Welcome to Writers Talkback. If you are a new user, your account will have to be approved manually to prevent spam. Please bear with us in the meantime
Hi, first time poster, long time reader/writer wannabe. My name is Joe, and I like coffee, so CuppaJoe it is. I'm currently researching what I hope will become my first novel, and I need to learn about picking pockets. I wonder if any of you can help me - do you know (or are you secretly!) a pickpocket? Do you know where I might start to research such a subject?
I've read quite a few posts on this forum and I can see a wealth of experience and talent out there, Keep it up, I'm learning loads! Thanks and thanks in advance,
Joe.
Comments
What a great question!
I was in Oliver Twist as a child, but that's as far as it goes, I'm afraid.
There used to be a programme called something like 'The Real Hustle' where the details of scams and petty crime were revealed. One of the presenters was Alexis Conran, now an actor, but once a con-man (I believe), there was another man (Scottish) whose name I've forgotten and a young girl called Jess who was often used as a distraction/stooge. You might be able to Google the series. They definitely discussed pick-pocketing.
All I know is that usually a team is involved where one person distracts by asking a question, or pretending to be lost and holding out a map, while another dips in. Often, they just use two fingers to extract a wallet. Sometimes they mark a victim with chalk on the shoulder so that other members of the team know he has a full wallet from the cashpoint machine and can follow him in turn.
Newspapers and big bags are often used as shields on public transport, and jostling is a technique at busy road crossings where delving hands won't be felt. My sister-in-law had her bag gently unzipped at a pedestrian crossing and as she was walking across the road, she happened to look down to see a hand in her bag pulling out her purse. There was a tussle and shouting and she eventually managed to pull it off the young girl. Sometimes the technique is to help a victim up, whilst fleecing them, after an accomplice has pushed them over. This quite often happens at the top of escalators to create more havoc.
Oh. I guess I did know a bit, after all.
*considers changing profession*
Thanks for the detail - you certainly know more than I do! I will look into The real Hustle. I have bought a book (or two - it's becoming a problem!) on Amazon on pickpocketing, which gives me some great insights, but what I really want to find out is how people become pickpockets - who teaches them etc? Does everyone have their Fagin?