The first time I witnessed someone getting pick pocketed was on my first trip to Amsterdam aged 16. I was with some friends walking towards Central Station and saw a man un-zipping a ladies bag as the lady was walking, everyone could see what was happening, and no one did a thing about it. The guy doing the pick-pocketing must have had some serious bottle, or was really druged up to do such a thing with so many people watching. If myself and my 2 friends were a little older, I’m sure we would have done something. Upon my next visit to Amsterdam, my friend got his passport pick-pocketed!
Another time I learned more about pick-pocketing was on my way to the Notting Hill carnival one year, my friend wanted to stop at a house along the way which was full of people going to the carnival, purely to pick-pocket people. With thousands of drunk people having a so good time at the carnival, it only took 5 to 10 people to rush through the crowds and take wallets out of peoples bags/pockets.
Pick-pocketing is not only a problem in London or Amsterdam, but a world wide problem. Everywhere you go you need to be careful about where you place your valuables. As the following video illustrates, keeping your wallet in your back pocket is a pick-pocketers dream, so there’s lesson one!
Have you ever been pick-pocketed or witnessed someone pick-pocketing someone?
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