand why anyone would go this far.

“This is so unnecessary”

“So unnecessary”

Another wrote:

“everyone is not thief in Paris. i think it is not funny thing you are doing.”

Some reactions were considerably less diplomatic:

“First thing I do in Paris to embarrass myself”

And:

“first thing I do in paris→ look stupid”

Then there was:

“What the hell… just take off put on safe place”

And one commenter offered a very Paris-specific solution:

“Just call Ladybug and she will protect you”

If you know Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir, you will understand that one immediately.

Then Came the Practical Questions

Other people looked beyond how unusual the whole thing appeared and wondered how it would actually work.

“What happens when you need to open your purse 👛 🤣”

That is an excellent question.

Do you remove the tape every time you need money, a credit card, tissues or something else from the bag? Do you then use another piece to secure everything again?

Another commenter focused on the one valuable object that appeared to remain uncovered:

“Also tape over your phone camera lense could’ve prevented this content”

It is a joke, but there is a legitimate question underneath it. The phone is one of the most obvious valuables a traveler can carry, yet she is shown holding it while several other belongings are taped down.

Some People Who Know Paris Pushed Back

Then there were people who live in Paris or have visited the city and simply didn’t recognize the level of danger implied by the video.

“I don’t think we toured the same Paris!!”

“I’ve been to Paris many times and never felt this necessary, like any big city anywhere in the world just keep your wits about you and enjoy your trip.”

“Was there a few months ago. Nothing indicating the need to do that. For one, the streets are patrolled. We walked all over day and night. Felt perfectly safe.”

Another commenter was even more direct:

“I live in paris its not true”

And another said:

“wow I love Paris and I never experienced any such pickpocketing”

One woman described visiting on her honeymoon while using a mobility scooter:

“i went to Paris last year for our honeymoon and we didn’t have any problems with pick pockets and I was a bit worried as I am disabled and in a mobility scooter and thought I might be more of a target but nothing”

Another person compared Paris with Rome:

“I had the time of my life in Paris no danger whatsoever and Rome which I walked around at 4 in the morning had the Trevi fountain all to myself”

These are individual experiences, just as mine is. Someone can visit Paris repeatedly without losing anything while another person can be targeted on a single trip.

And one commenter provided an immediate reminder of that:

“I dont know if anyone cares but someone snatched my dads phone in Paris last week”

Another put it well:

“That’s too much acting. Pickpockets are everywhere. Not just in Paris.”

But What Does This Tell Someone Who Has Never Been to Paris?

This is the part of the discussion I find more important than whether people think the video is funny.

Some viewers haven’t been to Paris. They don’t have their own experience to compare with what they are seeing.

One person asked:

“I’ve never been to Paris. Is it really that bad?”

Another wondered:

“is that really what ppl have to do??”

And someone made an interesting observation:

“but for people who have not visited paris, her video… has a strong impact”

I agree with that.

Imagine planning your first trip to Paris and encountering this video while researching safety. You see a woman taping a purse to her body, covering a ring, attaching tape over an earring and securing her sunglasses to the side of her head.

Without any other context, what conclusion would you draw about walking around Paris?

Pickpocketing is a genuine concern. The image this video creates is another question entirely.

Was the Video Satire?

A few commenters thought everyone else was taking the video too seriously.

“Pretty sure it’s tongue in cheek?”

“People look up satire in the dictionary.”

I think this the the best possible explanation.

Social-media videos often use exaggeration, visual humor and absurd situations to attract attention. Covering almost every valuable object with packing tape certainly produces a stronger visual than simply closing a purse and keeping it in front of you.

And yes, I hope she doesn’t actually tape herself like this every time she goes outside in Paris.

But there is one detail that makes the satire explanation more complicated for me.

There are two videos.

She demonstrated the same central Paris idea on different days.

If the first one was satire, how should we interpret the second?

Perhaps the original was deliberately exaggerated and, after seeing the attention it received, she repeated the concept. Perhaps she genuinely believes in the underlying safety message but exaggerates the demonstration because that makes better social-media content. Perhaps the videos combine genuine advice with humor.

I cannot know her intention unless she explains it herself.

But after looking at more of her content, I am not convinced that the underlying subject is a joke.

She offers safety advice repeatedly, in multiple destinations and on cruises. Sometimes she uses the same purse technique. Other times, she demonstrates hotel-room precautions, personal-safety products or ways to conceal valuables.

Some of those tips are useful.

And that creates another potential problem with a video this extreme.

One packing-tape video has now accumulated approximately 19.7 million views. For many people, it may be the first Victoria’s Way video they encounter.

