Two years ago during the IETF in San Francisco I was
walking close to the venue, waiting at a traffic light,
when I realized that I something gently touched my back,
and at the same time the back pocket where I had my wallet in.
I immediately turned around and tried to look as angry as possible.
A guy was standing behind me, smiling friendly as if he was asking
'Hey, what's wrong with you?'. I was not sure, whether he tried
to steal my wallet or just had touched me accidently, so I didn't
say anything to blame him, but he saw, that I was suspecting him.
We somehow got into a small conversation, talking about this and
that, where to dine, how to get a cheap overseas flight, this and
that, and I tried to not be rude or impolite while not revealing
any information about where I stay, who I am or what I own, taking
care not to be touched in any way.
After about 10 minutes of conversation he said he'd like me, and
therefore he'd give me a good advice. He said he was a professional
pickpocket, and even if he was really surprised that I had realized
being touched and had flipped around instantly, he said I'd be crazy
to have my wallet in the backpocket and urged me to put it somewhere
inside my jacket because that would be much more difficult to get.
Said this, jumped to the other side of the street, and vanished in
the crowd. (I then immediately checked my belongings, nothing missed.)
Some years ago I was on a sight-seeing trip to Vienna, and the
tour guide urgently asked as to be aware of pickpockets at any time.
At the local police they get the same complaints every hour:
For reasons they don't understand, women always feel secure in the
women's restrooms. The just put their purse anywhere, don't take much
care, and then it's gone. At the police station they are upset how
this could happen, how a man could make his way into the women's
restrooms. The police has to explain again and again, that they also
have female pickpockets, and that restrooms are not a holy area. But
for some reasons most traveller always presume pickpockets to be nasty
men.
And for IETF travellers: A good place to become a thief's victim are
the restrooms in airports and hotels. When you are in the booth and
just, eh, busy, your pants down, then - especially with american style
booths - it is pretty easy to grap your bag or purse standing on the
floor from under the booth's walls, exactly at the time you're
indisposed and temporarily not in the shape to immediately hunt the
thief.
regards
Hadmut
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