How to avoid daylight robbery

STEPHEN SCOURFIELD warns against pickpockets

The combination of travellers being out in the world, a bit out of practice, and the downturn in so many economies comes with its challenges.

One of them is needing to be aware of pickpockets.

Pickpocketing is far from a new problem (I’m sure lots of us can still sing You’ve Got to Pick a Pocket or Two from Oliver! as Fagin teaches Oliver the “art”) — but it is, perhaps, even more significant today, because we have so much invested now in our wallets and phones.

Lose your credit cards or phone and you can have a pretty big hiccup in your holiday.

Reader “Ian from Bunbury” (we withhold his surname to protect his privacy) was pickpocketed at Berlin Hauptbahnhof — the city’s main railway station.

He writes: “Having somewhat naively been the victim of pickpockets, can you recommend how best to secure items such as wallets on one’s person whilst on the move, particularly in tourist hotspots?”

We believe that where one reader has a question or issue, there are likely to be others, and we take these prompts for stories seriously.

So here are my hints and tips — some practical, but others about attitude, observation and how we present ourselves . . .

Easy pickings for pickpockets are people who are distracted or look like they can be easily distracted — for example, if you are very focused on your phone or dealing with companions. Try to pay attention to your surroundings and the people around you.

Some pickpockets simply work on the theory they can run faster than their victims. The obvious target is a bag placed on the empty seat next to you.

When there are people around you, you have to be aware and vigilant — particularly in sightseeing areas.

And suddenly it's gone. Pictures: Getty

THE AIRPORT CHECK-IN QUEUE TRICK

“Please be careful with your property,” my friend and guide Sandra Rodriguez tells our group of Travel Club Tour travellers.

“We have a lot of pickpockets.

“Like anywhere in the world, but especially here.”

With the economy in freefall and after more than two years of the COVID­19 pandemic, they are hungry and busy — “for you and even for us,” Sandra says.

Indeed, in the streets, I see locals with cross­body bags, walking with one hand on the zip. There’s barely a necklace or watch in sight.

Sandra warns pickpockets are busy in public places, and particularly at Buenos Aires’ two airports — the domestic Jorge

Newbery Airfield and especially Ministro Pistarini International Airport (usually called Ezeiza).

Ezeiza is busy, and it’s easy for them to bump against people.

But Sandra warns of a particular technique.

The pickpockets join check­in queues which, at the moment, can be long and slow. As they snake along, passengers doubling back and back again, the pickpockets do their work. When they get to the front of the queue, instead of going to a check­in counter, they just walk off.

ATTITUDE & AWARENESS

What I might call “situational awareness” is pretty much your best protection. You need to be aware of what’s going on around you, certainly within a 20m radius.

The more tuned in you are to your immediate surroundings, and the people around you, the better it will be — not just because you are alert, but any pickpockets around you will see that you are alert, and that’s an alarm signal for them.

One of the main things to remember, also, is that pickpockets are likely to work in a pair or group, because distraction is a very useful tool for them. Let’s paint a scenario: someone approaches you with a tourist survey, drops their papers, you bend down to help, and their accomplice moves in, unseen by you. It’s pretty much textbook — one gang member distracts the victim, and others move in. If a stranger approaches you, look for a potential accomplice.

Of course, pickpockets like busy areas because there are already built­in distractions, and you are more likely to ignore a little bump or jostle.

A common ruse is for pickpockets to pick on nice people

— folk who look like they will help others. A classic routine would be for one pickpocket to drop something in just such a way that the traveller goes to pick it up for them, and an accomplice steals from them. I hate to say it, but be cautious about helping.

It might be counterintuitive, but travellers can also appear too cautious — too over­protective.

If you look nervous and are clutching at stuff . . . well, you can make it obvious that you have valuables to safeguard. Consider your body language.

Don’t continually pat your pockets or check for your wallet.

Pickpockets are likely to work in a pair or group, because distraction is a very useful tool for them.

There are times when you are travelling when you will be in a “high­traffic area” and what we might call “in transit”. You might be at a train or bus station, trying to work out where to go, and unfamiliar with the flow and rhythm of the people moving around you. It’s a good opportunity for a pickpocket.

Only carry with you the items you really need — leave everything else in the hotel safe. If you have a set of credit cards, you probably only need to carry one when you are walking round a city. Split your precious items up; thin them out.

In pants, front pockets are safer than back pockets, but experts prefer us to keep wallets and cash in a closed, anti­theft style bag.

All About Bags

Choosing a good “anti­theft” bag or purse is a good start. Wear that bag, purse or wallet in front of you, with your head tucked through the strap, hanging across your body. Keep a firm hold on the opening, as much as you can.

Bad Bags

Let’s start with bad ones — and top of the list is a “drawstring bag”, which is one of the easiest to steal from, and particularly drawstring backpacks. They work, of course, by pulling the strings, but rarely close fully, and for a skilled pickpocket, removing items from them is pretty simple. I remember a local police officer in France telling me even a novice pickpocket can fairly easily slip a wallet from a drawstring bag.

Then there is the “flap bag”, which pickpockets also like. They often have just one big pouch covered with a flap, and quite usually just a magnet­style fastener.

Bags and purses with zips. This is better by far than the first two — but a zip alone may not be enough of a deterrent. A practised pickpocket will open a zip without the owner feeling it . . . particularly when they couple that with distraction.

Clutch purse. Because they are smaller, they are more likely to be “in hand” and harder to target. But, by the same token, you’ll have to put it down sometime, and then it’s very vulnerable.

A shoulder bag which you don’t wear “cross­body” literally just hangs on one shoulder and is vulnerable — not just to “snatch and grab”, but they often have an outside front pocket which is easy to slit with a sharp knife, and phones are often kept in there.

Good Bags

We are basically looking for a cross­body, anti­theft bag. Bags will say they are “slit­proof”, for example brands like Pacsafe. Just to be clear — cross­body bags are worn from one shoulder to the opposite hip, with your head through the strap.

Zips really are a good line of defence. Slip the bag strap over your head, and get into the habit of holding the zip. I have put little carabiner clips on all my bags so I can secure the tab of the zip — but I still rest my hand on that in crowded spots.

Some bags have zip tabs that are pushed into a lock. This is a very good feature.

I also add a little strap to my camera bag so I can clip it to my belt when I’m carrying it.

Most bags have a strap that unclips — so just unclip one end, push it through the back of that cafe chair you’re sitting on, and clip it up again.

Slash­proof bags have a thin and flexible wire inside the strap.

A bag with a slash­proof, reinforced bottom and sides helps prevent cut­and­run thefts.

You can be more secure digitally, too, by choosing bags made with RFID­blocking materials. This aims to prevent “ePickpockets” from scanning and stealing credit card information.