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struelle · Joined: 16 May 2003 Posts: 2372 Location: Shanghai

As a follow-up to this thread, I just got back to Shanghai today an lo and behold, my wallet was nabbed on a crowded bus.

Having survived sleeper buses, night trains, non-stop crowds, and running around during Spring Festival, naturally I let my guard down upon return. Well, as I'm learning, thieves are sharp so I've got to be as well.

I only lost 50 kuai as I carry small amounts of cash around and keep documents stored in different places. But since my guard was down, I had a wallet in my right pants pocket.

The situation was like this: I boarded a suburban bus that started off with few people. But, as always happens, the driver kept stopping and lingering at intersections while the conductor shouted out the window to entice passengers to board. Eventually, the bus was jammed. We arrived near my school, and it was time to get off. I put my hand where the wallet was. Check. I started pushing towards the doors. So far so good.

Then, from behind, a colleague recognized me and said hello. I was surprised to see a colleague at this time of year, and we made some small talk while pushing our way out.

At that exact time, some *beep* took my wallet.

I could tell exactly what happened because I reached for the wallet as I stepped off the bus and it was gone.

All it takes is a split second when the guard is down.

After this, we went to the police station together (see other post) and filed a report.

Steve

ChadwickKent · Joined: 30 Jan 2004 Posts: 55

In Shanghai I am sitting at an intersection on my electric bike waiting for the light to turn in my favor. I am in the middle of a very large crowd of similar bikers.

Low and behold, when I get moving and reach into my pocket to stuff its contents a little deeper, it is empty. Gone is my 165 rmb printer ink cartridge. WOW! I never suspected a thing.

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

Steve,
so sorry to read of your misadventure in Shanghai... You should have stayed in Kunming for a while longer!

My favourite eatery there still is Mamafu's; strong Yunnan 'espresso' with cream...
Then, when the bowel movements set in the nearest Western-style amenity is in the nearby Kunming Hotel...
I was so absorbed reading Norman Mailer that I forgot something in that cubicle...

Five minutes later, I am on board a no. 5 bus to Cuihu Park, and notice I am without my moneybelt.
Hop off the bus and jog back to the Kunming Hotel, up to the second floor, past the diners in the Chinese dining room, and into the washroom; hell, two guys are there, how many have been here over the past ten minutes???
The washroom attendant: "Meiyou bao!" The other guy sneaks out of the room...
I open a stall door, and lo and behold: My moneybag is still there, all the money, traveller's cheques and my two passports...

Lucky me, but then again, this is slightly backward, slightly more socialist Kunming.

struelle · Joined: 16 May 2003 Posts: 2372 Location: Shanghai

guest of Japan · Joined: 28 Feb 2003 Posts: 1601 Location: Japan

While walking through Beijing train station behind my lovely careless Japanese girlfriend a man made a quick effort to steal from her backpack. I swatted his hand away. He and his friends just laughed at his misstep.

Compare this to Japan. My lovely careless (now wife) puts her wallet containing several thousand dollars on a train seat. We store our bags and then sit in the seat in front of the one she put her wallet. 4 hours later my wife realizes she doesn't have her wallet. We frantically begin to look around for it. Suddenly the guy behind us asks if we were looking for the wallet on the seat next to him. Not a penny was missing. The man didn't even touch the wallet until he saw we were looking for it.

Jeeem · Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2004 2:33 pm Post subject: Pickpockets in Guangzhou

Hummm. Not sure how to post answers to this column yet. Wanted to reply to "Linz" but anyway, guess I'll just put my two-cents worth in anyway. I'm an American living here in Phoenix City, about thirty minutes away from Tianhe downtown Guangzhou. I've been around....I mean I've traveled many places and I've never seen anything as bad as Guangzhou. BE CAREFUL! I wasn't here a week and had my wallet stolen out of my backpack. I felt the going's on so ended up turning around and eyeing the perpetrator. I followed him until he bolted and ran, across (you guessed it) one of the busiest streets in Guangzhou. But, I persisted and ended up losing him. I made a out a police report (for what it was worth) and the one police officer who spoke English told me I was lucky I didn't corner him or I'd have been stabbed. I was later told that if the police catch a suspect like this they beat them to a pulp, so the would-be robbers have nothing to lose if caught, except to put up a fight.

