Pickpockets in Pisa

Pickpockets in Pisa, on the way to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. On a beautiful summer day, as seen from behind a cherry vendor.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa on a beautiful summer day, as seen from behind a cherry vendor.

Pickpockets in Pisa are so active we don’t even have to go looking for them. They’re right there. Are they everywhere? It seems so!

We arrived by train, stepped out of the station, and filmed the growing crowd at the bus stop across the street where the “red” bus stops before going to the Leaning Tower.

By the time the light changed and we crossed the street, the bus had arrived. Everyone heading for the Leaning Tower mobbed the bus doors. We panned our camera across the scene and inadvertently filmed a pickpocketing-in-progress.

What we got on camera took six seconds. The victim was a Japanese woman on her way to board the bus. Her husband and four children were somewhat behind her.

This is the most common scenario. The pickpocket hits during the boarding, hoping that you’ll get on the bus and he/she won’t, putting instant distance between you and him/her.

In this case, the victim felt something—she wasn’t sure what—so didn’t board.

Pickpockets in Pisa: Before the theft: three of the victim's children are standing at left.
Before the theft: three of the victim’s children are standing at left.

Pickpockets in Pisa

The pickpockets were a girl and a woman. They crowded in behind the Japanese victim, who felt something and momentarily clutched her bag. At this point, analyzing the movements of the thieves on the video we got, we can only infer that the older woman dipped into the victim’s gaping shoulder bag, took the wallet, and extracted the cash from it. The victim whipped around as the pickpockets strolled away with exaggerated nonchalance. The victim hadn’t identified who the thieves were—or if there were thieves at all.

Pickpockets in Pisa: The pickpocket, in blue t-shirt, moves in behind her victim, who is about to board the bus. You can barely see her in the pink dress. The victim's son is in glasses, upper left.
The pickpocket, in blue t-shirt, moves in behind her victim, who is about to board the bus. You can barely see the victim in the pink dress. The victim’s son is in glasses, upper left.
Pickpockets in Pisa: The pickpocket's accomplice (and perhaps her daughter) is in pink tights and plaid shirt. She moves in behind the pickpocket.
The pickpocket’s accomplice (and perhaps her daughter) is in pink tights and plaid shirt. She moves in behind the blue shirted pickpocket.
Pickpockets in Pisa: The victim (in pink) looks around as the two thieves (at left) saunter away.
The victim (in pink) looks around as the two thieves (at left) cooly saunter away.

“Did they steal from you?” Bob asked, still filming.

The victim was utterly baffled. The thieves had taken her wallet, extracted all the cash, and returned the wallet.

“Why would they return it,” she wondered. She repeatedly opened her wallet to inspect the contents in disbelief. The bus departed while she and her family huddled, trying to understand what had just happened.

Pickpockets in Pisa: The victim takes inventory of her wallet as her family watches.
The victim takes inventory of her wallet as her family watches.

The victim said she had just purchased bus tickets for her family, and therefore knew that she’d had about a hundred euros. She said that that was the reason she hadn’t yet zipped her bag closed.

So why would the pickpocket return the victim’s wallet with all its credit cards and ID? We’re hearing of that occurance more and more. Yet, we know that all those documents can be monetized. They could be money in the hand of the thief.

Well, if you get your wallet back, and all its contents except the cash, you’re much less likely to bother filing a police report. You know a police report will take hours out of your day and you know you’ll never get your cash back. So what’s the point?

Pickpockets in Pisa: The victim with her stolen-and-returned wallet.
The victim with her stolen-and-returned wallet.

Meanwhile, the pickpockets in Pisa aren’t fingered. They don’t get arrested or fined. And that’s one more incident that never makes it into statistics. The city’s happy about that, and so are the police. If the pickpocket didn’t steal more than €400, and didn’t steal your property (wallet, documents), nothing will happen to her. It’s as if it never happened. That’s why I say that pickpockets are an invisible species.

“Pickpockets are an enigmatic breed. Most are never seen or felt by their victims—or anyone else. Mystery men and women (and boys and girls) moving freely among us, they’re as good as invisible. So how can they be quantified?”

Pickpockets in Pisa. The pickpockets in discussion. Mother and daughter?
The pickpockets in discussion. Mother and daughter?

And so, pickpocketing remains the travel industry’s dirty little secret. Unreported incidents = low statistics. And pickpocketing retains the ridiculous label: “petty theft.

Sigh.

Pickpockets in Pisa. Another family examines a wallet at the bus stop. Were they also victims? We didn't ask them.
Another family examines a wallet at the bus stop. Were they also victims? We didn’t ask them.
Pickpockets in Pisa. Pisa train station
Pisa train station

© Copyright 2008-2013 Bambi Vincent. All rights reserved.

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1 Comment

  1. Pickpocketing IS the travel industry’s dirty little secret! I can’t believe how careful you have to be – and you can’t let your guard down!


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