Pickpocket
Photograph ©2016 by Brian Cohen.
Brian Cohen·
Health and EnvironmentSafety and SecurityTips
··9 Comments·3 min read

Three Reasons Why Pickpockets Have Never Affected Me

...and hopefully, they will never affect you, either.

Note: This article pertaining to Three Reasons Why Pickpockets Have Never Affected Me was originally published on Sunday, July 3, 2016 at 10:07 in the evening and has been updated.

I still have not been pickpocketed since this article was first published exactly nine years ago; so I thought I would once again impart three reasons why pickpockets have never affected me.

1. I Keep Valuable Items in My Front Pocket — And…

I have been to places all over the world that are rife with crowds: Luxor, Tokyo, Marrakesh, Madrid, Napoli, Johannesburg, and Shanghai immediately come to mind as a few of the many places where I was literally squeezing through throngs of people trying to get to where I wanted or needed to go.

I keep my valuables — typically a passport, a couple of credit cards, a driver’s license, and some cash — in my front left pocket; and I have developed the habit over the years of keeping either a thumb or my fingers in that pocket much of the time. In fact, that automatically happens whenever I am amongst other people in an unfamiliar place; but I do it inconspicuously enough where it is not obvious as to the reason why I do it.

If my other hand is available, I might put the thumb or fingers into the right pocket as well — just to have the action appear casual and throw off anyone who might be eying me.

Although some readers of The Gate With Brian Cohen disagree with me, I still maintain — based on my experience — that you should not keep your valuable items in your back pocket, as taking items from your back pocket is usually easier for a pickpocket than attempting to take them from your front pocket.

Keeping valuable items in a purse or other external bag falls into the realm of a snatcher and not necessarily a pickpocket; but in such cases, ensure that the straps of the bag are as secure to your person as possible — perhaps wrapped around your arm or body — and in front of you at all times.

2. Remain Aware and Alert at All Times

For me, the concept of remaining aware and alert at all times is simple. I look around me inconspicuously to detect potential problems.

Remaining aware and alert does not just help to prevent a pickpocket from targeting you. It can help keep you safe in general.

Always be as alert and as aware of your surroundings as possible. Pickpockets and thieves thrive on catching people who seem to be unaware off guard.

3. Be as Inconspicuous as Possible

I will borrow this tip from this article I wrote pertaining to 14 tips on how you can prevent theft in hotels and aboard airplanes.

Do not dress for success — rather, be as inconspicuous as possible. Wear jeans and a T-shirt when checking in to the hotel; or nice jeans and a polo shirt if you are conscious about your appearance. There is no need to appear slovenly and unkempt; but try not to stand out, either. Whether the duration of the flight is short or long, be as comfortable as possible with how you are dressed. Ensure that your belongings do not look valuable — for example, using a duffel bag implies that you are not carrying anything valuable.

Final Boarding Call

I cannot recall at any time in my life — whether traveling or not — when I have been a target of a pickpocket. Perhaps I can attribute that to being born and raised in Brooklyn, where I used city buses to travel to middle school; and subways to commute for years to Manhattan for high school, college, and to a job in Times Square…

…and yes, I have experienced crowded streets and subway cars countless times in Manhattan.

See also

Honing your sense of awareness to improve your peripheral sense in your immediate vicinity is never a bad idea; but it will require time and discipline to develop into a habit — similar to me not touching sensitive parts of my face with my hands once I realize that they may be contaminated with unwanted germs prior to washing them throughly and rarely getting sick as a result.

I very briefly first covered this topic greater than 17 years ago; but the article had more to do with tips given by FlyerTalk members.

These three tips may not seem like they would work — and there is no guarantee that you will not be a target of a pickpocket despite following them — but they have been 100 percent effective for me; and I hope they do not fail me in the future…

…but to put it another way: if there are two houses and one house merely gives the impression that it is occupied or protected by a security alarm system while the other appears unoccupied, which house do you believe a potential burglar will likely target?

Similarly, give the impression to the potential pickpocket that other people in the vicinity are easier targets than you — which is easily achieved by following the aforementioned three steps.

