Pickpocketing Methods.
 

I was recently a victim of one of the oldest pickpocketing tricks ever in Addis Ababa. Well, everybody seems to know about it apart from me!

So, I'll do a short description of it and if anybody else has ever been caught out in any other way, I'll be very interested to know so that I can be ready with an almighty punch next time! Also, I lost both my credit cards, stranding me without money, so if this can be prevented for somebody else, I'll be a happy man.

Basically, some bastard will walk a few paces in front of you. Suddenly he will turn around spitting a stream on your trousers (in my case) or jacket, depending in which pocket your wallet is. Apologizing profusely he will start to rub furiously on the area affected, in this way making it unable for you to feel his other hand, or the other guy's behind you, lifting the wallet out of your pocket!

There are various variations on this, but basically if somebody by accident spit on you, or spill something on you, immediately make sure you get away from him and check behind you.

I really hope this might help someone, and if you know another trick, let us know.

Regards,

Namsa.

ABOUT US « Orphea’s African Tales

Sorry to say this mate, but it happens a lot. Here a common thing will be to have a big guy behind you that just holds your arms and the little guy in front takes his time going through your pockets.

Stay in well lit areas, avoid crowds, don't go to heavily shopped local markets without a local with you, move your wallet to a harder to get area, and stow some cash somewhere else.

I have a thousand Com under my insole, just in case...and i ONLY carry an embassy copied and sealed copy of my passport.

Buenos Aires pincer movement
 

I got done at the bus terminal last week in Buenos Aires. Two young women, one each side, crowded me and pushed at my my thighs with their hand luggage to get on the bus south to Patagonia. I thought: Ill mannered girls.
I should have thought: Argentines are seldom bad mannered. Using public transport, men give up their seats to women and to old guys like me.
I should have thought: Going to Patagonia in mid-winter. Where are their anoraks?
What irrtitates is that I considered the velcro leg pòckets on my cargo pants more or less theft proof. I've told people that only a dwarf could get at them without looking obvious. These were short women! Maybe they are specialists in cargo trousers!
Any way I in Ushuaia, found my Honda safe at the Honda Agency, have had it serviced and changed the tires and am ready for the ride North to NY. Ready but a little scared. Though I had no trouble on the way south from Mexico last year - see BLOG at home
But I didn't ride thru Brazil.
And I am a year nearer the grave...
:scooter:

Oh stop Simon!!! 'I am a year nearer the grave.' You're sounding American. ;-) Sorry you're having some bad luck. I hope it passes quickly. I'm still in Colombia, hoping to find open spaces very soon....
Lorraine

Simon,
Old fella', I think you could get an Oscar playing the feeble old pensioner.

Thanks Patrick, that's an encouraging send off note to our friend! "in Brazil....just run for your life." :-(

But does this mean we get to tell pickpocketing stories??? (Instead of me doing my work....) Myself and a friend were in Khartoum on a bus. She was wearing a money belt. Suddenly she looked down and realized her passport and money had been lifted. I realized somehow that the woman near us had taken the stuff. Instinct got the better of me and I grabbed the woman's tobe and shook it. Out fell the passport and money. And she realized she was in a shit load of trouble, and lunged at me. It took five guys to get her off me. She was one tough bint. And then it was the usual, her being escorted through the streets to the police office while people yelled at her. We were told she'd get about 3 days. We felt bad but....
Lorraine

Holy Crap!

You got some good instincts there!

You're in Colombia?

I once had to sit on a Khartoum bus squashed in like a sardine while a suspected thief had the stuffing knocked out of him right next to me. I remember bleating 'no, no, call a policeman' or something similar to not much avail. :innocent:

Sorry to hear about Simon's loss. An experience in Rome that I have previously posted is quite similar so no harm in highlighting it. It really is amazing how brazen some techniques are: A group of kids approached the man that I was walking with and talking to. They were carrying 2 large cardboard sheets (opened out boxes). They surrounded him as if they were pestering him. He pushed them away in surprise and we walked on. One minute later he realised his wallet had been stolen.

Keep alert, Stephan

Just for a bit of perspective..
I have traveled all over the world including Brazil, (in fact will be there in 2 weeks.. Salvador.:thumbup1:. no bike though.. work..:() but never had a problem in the 3rd world (I hate that term). But I digress...I was in Boston USA (not UK).. a 12 yr old boy walks up to me in one of the main squares (Kendal) pull a pistol (dont know if it was real of fake...did not care).in full sight of 100 people.and askes for my wallet.. he got a train ticket an I think 5 USD..No one did a thing..

In Hobart (AUS), we stop at a shop (in a car), no sooner did we walk in when a guy smashed the back window and took our shopping out of it.. (he must have been very disappointed when he found out it was antibiotic skin cream for a pet ferret..).

And finally hamburg we were backpacking and on the train, four skin heads came up to us and started to hassle us... Then 3 other Germans stood up and came up behind me once I realised they were on my side (my German was very bad but ..kline Scheisse. and Fek Du..is easy to get...) .. I stood up too and the little shits legged it strait in to a pair of cops... I was smiling for days...

