The three-shell game – part 3
byThe Pea Game Shills and Shells “It’s the talk that’s important,” Serge insisted, about the pea game. Each forceful word sent a curl of…
The Pea Game Shills and Shells “It’s the talk that’s important,” Serge insisted, about the pea game. Each forceful word sent a curl of…
How the 3 shell game works. Video tape is a wonderful diagnostic tool when it comes to sleight of hand. In slow motion, we…
Pavement wagers. Copenhagen’s pedestrian shopping street is an ideal venue for the three-shell game, also called the pea game. Several competing crews set up…
The floating sign. As if the preponderance of signs in hotel rooms were not in-your-face enough. For this hotel in Berlin, messages stuck on…
Four cows appeared like a mirage, sizzling in the squiggly heat waves off the never-ending road. Our hot, monotonous drive across Egypt had dulled…
On the set before filming this live segment for ABC News, Bob Arno stole a wallet from one of the camera operators. The producers…
“We can’t export your found lost-luggage because it contains an artificial hand which requires the permission of the ministry of health.” I’m starting with…
Pickpockets prefer women! It’s not that we’re any less savvy. It’s the darn handbag. It’s simply easier for a pickpocket to slip his fingers…
Theft-proof vacation Just about now, millions of people are thinking about summer travel. For many, it will be foreign travel. Novice or expert, it…
Our hotel in Naples was on the second floor (they call it the first floor). We didn’t notice it had an elevator until the…
“Horn OK Please,” in one form or another, is written prominently on the back of almost every truck—large or small—in Mumbai. The signs intrigued…
Sounds good, but it’s not what you think if you’re imagining a fragrant, wood-smoked Margherita pie. Back in Naples, lunching at the tiniest pizza…
Just a little reminder to women… A thief needs only a few seconds to assume ownership of unattended riches. Those few seconds are easily…
ANOTHER hotel getting personal, just trying to help. This one’s in Berlin. The sign’s in the shower, where we’re exhorted to pay attention to…
In a dim, smoky opium den, we faced the backlit profile of the Moroccan pickpocket. He barely looked at us, concentrating instead on our…
On the heels of the Louvre pickpocket debacle, here’s a profile of two exuberant Roma women pickpocket beggars who tell us how they do…
Pickpockets running rife in the Louvre—nothing new there. Pickpockets acting aggressively: in our 20 years of active street crime research, we’ve been flipped off,…
As a very frequent traveler, I can’t let myself focus on the nightmare of hotel bed bug infestations. I’m queasily aware of the increasing…
Built into the wall, this spotlit treasure on display in a glass box with an oval opening. Found in our room in Cologne’s lovely…
Pickpockets, thieves, and con artists aren’t to be blamed for all losses. When you travel, don’t rip yourself off due to ignorance or naiveté….
Film options for The Impersonator, by Ann Mann, are sure to be promptly snapped up. I’ve seen the film in my mind, so richly…
Who steals bag tags, and why? It couldn’t have fallen off. I had just received my Star Alliance 1K tags from United and, having…
Do you like hearing the sounds of lovemaking from the hotel room next to yours? I’ve had my fair share of overhearing neighbors in…
Cadiz hotel mystery knobs. What could they be for? They’re way up there, beyond my tiptoed reach. There were no connectors, no hoses—not even…
NAPLES, ITALY, the week before christmas. We now have to rush to our last meeting with Franco outside Mergellina station. It’s 5:00 and Michele…
NAPLES, ITALY, the week before christmas. After his demonstration of hard bargaining, pickpockets Angelo and Luciano smoke on the narrow balcony while we chat…
NAPLES, ITALY, the week before christmas. Michele arrives promptly at Circumvesuviana station with his brother Lucca. Lucca’s nice to have along, and also helps…
NAPLES, ITALY, the week before christmas. Leaving our hotel at 12:30 to meet Michele for our 1:30 appointment with Luciano, we pass by the…
NAPLES, ITALY, the week before christmas. At the Piazza Garibaldi bus stop outside the main train station Michele goes to buy a bus ticket…
NAPLES, ITALY, the week before christmas. We take the tram to Circumvesuviana train station to meet Michele, with whom we intend to go find…