Living in a Houston taxi
byThere was barely room for us in a certain Houston taxi van. The driver must be living in her vehicle. Other than the back…
Travel
Promised pictures of thiefhunting in Russia
byWere you waiting with bated breath for the promised pictures of the Russian ice cream seller and the stolen credit cards she retrieved from…
Bolshoi Bandits: more pickpockets in Russia
byThe Bolshoi Bandits and the Crosswalk Czar In which Bob Arno and his fancy accessory spy on the Russians. St. Petersburg, Russia— I was…
My travel stats
byI’ve made 69 take-offs and landings so far this year. There will be nine this week. I’m holding reservations for 27 more this year—so…
Duck in a can
byMontreal—Read anything about this city’s vibrant dining scene and you’ll be pointed to Au Pied de Cochon. You’ll also be warned: dining here entails…
Russian Rip-off: pickpockets and thugs, part 5 of 5
byPickpockets in St. Petersburg St. Petersburg, a few weeks later—We loaded ourselves with video equipment this time, and headed straight for the Metro corner….
Russian Rip-off: pickpockets and thugs, part 4 of 5
bySt. Petersburg— “They think I robbed you,” he said. By then it must have been obvious to the cops that we were not Mohammed’s…
Russian Rip-off: pickpockets and thugs, part 3 of 5
bySt. Petersburg—Pseudo-cops!” we thought: bandits who pretend to be police. We’re about to be robbed! At the same time, I thought: no, we’re about…
Russian Rip-off: St. Petersburg pickpockets and thugs, part 2 of 5 (video)
bySt. Petersburg pickpockets St. Petersburg—we were surrounded by five hostile faces. Shaking inside, we stood firm until the men stalked off. Bob and I…
Russian Rip-off: pickpockets and thugs
bySt. Petersburg— The beefiest of the five Mongolian thugs shoved his fist in front of Bob’s face, thrust forward his chin, and stared. Bob…
Midnight sun in Stockholm
byA family visit to Stockholm turned into a media circus. How did they know we were in town? First was an interview for an…
What currency do you charge in?
byOverheard at the reception desk on the Queen Mary 2: German gentleman: “Good Afternoon. I have a digital camera with a rechargeable battery——” Receptionist:…
Street crime in Rome
byIn a quick visit to Rome last month, Bob and I found it pretty quiet on the streets, theft-wise. Granted, we only spent a…
Bob Arno’s path to pickpocketing
byAt the fork in the road I went left. I can thank the Parsis for my passion for photojournalism. Another man might have turned…
Bag snatch at the outdoor café
byWhat’s more charming than a leisurely break at an outdoor café? Coffee, a beer, a glass of wine, maybe lunch… You chat with friends…
Beware women with cardboard
byBarcelona, Spain—They look like any ordinary girls, right? Walking down La Rambla, tossing their long braids, empty hands swinging casually. We only saw this…
Swift swiper strikes
byBarcelona, Spain—We’re walking along Carrer de Ferran, a block off La Rambla. Instead of paying attention to the street scene, I’m looking for a…
Pigeon poop pickpocket
byBarcelona, Spain—The Pigeon Poop Pickpocket got me with a double-blob on my back. I felt it ever-so-lightly and knew instantly we’d been accosted by…
A pickpocket technique updated
byBarcelona, Spain—We found Kharem again on La Rambla. He passed us head-on, with a huge smile. He didn’t notice us, but I recognized him….
Barcelona street crime today
byThree female thieves with cardboard shields; two thefts from a park; one pigeon poop pickpocket; one postcard technique theft; one very prolific, multi-talented pickpocket;…
Social engineering vs. security theater
byFor a cross-country flight, I packed a lunch of deconstructed sandwiches. Slices of homemade walnut bread, a handful of arugula, a tomato, and a…
Naples: capital city of pickpockets, part 4 of 4
byCity of Hugs and Thugs. Naples, Italy— At the next stop, two more suspects pushed on beside me. The bus remained crowded all the…
Naples: capital city of pickpockets, part 3 of 4
byCity of Hugs and Thugs. Naples, Italy— We left Angelo and wandered around the corner, through the fish and produce market for a while….
Naples: capital city of pickpockets, part 2 of 4
byCity of Hugs and Thugs. Naples, Italy— Bob and I estimate that we saw 50 to 60 pickpockets in two hours on the trams…
Naples: capital city of pickpockets
byCity of Hugs and Thugs. Naples, Italy— Friday morning we had a friend take pictures of Bob and me getting onto crowded trams. A…
Invitation to steal
byBob and I must not be working hard enough. We’re just not getting the message out. We had a very good dinner at the…
Baby thieves
by…continuing the story Tourists and thieves: a collision course ROME POLICE OFFICER CELINI remembered us from previous visits and greeted us warmly. Without asking,…
Chinese torture contraption ?
byCan anyone tell me what this contraption is? I took this picture through a window in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, after a dinner at…
Istanbul pickpockets & Turkish ice cream
byTurkey Vultures—We’re off duty in Istanbul, so we roam around the Grand Bazaar, buy a shawl, buy a cd, seize photo opportunities. We go…
Filming pickpockets
byBob and I began our field research on street thievery in 1993, when we quit our steady jobs in Las Vegas to combine freelancing…