While people all over the world might happily recite the lines “You’ve got to pick a pocket or two!,” as sang by Fagin in the musical version of Oliver!, pickpocketing isn’t just something relegated to the history books. Even though the world has changed in numerous ways, crime rates have generally gone down, and technology has improved in leaps and bounds, pickpocketing is as real a problem as it ever was.
How do they do it? Pick pocketeers have lots of tricks, many of which you probably won’t find written about on the internet. But unless you want to risk identify theft, the loss of your passport, or having thousands of dollars of credit card debt, keeping yourself safe from pickpocketing is a task worth paying attention to. Getting yourself a Ridge wallet is a nice first step—these wallets are harder to swipe from your pocket than the average heavy, leather piece, which practically falls out on its own—but here are some tips to keep your pockets safe.
Unfortunately, most of the men in the world keep their wallet in their back pocket. In the past, we’ve explained why this is a bad idea, particularly when it comes to your spine. However, here’s another big factor: if you start keeping your wallet in the front pocket of your pants, instead of the back one, you probably won’t get pickpocketed.
Seriously, there might no easier way to help safeguard your valuables, particularly if you’ve already made the switch to a slim, comfortable Ridge Wallet. Consider: if you have something poking out of your back pocket, how many times have you stood up only to find it slip out into the chair you were sitting on? In the front pocket, this never happens. Furthermore, it’s really hard for anyone—even a skilled pickpocket—to get their hands so close to your private areas without you noticing.
So yes, move that wallet to the front. And even if you’re going to stubbornly keep it in the back, for whatever silly reason? Please, please don’t put it in the back pocket of your backpack. That’s practically askingfor it to be stolen.
If you’re walking through the forest on a beautiful afternoon, with not a person in sight, you’re probably not going to have your wallet stolen. Why? Because even if a pickpocket did run out into the woods, you’d notice them in a heartbeat.
No, pickpockets strike in crowded areas—particularly if there’s a tourist attraction in sight, such as the Eiffel Tower or the Empire State Building, because thieves know that all of your attention will be focused on that, instead of on them. The bigger the crowd around you, the easier it is for a pickpocket to snag your wallet. If you want an easy defense mechanism, start by putting your wallet into your front pocket—yes, seriously, you need to consider this. Then, when you’re stepping through a bunch of people, just slip your hand into the same pocket that has the wallet. Voila!
If all else fails—which it probably will, if you still have that wallet in your back pocket—then your final line of defense is… well, to prepare for the worst. In other words, don’t keep so much stuff in your wallet all the time.
Of course, that’s part of the whole M.O. of the Ridge Wallet, anyway: it’s all about minimalism. But when it comes to theft, think of it this way: if your wallet got stolen, you’ll need to freeze (and probably cancel) every single credit card you have in there, which could be pretty time consuming, not to mention stressful if you’re out of your home country. Any identity cards? That puts you at risk of identity theft. Also, we wouldn’t recommend carrying hundreds of dollars of cash: even if the wallet turns up somewhere, any cash in there will probably be gone.
If this worries you, there’s always the front pocket solution…
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