Job Discussion Forums

organix · Joined: 18 Jun 2004 Posts: 149 Location: Shenzhen, China

Im probably not the only one who has had trouble with thieves. Im on the Memphis Program in Shenzhen and I would guess that at least half of the 80 teachers here have had something stolen over the course of the past year. Im proud (and lucky) to say that no one has robbed something off of my body. There have been three cases where I caught someone in the act, and I have gradually progressed in my reaction to the attempted thievery.

The first time, some middle aged men surrounded me as I was taking pictures and upon noticing one trying to open the zipper of my backpack, I turned around and simply gave him a questioning look and then an angry glare accompanied by a few muttered English words. Weak, I admit.

Moving along, the second time as I was crossing a busy crosswalk, and I anticipated the guy who was behind me to try something. I spun quickly to catch his hand working on my bag, whereupon I gave him a hard one-handed shove upon which he flew backwards and returned the other side of the street.

Finally, last night, another *beep* was trying to work his way into my little sling (filled with a book and newspaper of all things) when I caught him and instantly gave him a hard two handed shove and walked him down with thoughts of hurling my leftover container of hummus and falafel at his head as he backed away with a very terrified look on his face and then broke out running.

So I am moving along in the severity of my reactions to thievery. It really pisses me off and I am always on guard. I hope nothing turns violent but I feel they deserve to be taught a lesson. We may be relatively rich in comparison to them, but we are still poor in relation to our home countries, especially with health insurance and loans to pay. Im sad to say I did lose a bike in Beijing (that was chained) I suspect the bike renting operation had some illicit activities going on because I saw it there the next day but they refused to believe it was the one I rented.

So anyone want to share your stories of thieves in China?

cujobytes · Posted: Wed May 18, 2005 6:05 am Post subject: >

Well I hope you learned a lesson, don't use a backpack, it's an invitation to thieves.

jeffinflorida · Posted: Wed May 18, 2005 7:08 am Post subject:

I was riding the number 19 bus one day in Quanzhou and a boy said to me "Watch you purse". Iooked down and a criminal looking type had opened the flap on my shorts and moved away. Why did I say he looked like a criminal, he just did. His buddy was then standing very close to me and had his hands very close to my pocket. Mr Pickpocket then follows me off the bus with boths hands close to my pocket trying to unsnap the catch - again after i closed it.

He is following me down the stairs - still with his hands close to my pocket- when I turn around and start yelling at him pointing towards my wallet and I start poking him very hard in his chest yelling at him.

He slithered away and I notice evryone on the bus looking at me.

When I am having a bad day and need to let some steam off I have decided I will fill a wallet with that phony money they use to burn to their dead relatives and bait a few on them.

When I feel their hand on it i will beat them to a pulp - and THEN have them arrested.

william wallace · Joined: 14 May 2003 Posts: 2869 Location: in between

Nothing to say

brsmith15 · Joined: 12 May 2003 Posts: 1142 Location: New Hampshire USA

The Chinese will steal anything. One school I know put in wall-type a/c units and put remotes in each classroom. Silly people! The students stole all the remotes even though they were set to work only on those units.

The real winner last year took place in Beijing. ONE FOURTH of the 240,000 manhole covers were purloined. Can you imagine a bunch of brigands rolling an 80 kg. steel wheel down the street? Would someone hear that? Oh, I forgot. This is the land of the Ministry of Noise.

sigmoid · Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Posts: 1276

Well, the Chinese ARE well-known for their industriousness. You guys make teaching in China sound better and better. See you there soon.

cj750 · Joined: 27 Apr 2004 Posts: 3081 Location: Beijing

it is a mistake to think that these pick pockets work alone and would leave themselves open for retribution...be careful with your retailiation as they often work in groups of 4 and will step up if you jump on a partner...they will usually let the shoving go but anything stronger will surely result in you dealing with more than one thief..and if you have a spouse or girl friend they will likely target her to gain your attention while the guilty party bolts...if the police wanted to rid the streets of this kind of riff raft..they could produce a low level sting operation that would net them all...also remeber that a shop where you try on clothes is a great place to get hit and often the owner is in on it also....

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

I had learnt maybe ten years earlier how to prevent being pickpocketed in streets and especially on board buses, but your attention slackens and routine takes over. So, last February, I was in for a repeat lesson.

Near Yanjianglu in downtown GUangzhou, you will find hordes of moneychangers around the AIGUO and FORUM Hotels. I pulled out my purse to show one of them that it contained mainly maos. She giggled and left me, but I must have been watched in the crowd.

As I walked on I was overtaken by a man who cut in front of me like they do in the streets. Then I felt a tugging at my pocket; I reached inside and was shocked to note that my purse had gone.
I looked behind me - two guys simultaneously lifting their EMPTY hands (as though they knew I was looking for something in their hands, a purse, perhaps!); one of them had the "prsence of mind" to point forward - and yes, the guy that had cut infront of me was now GONE!
Thus, a purse containing one hundred kuai (and a few maos), plus my ATM card and a didscount card for a delicatessen were gone in the twinkle of an eye!