Photograph ©2016 by Brian Cohen.

Related

9 Comments

  1. Only comment is you never know who reads these posts especially with the title ! I would strongly suggest that travelers consider wearing a “money belt” securely around them. A color laminated copy of passport photo page and information page, one credit card and some cash. Just saying.

    Reply

    1. That is one reason why I typically never publicly reveal my travel plans, ghostrider5408.

      You impart good advice which others should consider heeding. Thank you.

      Reply

  2. Be as Inconspicuous as Possible = Don’t look like a tourist.
    My friend who was mugged once plus almost mugged two other times in Paris had no more problems once I told him how to dress and act while overseas. He was so happy when he got back from his latest trip to Paris. He said No one even looked at me!

    Apart from all the tips given by different writers, here is what else I do:
    1. I pick up a local language publication and carry it with me. It makes me look like a local, and especially if I pretend to read it on the subway. People have no idea I don’t understand what I am reading.

    2. I walk very confidently like a local who knows where I am going, even when I don’t know where I am going. I act the part, and never want the crooks to think I am not sure where I am or where I am going.

    3. I take photos of maps on my phone and look at them in a discreet location, as if I am reading an email or SMS.

    4. I try not to speak in the train or crowds so people won’t know where I am from.

    5. When approached by a solicitor I give them a dirty look and walk away like a local would. If necessary I will put my hand out with a brushing away gesture shoo them off.

    6. Sometimes I will pretend I am getting a phone call and mumble and gesture like a local would.
    When I go someplace new I like to observe and pick up local body language.

    7. Before going anywhere new, I not only learn the local customs and greetings but also learn the common crimes committed and which areas to avoid.

    8. And of course, I am alert to my surroundings whenever there are other people.

    Reply

  3. Agree completely with Jason and add: 9. Carry a small amount of local currency in your front pockets for incidentals. 10. Try to memorize your travel route so you look like you know where you are going. 11. Skip the backback and carry a generic tote bag for maps, travel guides, water bottles, umbrella and the like.

    Reply

    1. #10 Memorize your travel route.
      I do this too since I am good with maps. However, for many people this is unfortunately not easy. Some people have a difficult time following the GPS in their car!
      So what I recommend for those who have a hard time memorizing a route, to walk confidently as if you know where you are going, then find a corner someplace where you can look at the map on your phone to get your bearings. You can always back track if you took the wrong turn.
      #11 Skip the Backpack.
      I carry a very simple, inexpensive one that is dark color, plain and very basic. No tags or brand identification = to make myself as low key as possible. I do this because I find it a lot easier to carry a backpack over one shoulder than it is to carry a tote bag.

      Reply

  4. There are t-shirts with a pocket. This can be used and a shirt worn over the t-shirt. This makes pickpocketing impossible unless you are thrown to the ground and your shirt torn off you.

    Reply

    1. That would work, derek, if the outer shirt were loose enough to hide the bulge that the item in the T-shirt pocket underneath would create…

      Reply

  6. Small cross-body purses for women, if they must use a purse, are helpful to keep it in front of your body when in crowds. Money belts can be useful, of course, as are the ones that hang around your neck and down the front of your shirt or jacket. Jackets with inside pockets that you wouldn’t expect can be helpful for larger items. A fake wallet with a tiny bit of cash and some old loyalty cards or something is something some people use.
    Trying not to look like a tourist (one of Rick Steves’ favorite topics) just doesn’t work for many Americans. Everything from your race to your shoes will give you away, but trying not to look like a lost or naive tourist is important. Locals, especially local pickpockets, WILL know you are a tourist 99% of the time, but there is a difference between showing up in Paris in an American Eagle T-shirt and Hollister Jeans with white shoes and showing up wearing a nicer polo shirt, slacks, and brown casual loafers.

    Refusing tourist street scams like giving you stuff for free, Jamaicans in Europe tying a bracelet on you, old women giving you free rings, People offering to help you with the train station ticket machine, etc. are to be forcefully refused.

    Reply

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