If viewers decide from that video that her travel advice is simply exaggerated content created for attention, they may dismiss other recommendations without considering whether those individual tips have merit.

At the opposite extreme, people who don’t know Paris may take the visual message literally and wonder whether visiting the city requires precautions anywhere close to this level.

The comments show both reactions happening.

Pickpocketing in Paris Is Real – But Packing Tape Isn’t the Official Advice

I want to separate two things that can easily become mixed together in this discussion.

Pickpockets operate in Paris.

The city’s own visitor safety advice tells people to beware of pickpockets, remain vigilant and keep luggage and personal belongings close.

Warnings also appear in busy places tourists frequent. I saw visible notices reminding people to watch their belongings during my own trip. Such warnings should be taken seriously, especially around public transportation, stations, major attractions and dense crowds.

But the official advice doesn’t tell visitors to attach their sunglasses, earrings and purses to their bodies with brown packing tape.

During my first trip, I used public transportation and visited busy places throughout the city. I went to the Louvre and Musée d’Orsay. I visited Versailles and the Eiffel Tower. I walked beside the Seine and through areas filled with visitors.

For two full days, I explored Paris alone.

I had earrings, a bracelet and a watch. I had my phone, purse, money and cash. I also carried a camera that was not cheap and used it constantly to take photographs for my travel blog.

I paid attention to my belongings. I kept my bag closed. I avoided leaving valuables unattended. I was more alert in crowds and on public transportation.

I had no problems.

Someone else’s experience can be completely different. A purse or phone can be stolen in Paris, just as they can be stolen in many other major cities and tourist destinations.

Paris is enormous, popular and filled with visitors. Nobody can guarantee that every trip will be incident-free.

For me, however, awareness meant keeping an eye on my belongings while still enjoying the city. Paris had been a dream destination for me. I wanted to admire its architecture, visit its museums, see the Eiffel Tower and experience the places on my Paris list.

I wouldn’t have enjoyed those moments while wondering whether tape was stuck to my hair, whether I could open my purse or how I was going to remove it from my earrings later.

Would You Do This in Paris?

I will never advise anyone to ignore pickpocket warnings.

Use a closed crossbody bag. Keep your phone secure in crowded places. Don’t carry unnecessary valuables. Pay attention when someone tries to distract you. Leave expensive jewelry somewhere secure when that makes you feel more comfortable.

Those are realistic precautions.

But taping your jewelry, purse and sunglasses to your body?

Frankly, I would rather leave the jewelry at the hotel.

Travel safety should help you enjoy your trip with fewer worries. It shouldn’t become the main activity of the trip.

Would you cover your belongings with tape before walking through Paris?

Or would you rely on basic precautions and enjoy the city?

Other Travel Videos Have Taken Things to Extremes for Attention

This is not the first time I have come across a travel video where the situation becomes much easier to understand once you remember that someone is creating content.

Some of the strangest examples have happened on airplanes.

A Man Climbed Into an Airplane’s Overhead Bin

One involved a man who climbed into an airplane’s overhead bin while someone filmed him.

Yes, the compartment designed for carry-on luggage.

It was an absurd stunt, but it was also the kind of image almost guaranteed to make people stop scrolling: a grown man inside an overhead bin while other passengers were trying to board a flight.

In another video, he appeared at the airport saying that he had missed his flight. It wasn’t possible to establish whether missing the flight was actually a consequence of the stunt.

A Woman Made Fresh Pasta at Her Airplane Seat

Then there was the woman who made fresh pasta during a flight.

She brought flour, water, a bowl and a gnocchi board onto the plane. At her seat, she mixed the ingredients, kneaded the dough, cut it and shaped fresh pasta. She wasn’t preparing a meal she intended to cook and eat onboard.

Making pasta in unusual places was part of her content – but, as many people pointed out, in the airplane it is risky, as there are people with allergies and there is the hygiene factor to consider.

If you want to check out the videos I mentioned in this article, here are the sources:

• first video on TikTok and Facebook
• second video on TikTok
• video for Spain
• video with more tips for Paris
• her link page

Violeta Loredana

Violeta-Loredana Pascal is a communications expert, business mentor, and the founder of Earth’s Attractions and PRwave INTERNATIONAL. A pioneer in the Romanian digital PR landscape since 2005, she holds a degree in Communication and Social Sciences from SNSPA Bucharest. Violeta is a senior trainer at AcademiadeAfaceri.ro, where she leverages over 20 years of experience to teach professional courses in PR strategy and workplace productivity. By blending high-level business consulting with a passion for holistic travel and wellness, she empowers solopreneurs to overcome procrastination, build profitable brands, and design a life of purposeful adventure.