Pickpocketed

[swansonj]

And I have considerable admiration for the skill of the people who did it.

Getting on the metro in Barcelona, bumped into a bloke in the doorway of the carriage, and we did that double take where you each go the same way and still bump. He steadied himself against me, taking advantage to pull up my jacket slightly to uncover my rear trouser pocket. We think his accomplice then lifted my wallet, while also nudging into my daughter and knocking her glasses to the floor. First guy shouted and pointed at the glasses, and whilst I and everyone else was distracted, they jumped out the door just as it was closing. I realised what was happening just as train started pulling out.

Like I said, a skilled operation.

 

[ozboz]

I witnessed similar in Rome , kid playing an accordion distracting all the passengers whilst their accomplases quickly whipped up and down the aisles of the the train robbing who they could ,

 

[Levo-Lon]

Similar on Paris Metro
Gang of girls ,they failed to rob my wife even tho they or rather the lifter had got All of her bag zips open.
Wife realized and shouted at her.
All as the doors were opening, i grabed the girl in the door way as it was closing.
Wife said its ok she got nothing, i let her arm go as the door was closing on her.

Romanian gang

 

[Levo-Lon]

I never carry a wallet in rear pocket.
Front pocket with hand in pocket when on underground and standing.
And back to a wall if possible. I hate crowded anything

 

[Heigue'r]

I had barcelona in my mind before I opened the thread.Have seen this very tactic used several times.

 

[Freds Dad]

On a trip to Barcelona I remember seeing a member of a pickpocket team getting caught by a group of English blokes. As they held the thief his accomplice stood about 20 yards away holding the stolen wallet. It was only when they started beating the sh1t out of the captured one did the wallet get returned.

 

[roadrash]

skilful or not , only one word for them,...scum ,

 

[Shut Up Legs]

That's another reason I love cycling in the Alps. There seems to be a definite lack of pickpockets there. After all, it's hard to pickpocket a moving target.

Even if I do move more slowly up the mountains.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

skilful or not , only one word for them,...scum ,

Yes, I was targeted in the Metro centre many years ago, group of lads surrounded me whilst I was playing on a fruit machine, as I started to leave one of them called me back & handed me my spectacle case which I know had been in the inside pocket of my jacket, never felt anything.

 

[mjr]

Not lost anything myself but someone I was with lost her purse at Montmartre, Paris. Open bag

Someone else lost her purse in Auckland. We did the lost cards shuffle (not easy back then with international calls and time difference) and the hosts of our tour were mortified and very apologetic, unnecessarily. By chance, a couple of weeks later, we had breakfast in the same cafe on the morning before flying home and the staff served up the purse that they'd found rolled behind a leg of the bench seat while cleaning. Wouldn't take a reward from the substantial wodge of dollars in it (we'd just arrived, so had all not long changed money) IIRC, even as a tip.

Good and bad. I do tend to split my cards and cash between several points, usually all in zipped pocket. I started doing that when I started working in that London I think. I guess it makes it more likely that they'll pick something, but it reduces the amount I'll have to cancel at once.

 

[mjr]

That's another reason I love cycling in the Alps. There seems to be a definite lack of pickpockets there. After all, it's hard to pickpocket a moving target.

Even if I do move more slowly up the mountains.

I've dropped stuff while cycling. Have you never?

 

[Electric_Andy]

Bad luck mate. I once foolishly left my phone in my rear pocket whilst in a pub. A friend of mine lifted it out of my gaping rear and gave it back to me 5 minutes later. Lucky it was no-one else

 

[postman]

i never go anywhere to get robbed.More likely to lose somethging by forgetting where i left it.No but on a serious note our lad 'lost' his wallet last month,his bank card was used contactless four times before he or his mum managed to get the card shut down.In Menorca t three years ago,i watched a couple target my lad.he had a backpack on two zip pockets.The women had what was supposed to be a baby asleep on her shoulder this was covered with a long shawl blanket thing.I watched and never saw it move or her even check on it,and so at the bus stop as my son attempts to get on the bus the 'husband' quickly gets infront of my lad.He then stops dead on the platform step ,she then moved to behind my son,ah but not quick enough i got behind my son and seperated them both.Thus blocking any attempt.I gave him a very long hasrd stare just to let him know i knew.The bus journey i watched the baby bump for twenty mins our journey time never once was it checked or the cover moved.It was a device so she could get her hand in and out,Scum of the earth.

 

[Dave7]

I also thought "Barcelona" when I read the heading.
Having been there 5 times for work I was well aware of the problem so when a colleague was going I stressed it to him.
He had been there 2 hours when someone lifted his wallet.
My sympathy to you though

 

[Drago]

Read in the paper a while back, a member of the Sayeret Matkal was robbed by three hoodlums on the Paris Metro. He rendered all three unconscious in very short order, and the Gendarme's were so i!pressed he was given a medal and they paid for his holiday.

Do that here and you'd get five to ten in the state pen.