All about pockets and
those who pick them.

FAQ:

What’s the safest pocket?
The tightest one in your trousers, or an inside jacket pocket.

What if I button it, or if it has a Velcro flap? Is that safe?
Safer, but not safe enough. It requires an extra step by the pickpocket, and that’s good. But if he has the extra moment or the right opportunity, your goodies are gone.

The cargo pocket, then, on the outside of the leg. Good, right?
Sorry, no. We’ve seen pickpockets who specialize in cargo pockets.

What about pockets with inner zippers?
Better. Much better.

But I’d feel it if someone stuck his hand in my pocket!
Think so? Even in a crowd, smashed against strangers? Think elevator, store sale, concert, sports event. Think you’d feel it if you were in motion? Think of a packed train, walking across a busy intersection, a revolving door.

But I’d feel it if someone stuck his hand in my pocket!
Okay, perhaps. But a pickpocket doesn’t usually stick his hand in anyway.

Then how does he get the wallet out?
There are many methods. He might crimp the pocket lining so loose cash rises to the top. He might lift the wallet from below on the outside of the pocket. He might use a tool, like tongs. He might slice the pocket with a razor or scissors, or rip it right off the pants. Some heavyset men have front pockets so loose you can see right down to their depths.

I’m hyper-aware. I don’t believe it could happen to me. I’d know it.
Yes, you might know it. But the thief might grab and run. Do you want to chase him? Want to run into a dark alley? Know who’s waiting for you around the corner?

How do these thieves know where my wallet is?
At a distance, they look for the four corners of it in your trouser pocket, or for the weight and bulk of it that ruins the fall of a nicely-cut jacket. Close up, he fans you. He, or a partner, will brush against you lightly to feel where your wallet is. He might also watch as you return your wallet to your pocket, or watch you pat your pocket to be sure it’s there.

You keep saying him. Are pickpockets always male?
No, and the females can be tricky to identify. But wait—we’re only talking pockets here. Female pickpockets have a few additional super-tactile methods not available to the average male thief.

Many people believe that rubber banding a wallet prohibits pickpockets. Pickpockets tell us otherwise.

Heh, heh, here’s an old trick I learned: I wrap a rubber band around my wallet!
Yeah, they know that one, and they like it. Pickpockets tell us that rubber bands make the wallet easier to grip, and keep it nicely compact so the corners are less apt to snag.

What’s the worst place?
A fat wallet protruding from a back pocket is a magnet to a pickpocket. “Like a gift,” a thief in Prague told me. “We call it …˜the other man’s pocket,’” a Russian thief revealed; “the sucker pocket,” said another. “Tourists make it too easy,” complained one.

Any pocket Bob Arno avoids?
Do you mean on stage? Bob won’t steal from a tight front pants pocket. Or do you mean where he keeps his own wallet? He often puts a prop wallet, that is, one containing only cut paper, in his back pocket, in his front pocket, or in his jacket pocket, and it’s been stolen from all those places. By the way, he almost always gets the wallet back, even if he has to steal it back.

One way to avoid pickpockets!

(Exasperated:) Alright, then where should I keep my valuables?
In a pouch under your clothes. Stow it safely and you won’t have to focus on it.

What should I keep in my pocket?
“Give-up money.” A small or moderate amount you can throw to the ground if you’re mugged. You can also use it for small purchases without having to dig into your pouch.

Anything I should not keep in my pocket?
Definitely not your Social Security number, but we all know that by now. Not chocolate, either.