3 ms·

"whenever anyone gets close, my instinct is to put my hands on my pockets." Pickpockets love it when people do this, because it shows them which pockets your v

by gnosis 14y ago

"whenever anyone gets close, my instinct is to put my hands on my pockets." Pickpockets love it when people do this, because it shows them which pockets your valuables are in. They also love the "WATCH FOR PICKPOCKETS" signs in tourist areas for the same reason: upon seeing those signs, people instinctively pat or check the pockets in which they store their valuables.

kjackson2012 14y ago
That's an interesting point, but it's also pretty obvious that my valuables are going to be in my pockets.
- coopdog 14y ago
  Not necessarily if you're going into a pickpocket dense area like Rome
  - lostlogin 14y ago
    What did you do? My cash was in a hollow belt, my compact camera tied to my trousers and the pocket it was in was safety pinned closed. Everyone we met had been stolen from, we were tested 3x that we know of (all in crowds, 2 of them on trains) with nothing taken. Naples was just as ad, but with an undertone of violence, and Lima was downright frightening.
jtheory 14y ago
Quite right; I've heard that same warning before, and nowadays if I feel the urge to check my pockets, I check all of them in no particular order. I've traveled extensively and never had my pocket picked -- a little planning goes a long way. I don't flash valuables or any large amount of cash, I keep money separated into "using in the next few hours" in an accessible-but-somewhat-safe location (like deep in a front jeans pocket) vs. "needs to last until we find another ATM" someplace that's hard to access even for me, but I can still keep an eye on (e.g., not a backpack on my back: I imagine someone just slipping a blade down the side of a backpack, then just watching to see what falls out...). Related: choose traveling companions who keep their wits about them, and who will keep an eye out for you (as you watch out for them). It also probably helps that I'm tall and athletic -- I suspect many pickpockets would generally avoid people who might successfully chase them down after a bungled attempt.

by gnosis 14y ago

kjackson2012 14y ago

That's an interesting point, but it's also pretty obvious that my valuables are going to be in my pockets.

coopdog 14y ago
Not necessarily if you're going into a pickpocket dense area like Rome
- lostlogin 14y ago
  What did you do? My cash was in a hollow belt, my compact camera tied to my trousers and the pocket it was in was safety pinned closed. Everyone we met had been stolen from, we were tested 3x that we know of (all in crowds, 2 of them on trains) with nothing taken. Naples was just as ad, but with an undertone of violence, and Lima was downright frightening.

jtheory 14y ago

Quite right; I've heard that same warning before, and nowadays if I feel the urge to check my pockets, I check all of them in no particular order. I've traveled extensively and never had my pocket picked -- a little planning goes a long way. I don't flash valuables or any large amount of cash, I keep money separated into "using in the next few hours" in an accessible-but-somewhat-safe location (like deep in a front jeans pocket) vs. "needs to last until we find another ATM" someplace that's hard to access even for me, but I can still keep an eye on (e.g., not a backpack on my back: I imagine someone just slipping a blade down the side of a backpack, then just watching to see what falls out...). Related: choose traveling companions who keep their wits about them, and who will keep an eye out for you (as you watch out for them). It also probably helps that I'm tall and athletic -- I suspect many pickpockets would generally avoid people who might successfully chase them down after a bungled attempt.