So my mother and her friends go to vacation to Palma de Mallorca and of course one of their main objectives is shopping, as it is for any respectable lady..... The ladies are nicely dressed, they bring their nice purses and spend a happy, leisurely day hitting the really nice shops of Palma. On the way back to the hotel, what happens? Of course two of them get pickpocketed on the bus. Their wallets, from inside their zipped purses, are gone. They didn't notice a thing. My mother can't recall anyone acting strangely, anyone bumping into them or anything of the sorts. That is how good the pros really are.
That is the smallest common main denominator for all pickpocket incidents: the victim never notices a thing. (For bus pickpocketing, just take a lok at this video of pickpockets hitting unsuspecting commuters in Nairobi). Travellers always say that they are careful, they know what they are doing and they will be perfectly fine, but they never factor in that the pickpockets also know what they are doing. The pickpockets are on home turf, they work in groups and this is what they do best; they know exactly how to steal without the victims noticing. They are professionals. No one is a match for a seasoned pickpocket. Apparently not even the mother of the Clever Travel Companion....
"Why, oh why," I ask my mother "were you not wearing any of the Clever Travel Companion gear I gave you?" "Well", she replies, "I didn't think it was necessary.....it's not like we were walking in a dangerous neighbourhood." "No", I reply, "but pickpockets don't like dangerous neighbourhoods either, they like posh areas packed to the brim with tourists with cash to spend. You and your friends are prime targets."
So unless you to want to spend a day wrangling with the local police, cancelling credit cards and then another week or so getting new cards, a new drivers license etc once back home, then don't assume you know what you are doing. travel smart! Always, always assume that the pickpocket knows what he or she is doing and that they are a lot better at everything pickpocket related than you are. That's the best travel insurance you can have.
A quick google of Palma and pickpockets reveal many others have experienced similar bus pickpocketings.
On Tripadvisor and Tripadvisor
Safe travels everyone!
Here is another video where a former pickpocket tells us how easy it is stealing from unsuspecting victims during the annual Running with the Bulls Festival.