Watch out for fast talkers and team-taggers. One of the most tried and proven methods of pickpockets is for one of them to run into you while the other (whom you never see) does the picking. Often this technique involves spilling a beverage on you.
They used to use hot dogs, but I guess tourists got wise to that.
The following story has nothing directly to do with New York, but I like to tell it.
The last time my wife and I were in New Orleans, in 2002, we were walking in the French Quarter after dark in a fairly thick crowd.
Immediately to my wife's left, a very robust, tall blonde woman suddenly grabbed a slight black woman and yelled something like, "Give it up." We froze.
The black woman protested that she hadn't done anything.
The white woman told my wife to check her purse. Nothing was missing.
.
The white woman released the black woman, and everyone went on their way.
Obviously the white woman was a cop. The white woman knew the black woman was a pickpocket or purse-snatcher. The black woman knew the white woman was a cop and they recognized each other.
That's New Orleans for you.
- Jim
