J_Correa

I think a lot of people expect pickpockets to look unkempt or like gypses.

cbo86

I am careful when I travel and judging from the full pages in my passport not a novice either. I take the normal precautions, I wear a moneybelt, stow my passports(travel documents) in a zippered pocket when traveling, carry only the money needed for that day, keep my credit cards separate in case one is lost or stolen and I'm careful if others try to distract me. I do these things in case something does happen so that my trip won't be ruined as I like to be a relaxed traveler not a paranoid one.
I mention all this because I consider myself a careful traveler. In this case I was the one who distracted myself trying to help my niece thru the barrier and I thought there was no one around. The 1st time I noticed my would be thief was when I slapped his hand away and there was still no one around. I made the mistake of putting my wallet in my back pocket but the thief got nothing because I had the pressence of mind and habit to check my pocket before entering the turnstile.
All I wanted to do was alert my fellow travelers to the type of places that are potential hotspots for pickpockets and how they try to take your money. I was very lucky.