h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Just did a quick search and did not find an entry on pick pockets. Thought that this would be great for us to work on as it is the kind of entry that really needs allot of input and individual experiences. So, lets start talking here and I will start piecing it together.

your friendly neighborhood

The only time it's happened to me: on my birthday , on a rush-hour bus in London. Got my phone nicked, out of an inside coat pocket

F/b

Thats not a good birhday I was also thinking of tips, parental type advice. Like, carry money in your front pocket or don't carry all your money on you when you travel.

I have only had my pocket picked once, In Nassau, in the Bahamas about 3AM on New Years day. It was more of a strong arm robbery, as there was no finesse involved, just enough confederates to make resisting impossible. I am afraid I made quite a fuss at the police station, but it did no good. At least the Police report got me back into the US without any ID.

Avoid crowds-now mater how festive! A less obvious placement of my billfold might have prevented this and I have never entered a crowd with it in my back pocket, or all my money in one place since.

F S

Are pick pockets, "pick pockets" everywhere? Does anyone have diffrent names for them?

I think they're called 'zakkenrollers' in Dutch. I kind of like that.

I've never had anything stolen out of my pocket - more of a handbag bird, myself, but the twice I have had my purse stolen were exactly the same purse, which was bright purple, and I've never had one stolen before or since, so I have a theory about it being really obvious because of the colour standing out from other bag contents.

A couple of years ago I witnessed a great pickpocketing adventure though - a gang of people from work were out for beers in All Bar One, Cambridge Circus, London, and we were spread amongst a few tables. At one point a lone man came and sat at the other side of the table to one set of people, nursing a half a lager, and just looked around. One of our guys happened to notice what he thought was this guy rustling around under the table, and warned the girls to check their bags, whereupon the guy jumped up & legged it, as he'd been seen in the act. 4 guys from our office chased him across Soho, until eventually they rugby tackled him on Old Compton Street, in full view of all the drinkers/eaters on outside tables, who all burst into loud applause.

They got the purse back, and all the cards - he'd obviously already pocketed the cash, but as it was only about a tenner the girl whose purse it was wasn't that bothered, and instead bought champagne for all the lads to say thanks.

From my own experience, that's what happens - the cash is nicked, and the purse/wallet thrown under a passing car/into a bin - that's how I got mine back once - a friendly bloke found it under his car & rang my bank to say he'd found it, who called me & gave me his number.

I'm a member of this scheme called CPP though, just in case - I register all my bank/credit cards with them, and have this one freephone number which I call if my bag/purse goes, and they cancel everything for you at once, order a new one and will even lend you up to £1,000 if you're abroad so you can get home/finish your holiday. Not bad I reckon!

Mel

I have put together a rough entry at A2290637 I am working on writing more