Show lJ You Yon And The i 17 Pickpocket let You are a target for pickpockets pickpockets pickpockets pick pick- pockets every time you ride a bus enter an elevator watch a ball game shop at atthe atthe atthe the supermarket go to the movies or even visit the bank From behind the walls of the worlds world's largest prison unfolds the story of how these criminals consort to ro steal your money Pickpockets probably began operating with the advent of the first pair of oC pants THIS TillS insidious crime was continually increased in scope until now thousands of unsuspecting unsuspecting unsuspecting un un- un- un suspecting citizens are victimized victimized victimized vic vic- every day The New York City post postoffice postoffice postoffice office recovers from more than empty wallets a week Detroit mail boxes reveal up to empty wallets a month during football or baseball season or convention times OTHER large cities report similar recovery Thousands of oC other pilfered pocketbooks are thrown into sewers and trash baskets daily It is almost impossible to comprehend how vast an operation this trus crime has become The greatest asset of a pickpocket pickpocket pickpocket pick pick- pocket is his rus profound insight into ordinary human reactions which he calls his grift sense He knows that if you are jostled your reaction will vill be surprise apology or irritation He likes that FOR ANYONE momentarily upset is less likely to feel those lightning fast fingers in his pockets He knows too that under such conditions you are likely to suspiciously clap your hand to your wallet That tells him rum where you keep your money The experienced pickpocket will have at least one other person on his rus team possibly as many as four or five if he works a troupe The thief who actually steals the wallet is known as the wire His principle partner the stall spots a promising victim called a mark and initiates the action TIlE THE STALL may prepare the mark by jostling or even by an innocent exclamation at a standup lunch counter or bar Watch out Youre You're spilling your drink A good stall improvises as he goes along according to the situa situa- The score as obtaining ng money by levitation is called is a single but precise opera opera- tion Assume you are the mark Youre You're wedged among standees on a rush hour bus YOUR WALLET is in your left back trouser pocket A Aman Aman Aman man behind you the wire has his arm raised in front of him rum ostensibly to ward off body collision caused by bythe bythe bythe the bus motion Under his other arm he carries a folded newspaper newspaper newspaper news news- his IDS stiff paper His uplifted arm presses on you Youre You're used to this in jammed buses Under the mild distraction of the annoying annoying an an- arm pressure he will conduct a delicate one second second second sec sec- ond fanning of your pockets Now he h has his impression the location of your money BY EYE he s signals his stall who stands facing you The stall lurches You collide with him rum The stall glares In the confusion your wallet is gently transferred to the folds of the newspaper With proper timing they are out of the bus at the next stop Before Defore youve you've recovered recovered recovered re re- re- re covered your wits or discovered your loss For people who carry wallets wallets wallets wal wal- lets in their inside jacket pockets there is a specialized member of the trade known as the pit worker Lets Let's say you are coming out of an elevator A man rapidly approaches you on a collision course a topcoat over his rus arm He raises his arm at atthe atthe atthe the moment moment you almost col col- col- col lide At the same time a aman aman aman man behind you bumps into you THAT'S NATURAL because youve you've stopped suddenly There are gentlemanly Y apologies all around A block away your inside jacket pocket feels empty Youve You've been had The man behind you as you left the elevator was the stall who got the impression of your wallet and signalled the man with the flip coat over his arm the wire The he upraised coat covered the pocket-picking pocket action One professional interviewed while preparing this trus article stated The only place a acan acan can carry his his money where I cant can't get it is in a money belt And if he dozes on a plane or buss Ill get that A TROUPE is a well trained trained trained train train- ed team of thieves working a precision movement One man picks the mark On or two others divert his attention Then the wire steps in like a matador matador mat mat- ador actor for the kill In this category the jug troupes are considered top thieves They steal money that thatis is fresh from bank teller windows win win- dows A jug you see is a bank YOU CASH a check or withdraw withdraw withdraw with with- draw funds from you account While the teller counts the greenbacks a well dressed man nearby watches closely When you leave the bank he follows As you reach the street he touches a handkerchief handkerchief handkerchief chief to his brow then puts the handkerchief ef into one of of- of his pockets the one corresponding corresponding corresponding corres corres- to the pocket in which you put your money With an efficient troupe it doesn't matter matter matter mat mat- ter what you do from then on Lets Let's say you hail a cab One stall will grab your arm armas armas armas as you reach for the door handle y you u doing he demands I hailed this cab Another stall joins the argument You are s surprised at first then embarrassed and finally perhaps angry The grabbing arm-grabbing bit is part part- of the jostling act which created distraction that enabled the wire to deftly remove yo your money NOT ALL pickpockets are men Lets Let's take a movie theatre operation which uses a girl for a stall The wire spots you in the lobby buying a ticket tucking lucking your full wallet into your pocket He follows sitting either behind or beside you They let you sit quietly for a while getting absorbed in the film The girl who has observed the preliminaries makes her entry by moving into your row You stand up to let her pass She stumbles when she's directly in front of you DURING THIS diversion the pickpocket has also risen neatly lifted your wallet and andis andis andis is out of the theatre while you are still assisting the charming girl Some pickpockets specialize I in preying on women Experience Experience Experience Ex Ex- Ex- Ex has proven that a woman shopping is likely to tobe tobe tobe be careless with her purse While they ply their activities in all areas many purse as they are called in criminal jargon work supermarkets exclusively KNOWING THAT the woman woman woman wom wom- an wont won't open her purse Until until until un un- til she reaches the check out outline outline outline line they push a cart through aisles When they spot a woman with her purse lying in the cart they follow until until until un un- til she turns her back to tomake tomake tomake make a selection Expert fingers open the purse and remove the wallet in split seconds The empty wallet is discarded behind a stack of canned goods and they are ready for the next careless victim THIS Tl S TYPE THEFT can be avoided simply by women holding onto their purses while shopping Another peril to women is the hanger binger He or she operates by walking closely beside women who wear shoulder purses in crowded stores and streets PRESSED BY the crowd they open the shoulder bag and remove the wallet so that it isn't noticed by the surrounding people people- nor felt by the victim When they spot a woman who wears her purse with the flap opening against her side or with her hand over the clasp they pass her up for Cor a more vulnerable victim AN EASY and effective precaution precaution precaution pre pre- caution to remember is always always al always al- al ways be suspicious in crowds The best dressed and most innocent looking people might be professional pickpockets aspiring to make your their next mark |