H&R Block reneges on promise, cops-out on client
byWhen a giant corporation closes its shutters and bolts its doors against its own client, its like a reverse prison. I, the client, feel…
bambi vincent
Our National Geographic documentary “Pickpocket King”
byBob and I are thrilled to announce the world premiere of the documentary we shot late last year with National Geographic. Pickpocket King features…
Pickpocket passion
byHamburg, Germany—Undercover pickpocket cop Michael-G is the first person we’ve met who exceeds our own nutcase-level of fascination with pickpocketry. The day we spent…
To like a pickpocket
byThe life of a pickpocket might seem to be an easy one. Want money? Just take it. Need more? Pick a tourist from the…
In Japan for the 9.0 earthquake
by4-1/2 hours before Japan’s earthquake: it might have been my sister’s fault. Had she kept the slip of paper her bad fortune was printed…
Spilled secrets
byI guess I spoke too soon and too much about our documentary project. I held back information, but not enough. Our producer has asked…
Raising antennas
byComing down. Feels strange trying to write ordinary blog stuff after all the excitement covered in my previous 22 posts. As Bob and I…
Bob Arno and Bambi in a den of thieves—21
byDenouement. None of us wanted to leave the park. After the demos, the dinner, and the as-yet-untold experience on the buses, after the conversation,…
Bob Arno and Bambi in a den of thieves—20
byBob gets cold feet. Overnight, reality began to percolate and bubble over the exhilaration of yesterday’s thieves’ challenge. By morning it was clear to…
Bob Arno and Bambi in a den of thieves—19
byDinner with thieves, again. But wait— there’s more! The day isn’t done. And though we want nothing more than to sit and process our…
Bob Arno and Bambi in a den of thieves—18
byDinner with thieves, continued. Carafes of white wine land on the table. I join Andy and Lou and have beer. Among much laughter, the…
Bob Arno and Bambi in a den of thieves—17
byDinner with thieves. It’s 3:00. The film crew’s still perfecting camera angles, lighting, and table arrangements. I’ve taken my seat as requested, so cameras…
Bob Arno and Bambi in a den of thieves—16
byAnticipation. Frank has RSVPed by email, with enthusiasm. But what about the others? Will they come to our dinner? I wonder about the restaurant…
Bob Arno and Bambi in a den of thieves—15
byThieves find us, more. It was a big day for us, and for the whole documentary team. The lowlifers stealing Bob’s wallet, finding Marc…
Bob Arno and Bambi in a den of thieves—14
byThieves find us, continued. We’re not looking for pickpockets; just busy filming pickup shots on the bus for the documentary, when known thieves Marc…
Bob Arno and Bambi in a den of thieves—13
byThieves find us. “Police, police! She took my wallet!” That’s Bob screaming at ear-splitting volume. Not his usual reaction to pickpocketing! Usually, he turns…
Bob Arno and Bambi in a den of thieves—12
byWe may have caused a divorce. Or maybe a murder. Though it’s unclear who might have killed whom. As a research expedition, the whole…
Bob Arno and Bambi in a den of thieves—11
byOn making a documentary. As I said, you’d think a documentary is just a camera following the action—but the action must be lit and…
Bob Arno and Bambi in a den of thieves—10
byDay Two, Meeting with Thieves. It rained. We stood waiting in the drizzle in a park behind some kiddie carnival rides, pretty certain they…
Bob Arno and Bambi in a den of thieves—9
byThiefhunting, Day One, still more. This is an old-fashioned town, lightly touched by the 21st century. Vendors ply the streets like the horse-and-buggy days…
Bob Arno and Bambi in a den of thieves—8
byThiefhunting, Day One, more. We’ve been standing in the tiny coffee bar more than an hour, speaking loudly. Eventually, the owner throws us out….
Bob Arno and Bambi in a den of thieves—7
byThiefhunting, Day One, continued. Bob and I were on a high, having found a talented pickpocket team on the first bus ride of our…
Bob Arno and Bambi in a den of thieves—6
byThiefhunting, Day One, continued. As we synchronize our thiefhunting plans with the film crew, I’m newly appreciative of Michele, our London-based sound recordist, who…
Bob Arno and Bambi in a den of thieves—5
byThiefhunting, Day One. Fully half the day is spent rigging hidden cameras. I’m wearing a button camera attached to an awful button-down shirt that…
Bob Arno and Bambi in a den of thieves—4
bySix of us—locked into a small, sweltering room. We’d done interviews in the convent refectory all day, first Bob, then I. Some of the…
Bob Arno and Bambi in a den of thieves—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…
Bob Arno and Bambi in a den of thieves-2
by“Are you wearing a bra?” That was one of the first sentences directed to me upon landing. We did not collect our luggage because…
Bob Arno and Bambi in a den of thieves
byTime 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…
A Stockholm garden
byEvery frequent traveler has a personal list of what he misses about home. The list varies depending on the type and length of travel….
Neither courteous nor honest
by“I loved your show.” Bob and I both had our mouths full of Roquefort and pears and sourdough croutons. We raced each other to…