Remember Crime is in EVERY part of the world.. and mostly in any big city. the have nots will always try to steel from the haves... geography does not come into it...

Pickpocket technique:-

This is a statement of the blindingly obvious: if anyone that you don't know or trust completely is within your "personal space" say within arms length, then you better keep your wallet in your hand etc etc (all as per various advice about stashing money in shoes or wherever) - won't save you from a straight forward mugging of course!

As shown in the cases in these posts, getting inside your personal space will almost always involve some form of distraction or ostensible reason to be up close - public transport is an example of the latter (pestering for trade in a market is another).

Sad I know, and call me paranoid but, as Xander says, crime does not have boundaries.

Thanks for the encouraging remarks about Bogota, MollyDog. You're full of joy on this thread. ;-)

At the risk of this turning into one of those pro/con gun threads about how safe/unsafe the world is, I should mention that in 28 years of travel, most of it in 'developing' countries (if you want to be politically correct Xander), much of it solo and 12 years of living in both Cairo and 'Nairobbery', I myself have never been pickpocketed. And now I'm traveling with two dogs the possibility is pretty remote. I also think money belts unless really hidden and flat are a lousy idea. They announce, I have something you want!
Lorraine

Try this:
 

Try this: sew some small fishing hooks upside down into one of your loose extarnal pockets with a dummy wallet in it and see how many you catch...
:funmeteryes:

Bet that one goes down well with the cops.

isnt that the whole point of a money belt. It's completely hidden so that you have the stuff you "can't" lose strapped to your chest or underneath your waistline. I dont think anyone wears them like a regular belt do they?

Hmm. Maybe money pouch would've been a better description? I don't wear the things, so I should probably not have commented. :-(

Simon, very entertaining read at: simon gandolfi And very sexy James Bond suit too. ;-)

Lorraine

I'm Out Of Here
 

Lorraine, re your last message, you've made my day! We had snow here last night in Ushuaia. I am off to Paulo, the mechanic bike-fanatic to arrange a ride over the pass to Rio Grande for tomorrow. Take care you all...
:scooter: simon

pickpockets
 

Here's another variant to watch out for .
On a trip through Venezuela in '99 and doing a day's visit to Caracas I was wandering the busy sidewalks in the city center and had just bought a souvenir trinket. A small jovial fellow coming from the opposite direction stepped in front of me and in the ususal reflex reaction one steps sideways and often enough the other person steps in the same direction ,twice. We both laughed. As a show of good humour the little runt reaches out to shake both of my elbows before going on his way .In that instant with my arms disabled I felt my muggers wallet being lifted from my pants front pocket. I immediately jumped after the little bastard and grabbed him by the shirt, bad choice of course- the wallet with $20 and subway ticket was going the other way. Other than being tempted to pound the shit out of him ( didn't) there was not much else I could do about the lost wallet.
Directly after that another fellow, well dressed and claiming to be a Bulgarian businessman , came up and told me that what I had done could be very dangerous, the ladrone could have knifed me or shot me, as has happened. I thanked him for the advice but was on my toes now and left. The question remains was this "helpful" person part of the plot , perhaps the real pickpocket and perhaps trying to set me up for a con ?

I just had this sudden (and what I think) brilliant idea. In Sudan, camel herders wear their knives, which are in a sheath, strapped to the inside of their upper arm over their biceps. What is needed for travellers is a smaller wallet for just visa card and paper money which is strapped in the same place. It's sounding like pickpockets are looking in pants pockets, or as in Simon's case, a velcroed pocket. The bicep idea obviously only works if you're wearing sleeves like a tshirt or longer. In the case of the camel herders, make no mistake these knives are unsheathed in lightening speed. Very accessible, but largely invisible. They use woven leather as the strapping, but velcro would work very well. You are welcome to send any donations for this idea my way. ;-)
Lorraine

OOOO the memories!
 

On the mexico city underground and this old man (70) gets on the tube with a load of baggage over his shoulders and under his arms. He stands close to me and gives me this "feel sorry for me" look. I had my bag over my shoulder, and felt a little guilty dropping it down infront of me when I felt him a little too close. The bstard had my front pouch open and my wallet in his hand. I actually felt sorry for the man.
But the lesson was that he watched me buy my tube ticket and knew that my wallet was in my front pouch!!!
Orrin

mp3 armband
 

I have a mp3 armband I use when I go running, it is elasticated (and cheap) and can fit around my biceps or just below my knee, I think it is a good idea and this will make it dual-purpose.

"this old man (70) gets on the tube with a load of baggage over his shoulders and under his arms. He stands close to me and gives me this "feel sorry for me" look."

You know, there's a lot of stories in the news this past year about pensioners and other 'poor old souls' running scams and such like. I suspect Simon has similar con games up his sleeve. ;-)

As for the mp3 elasticized stuff, of course! Lateral thinking going on here...
L