I’m reluctant to tell this story because it’s a bit embarrassing. I always thought I was too careful and too street-wise to be pickpocketed, but I was marked and was a fleeced of my wallet by a little gypsy woman.
In the Rome Metro there are regular reminders on the intercom to beware of pickpockets. I only had 3 stops from S. Giovanni to Termini. As I bought a ticket from the machine I noticed a couple standing beside me. I put my wallet in the right hand side of my cargo pants and domed it up. For some reason my ticket didn’t work in the turnstile but I managed to push through the barriers. The couple who where standing at the ticket machine had gone through the turnstiles had stopped, and they looked back at me, why? On the way down the escalator a guy asked me if I was going to the Termini, why?
I waited for the train to arrive, the doors opened and I entered on the right hand side but a woman squeezed in beside me, on the right hand side. I thought it was odd, why didn’t she enter the train to my left where there was more room. I turned to pull my trolley pack onto the train and she moved around me, I assumed she wanted to move on down the carriage somewhere. She was fussing around, it’s all so obvious to me now.
It’s always a bustle getting on a crowded metro. The doors were about to close and she suddenly ducked off the train, she turned and looked me in the eyes, a look I will never forget. The doors closed, I felt down on the pocket of my cargo pants and my wallet was gone.
She was good and I think she was part of a team who had marked me when I bought my ticket at the machine.
I lost some Euros, a debit card and my driver’s license, luckily my credit card and the bulk of my cash was safely in my pack.
Ever since then I have been so careful, always vigilant, slightly paranoid really and I don’t put my wallet in my cargo pants any more.
