Bob Arno “Pickpocket King” National Geographic documentary-Part 3
by“They’ve bugged our room,” I postulated to Bob in the taxi from the airport. “I bet they hid video cameras inside.” That aspect of…
“They’ve bugged our room,” I postulated to Bob in the taxi from the airport. “I bet they hid video cameras inside.” That aspect of…
“Are you wearing a bra?” That was one of the first sentences directed to me upon landing in our location city. We did not…
Day 1—TIME TO MAKE an announcement. Our long-dreamed of, long-worked-for project has become reality. Bob and I are making a documentary about pickpockets. The…
Get yer eBook now! If you like my posts, you’ll love my book of thieves, Travel Advisory: How to Avoid Thefts, Cons, and Street…
“I, too, was a victim of Barcelona street scams…” said more than a hundred people. And they described their own thieves, con artists, fake…
Buy-a-Brick (continued from Part 3) (The making of ABC 20/20: Bait-and-Switch) The lawlessness of Naples stunned us all. Even Bob and I, who have…
Souvenir Sucker Our friend Russell, a magician, works a considerable amount of time each year in Asia. A streetwise New Yorker, he knows pretty…
Buy-a-Brick (continued from Part 1) Our first clear capture of the actual swap occurred on a sidewalk. The partners were running after their customer,…
Your greed + a deal too good to pass up = bait and switch: Buy-a-Brick “Pssssst. Come ’ere. A brand new video camera with…
Hi, Bob Arno here. First, thank you all for passionate comments (here and here) on our National Geographic documentary, Pickpocket King. To a certain…
In Naples, Italy, media reports concerning our upcoming National Geographic pickpocket documentary have stirred up serious controversy. A large number of citizens have become…
I’m thrilled to announce the availability of my book, Travel Advisory: How to Avoid Thefts, Cons, and Street Scams on Amazon for the Kindle….
When a giant corporation closes its shutters and bolts its doors against its own client, its like a reverse prison. I, the client, feel…
Bob and I are thrilled to announce the world premiere of the documentary we shot late last year with National Geographic. Pickpocket King features…
Does a pickpocket keep his appointments? Bob and I loitered on a corner with our interpreter. We were a unanimously doubtful trio already considering…
The shouting at dinner surprised me. It was like the stereotypical Italian dinner: loud and full of gesturing, standing up and leaning forward, voices…
With nervousness and excitement, we are preparing to visit the home of one of those controversial figures: the thief you hate to love. Bob…
The life of a pickpocket might seem to be an easy one. Want money? Just take it. Need more? Pick a tourist from the…
The foot of Charles Bridge, in Prague, is alive with movement. People come and go, lounging and looking, snapping pictures, sipping sodas, eager not…
About how to spot a thief or a pickpocket, I said in my last post that “Bob and I locked onto them the moment…
Prowling and preying with impunity, the pickpocket pair cared little about hiding their business. Yet none of the mighty swirling masses intent on going…
La Rambla, Barcelona—On observing the behavior of someone like Plaid, we label him a suspect. We follow and film, yet we can’t be certain…
La Rambla, Barcelona—On one crowded summer Sunday, Bob and I patrolled the perimeters of the street performers’ audiences. Of all the thieves and con…
My old friend Avis perused my blog just before her recent trip to Spain. Then she wrote me, doubly concerned. She and her 25ish…
Traveler Tim Hopkins reports on an “ingenious cab scam theft.” Lessons learned, disaster averted I recently purchased two copies of your book, one for…
We received another long email last Friday from a thief we know in Naples, Italy. Between his flowery prose on the trials and tribulation…
Starbucks has a bad rap when it comes to theft. Customers focus on their drinks, their conversations, their open computers, and thieves know it….
The Nocturnal Sting and the Bite Skansen, Stockholm’s outdoor museum, suffered a nasty spate of pickpocketing incidents one midsummer. Up to eight known incidents…
“You remember that famous movie, the one shot in Naples?” shouted Officer DC. “In this restaurant they filmed that movie. The whole world knows…
One day in Spain and we are bombarded with sad stories, particularly of crime in Madrid. Crime in Madrid 1. Madrid Metro: A couple…