3 ms·

$123 is still a lot of money. Pickpockets aren't roaming gangs of starving thieves.

Retric 9y ago
$123 * 365 ~= 45k/year. So, you would need to mug / pickpocket 1 or more people per day per person involved. At a guess that's not very stable and your very likely to get caught. aka, you might get 100 peoples wallets at moderate risk, but going for 10's of thousands is a lot more risky. Also, stolen CC can be turned into cash.
- overcast 9y ago
  $45k a year, untaxed, for what, a few minutes of work per day? Sign me up. There are professional pickpockets all over the world, that make a healthy living off of it. Also, average monthly salary in Germany is $2666. Sounds WAY more profitable to be a pickpocket.
  - Retric 9y ago
    Until you get caught. The problem is not so much being an experienced pickpocket, the problem is getting to that point and then living off of it for 40 years without spending a lot of time in prison.
    - overcast 9y ago
      Of course it's "until you get caught", and then subsequently released to just start over. Thieves exist, getting caught isn't a deterrent. You're taking it from the perspective of someone logical, with a vision of the future, savings, etc.
      - Retric 9y ago
        Actual data suggests pickpockets are in massive decline. I suspect criminals are more rational than you might think. http://www.npr.org/2011/03/06/134298101/pickpocketing-an-art-thats-stealing-away http://www.npr.org/2011/03/06/134298101/pickpocketing-an-art... Sure, you can make a living picking pockets, but drugs / cyber crime etc. have more 'advancement' potential.
k__ 9y ago
I don't know why, but we don't have many pickpockets here in Germany. Probable reasons: We don't have that much poor people here. The few that are, get social aid from the public/country. The few that aren't happy with the amount of money they get, can collect bottles, which give you 0,25€ per bottle. Few hours of bottle collecting in a big city is easy money on the side. So most poor people here can make 10-20€ a day on the side legally. Food is really cheap in Germany, so people don't have to carry around much money. Most of the time I only have below 50€ on me and only on bigger travels in the country-side I take more. So I think there is simply no reason to risk getting caught stealing an amount of money you can easily make legally.

$123 * 365 ~= 45k/year. So, you would need to mug / pickpocket 1 or more people per day per person involved. At a guess that's not very stable and your very likely to get caught. aka, you might get 100 peoples wallets at moderate risk, but going for 10's of thousands is a lot more risky. Also, stolen CC can be turned into cash.

overcast 9y ago
$45k a year, untaxed, for what, a few minutes of work per day? Sign me up. There are professional pickpockets all over the world, that make a healthy living off of it. Also, average monthly salary in Germany is $2666. Sounds WAY more profitable to be a pickpocket.
- Retric 9y ago
  Until you get caught. The problem is not so much being an experienced pickpocket, the problem is getting to that point and then living off of it for 40 years without spending a lot of time in prison.
  - overcast 9y ago
    Of course it's "until you get caught", and then subsequently released to just start over. Thieves exist, getting caught isn't a deterrent. You're taking it from the perspective of someone logical, with a vision of the future, savings, etc.
    - Retric 9y ago
      Actual data suggests pickpockets are in massive decline. I suspect criminals are more rational than you might think. http://www.npr.org/2011/03/06/134298101/pickpocketing-an-art-thats-stealing-away http://www.npr.org/2011/03/06/134298101/pickpocketing-an-art... Sure, you can make a living picking pockets, but drugs / cyber crime etc. have more 'advancement' potential.

k__ 9y ago

I don't know why, but we don't have many pickpockets here in Germany. Probable reasons: We don't have that much poor people here. The few that are, get social aid from the public/country. The few that aren't happy with the amount of money they get, can collect bottles, which give you 0,25€ per bottle. Few hours of bottle collecting in a big city is easy money on the side. So most poor people here can make 10-20€ a day on the side legally. Food is really cheap in Germany, so people don't have to carry around much money. Most of the time I only have below 50€ on me and only on bigger travels in the country-side I take more. So I think there is simply no reason to risk getting caught stealing an amount of money you can easily make legally.