Pickpocketing

Pickpocketing is a type of stealing called larceny. It happens when someone takes money or valuables from a person's pocket. The person being robbed does not even notice it is happening.

This skill often requires great dexterity, which is being very skillful with your hands. Thieves also use misdirection to trick the victim. Misdirection is a way to make someone look the wrong way. A person who does this is called a pickpocket.

Thieves use many clever ways to hide their actions. Some work alone, but many work in teams. A team might use a distraction, like asking a question or bumping into someone.

Some thieves use a method called "slash and grab." They cut a bag strap and run away quickly. Others use a "stooge," which is a person who acts like a lost traveler. This person asks for help to distract the victim. While the victim is busy helping, an accomplice steals from their bag.

Pickpockets often look for crowded places to work. They like mass transit stations and subway trains. The movement of the train and the large crowds help them hide.

They often target tourists because tourists carry many valuables. In places like Barcelona or Rome, pickpocketing is very common. Thieves might even get off a train at the very next stop. This makes it hard for the victim to know who robbed them. Using zippers or money belts can help travelers stay safe.

Some people use these skills for entertainment instead of crime. Magicians use sleight of hand to perform magic tricks. They might take an item from a person and then return it.

One famous performer was known as "the King of Pickpockets" in the 1950s. He was a top circus performer in Europe. Another person, David Avadon, used these skills for over 30 years. He was known as a master of this underground art. Even movies use these skills to show characters like the Artful Dodger.

In the past, pickpocketing looked very different. In the 17th and 18th centuries, pockets were not sewn into clothing.

Instead, people wore small purses called pockets close to their bodies. Many people stole because they were very poor and had no jobs. In the 1700s, some men and women were caught stealing. Some children even worked in gangs as a way to survive. In old British law, stealing something worth more than 12 pennies was a very serious crime.