For 20 years my sister and I were among the most successful pickpocket(扒手) teams in London and the south of England. There are many mistaken beliefs about my former trade, so here are some tips if you want to protect yourself:
Professional pickpockets do not see victims, only handbags, jewels and money. Mothers with babies, the elderly and the lame are all fair game. None of them deserves it, but this is business.Having said that, my favorite target was the single female, handbag hanging by her side-the right side, to be exact, so if I'm next to her I can reach it secretly with my right hand across my body. Only about one woman in a thousand carries her bag on the left and I tended to steer clear of them. It's a bit like driving on the opposite side of the road — I could probably do it, but why would I want to try?
Keeping our activities out of sight is vital for pickpockets. If you're a woman, try putting your bag on your shoulder as normal and look ahead or down at something. You can't see your bag, can you? That's what makes it so easy.Most pickpockets also work with a partner, nearly always a woman. She stands next to the victim examining whatever goods are in front of her. The timing is crucial because, as I move in, my partner must casually take a half step closer to the target and move her left hand (the one nearest to the victim) so that her elbow sticks out above the handbag — blocking it from the victim's view, security cameras or store detectives.
Women whose bags are hanging in front of them are difficult for the pickpocket, as there isn't a blind side where you can come in with cover. And if you want to make it harder, try using a bag with handles rather than a strap.As far as men are concerned, one of the best places you can keep a wallet is in your back pocket, particularly if you're wearing tight trousers. I know it's behind you and out of sight, but if it's up against your behind you'll feel any attempts to move it. Another good place is in the zipped-up inside pocket of a leather jacket. There's just no way in, unlike a loose-hanging suit-style jacket.
Pickpockets love crowds, right? Not necessarily. Show me a busy train station or a crowded football match and I'd walk away. Human beings don't really like having their personal space invaded. A crowded place is an upsetting place, and upset people are cautious. What a professional pickpocket needs are targets that are relaxed and busy with something.If I could design the perfect setting to go to work in, it would be a clothing store. The layout has just the right proportions to afford maximum cover for me, and there's a constant turnover of customers moving among the racks and shelves, completely focused as they hold up items to look at them. The presence of a security guard is even better. A false sense of security makes a pickpocket's job so much simpler.
Sometimes, when I'd had a day of easy pickings and was getting a bit bored, I'd set myself challenges. I remember one day a few years ago. I'd already made about a thousand pounds and knew I should be going home. Then I saw a middle-aged, very expensively dressed lady carrying a handbag on her left shoulder. I decided to go for it.My right hand came up in one continuous movement under my left arm.
As I opened the snap on the handbag I dampened the sound with my thumb. My hand froze in the inch gap that opened. There was no reaction. To keep my hand flat, I pinched the zipper(拉链) pull between my index and middle fingers. The bag expanded slightly as it opened and the contents settled into the larger space.Then the peak of the dip, when the same two fingers first make contact with the cold weight of the wallet. All good pickpockets strengthen their two working fingers by putting elastic bands round them and opening them. You can get the two fingers strong enough to lift a brick.
With a little roll of the wrist to clear the wallet of any obstacles, I eased it out. But there was a problem. The stiff new leather of the bag made the wallet catch under the zipper and I felt it slipping through my fingers, falling back into the darkness.When it hit the bottom of the bag, it was like a bomb going off.
The woman screamed.I turned to run, but two store detectives and a security guard had closed all escape routes.
Having spent nearly half my adult life in prison, you'd think I'd be prepared for anything a court could throw at me. But when I heard the judge say seven years, my legs collapsed. I knew that was it. My life of crime had to be over.I tended not to look at faces when I was out working, perhaps because it made things too personal. But thanks to the victim-awareness courses I've attended, I see the people behind the possessions now.
I can never make up for denying an old lady of her pension or stopping a single mom from putting food on the table. But by writing this I can, perhaps, help others keep their possessions for themselves.Words:1,007
