Pickpocketed

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Deleted member 26715

Guest
In Benidorm there are teams of people who set up the pea and cup gambling scam on street corners which attract a crowd. I was warned by a shopkeeper who saw me instinctively check my wallet when I saw them - apparently they have spotters watching for people doing just that and I'd now signalled where my wallet was.
There was a pickpocket on a R4 program some months ago, he said he loved the signs put up in shopping centres, airports etc. as just like you so many people check the wallet is still in the inside pocket as soon as they see the sign, he then knew exactly where it was.
 
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swansonj

swansonj

Guru
I posted this anecdote because I found it amusing and I thought some of you might find it amusing too. And I genuinely admired the skill involved.

Yes, carrying a wallet in a back pocket could be seen as stupid. But know what? I'm only prepared to go so far in tailoring my life to cater for the risks of crime. We don't set our burglar alarm at home (and have avoided insurance policies that give discounts for doing so) because we don't want to get sucked into the mentality of thinking of our home as a fortress. I mostly use a cheap cable lock for my bike. And, whilst I take some basic steps like having a different credit card and some cash in a different place and my passport (harder to replace) in an inside pocket, I am loath to sacrifice the convenience of an easily accessible wallet. Life is for enjoying not fearing?

I do acknowledge, however, (@colly and others) that my ability to be relatively sanguine about the loss of a hundred euro is largely contingent on my having arrived at a fortunate stage in life where that sum is less critical to me (or me just caring less about money) than it was for many years.

Finally, although this wasn't intended to be a political thread, I do just note in passing that it probably does all of us, for whom it is rarer experience, good now and again to experience victimhood, however superficially.
 

MrGrumpy

Huge Member
Location
Fly Fifer
Got pickpocketed in Salou a few years back! Got nothing from me but it was a young couple , cool as cucumber they were . Got manipulated by them into position but I knew straight away and quickly moved myself .
 

Drago

Legendary Member
Finally, although this wasn't intended to be a political thread, I do just note in passing that it probably does all of us, for whom it is rarer experience, good now and again to experience victimhood, however superficially.

There are two types of people - predators, and prey.

Your mindset, resolve, intelligence, preparedness and dilligence , or lack thereof, is that which decides which you are to he today.
 
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swansonj

swansonj

Guru
There are two types of people - predators, and prey.

Your mindset, resolve, intelligence, preparedness and dilligence , or lack thereof, is that which decides which you are to he today.
That is the myth of the American frontier, and of the America that deludes itself that it is still a frontier society today; the myth of the right-wing self-improvement industry; the myth of the ex-SAS (or ex wannabe SAS) survivor cult.

Like all myths, it conveys some truth. But like all myths, the truths it contains often smack as much of wish fulfilment as of reality.

Sorry, I know I tend to pretentiousness, but even I am not usually this pretentious. Put it down to the Cava, that being more appropriate to Barcelona than prosecco.
 

theclaud

Openly Marxist
Location
Swansea
There are two types of people - predators, and prey.

Your mindset, resolve, intelligence, preparedness and dilligence , or lack thereof, is that which decides which you are to he today.
What a load of old cobblers.
 
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swansonj

swansonj

Guru
[QUOTE 5153650, member: 43827"]Years back on the underground in Barcelona on the way to the Sagrada Familia I had our pasports in a double buttoned knee level pocket on my cargo trousers. In the middle of the journey a family with noisy young kids running around playing were in the same carriage. The kids bumped into me.

After we got of the train I noticed that the buttons had been undone. The crafty little sods had pick-pocketed somewhere that I thought would be too awkward to steal from. Wasted many hours on the last day of our break in the police station and on the phone to the airline about a return journey without passports.

Luckily I always keep copies of important travel docs as email attachments so could get passport copies printed.[/QUOTE]
We are going on the underground in Barcelona to the Sagrada Familia today...:smile:
 
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GM

Legendary Member
We are going on the underground in Barcelona to the Sagrada Familia today...:smile:


Be careful! I forget what station it was, I think it was one of the main ones. I got the dropped keys at the top of the escalator treatment. Being a tight wad I only had a couple of euros in my wallet, its still very distressing.
Enjoy your day out!
 
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Freds Dad

Veteran
Location
Gawsworth.
I was talking to friend about this topic last night and as he goes to lots of European on business he uses the following trick.

He has a very cheap wallet in which he keeps some Monopoly money and a couple of free plastic cards like Nectar cards. He keeps this in his rear trouser pocket and has it picked twice in the last 18 months, but this has prevented his real wallet being stolen.
 

Tin Pot

Guru
I’ve never been pick pocketed despite being in London almost all my life.

Last week I seemingly lost nothing, however I’m convinced I was subject to a pick pocket attack.

I was sitting at a roulette table in a casino, chips on table but cash, passport and cards stuffed in an open pocket.

As the ball was cast into the roulette wheel I was jostled on both sides by guys suddenly coming to the table reaching past me and casting bets.

Pretty sure I still had everything afterwards but wine was involved, so I may have forgotten how much cash was in my pocket.
 
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