Since that incident I know five people who have been robbed (Chinese) and another woman who showed me her scar on her upper arm when she grabbed the guy who was stealing her purse and began smacking his head against the wall. He sliced her upper arm and tried to go for her throat but a bystander broke the guy away from her. She came close to dying and ended up with only partial use of that arm because of nerve damage.

Two days ago while I was walking through the park near the sports center in Tianhe, a guy approached me in a persistent manner wanting money. I was prepared to fight but luckily he gave up most likely because there were too many people around.

Stay around people! Don't go down any back alleys alone. Wear a belly bag or a under shirt wallet as I do now. Don't carry computers or bags unless absolutely necessary!

Guangzhou sucks and is a very unfriendly city.

Jim

struelle · Joined: 16 May 2003 Posts: 2372 Location: Shanghai

whitjohn · Joined: 27 Feb 2003 Posts: 124

I have become quite enamored of bicycle riding since arriving in China. My first two bikes were el cheapo's and were stolen because I wasn't smart about locking them properly. So just before Spring Break, I went out and bought a 700 Yuan "Peerless" which rides like a Cadillac! A bloke I met in Hangzhou just arrived in snowey Kunming (yep, it's been snowing all day) bringing me two "Master" combination locks. I bought two lengths of the best quality chain I could find and have learned how to lock front wheel to frame and frame to immovable object. Can a Chinese thief get this bike? Stay tuned and I'll let you know how long I can keep this whizzer of a machine...I'm tempted to take it and park it in a high risk area lock it up, and hide to watch the fun...maybe I'll do that!

kimo · Joined: 16 Feb 2003 Posts: 668

struelle · Joined: 16 May 2003 Posts: 2372 Location: Shanghai

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

African friend of mine took two girls in for "English lessons". He left the two of them in his living-room for a couple of minutes. When he returned they were gone, as was his mobile phone and some cash.

That was six weeks ago.
He bought a new cellphone and went on a trip to the North. Two days ago, he phoned me to inform me he was back in the South.
When I tried to call him the next day, his mobile phone number had been cancelled.
I learnt through a common friend of us that his moible phone and RMB 600 had been pickpocketed on an urban bus just hours after he had called me!

Kurochan · Joined: 01 Mar 2003 Posts: 944 Location: China

OK, so tonight I foiled two pickpocketings, first someone else's, then my own. But now I'm feeling paranoid about it.

The first one happened when I was walking along, and saw this kid who was OBVIOUSLY a pickpocket looking for a mark. Then I saw another guy strolling along, and I noticed both the guys were from Xinjiang. THEN I noticed a guy trying to reach into a woman's purse while she was looking at her mobile phone. It was so barefaced I wondered if maybe he was her boyfriend and was just horsing around, but I involuntarily (I mean it just suddenly popped out) yelled, "Ni gan shenma?!?" the woman looked around in alarm, the man took off, and one of the first two guys called to him and teased him for doing such a lousy job.

As soon as I did it, I was sort of proud of myself, but alarmed since supposedly these guys carry knives. I decided to go back home soon, and to walk on the opposite side of the road. But, just as I passed a phone box, I noticed three young guys from Xinjiang jammed into it, watching passers-by. One noticed me and started following me closely. I turned around and asked him, "Ni gan shenma," and he was surprised, said, "Meiyou shenme," laughed, and took off.

So now, I'm a little paranoid, because I sassed two groups of pickpockets in like an hour. I'm sure they know each other, and they might compare notes and mention the foreigner who yelled at them. Do you think if they see me again they'll want to do something to me? Will they forget about me, or just not try me again? I'm thinking I'd better stay out of that area for a while. Sad

(Thanks for bearing with my longwindedness here. I'm sitting up late, wondering if I'm going to have nightmares about vengeful Uighurs when I go to sleep. Shocked

)

NumberOneSon · Joined: 03 Jul 2003 Posts: 314

kimo · Joined: 16 Feb 2003 Posts: 668

Here in Beijing at one busy place near RenMin DaXue the cops just park a large van (paddy wagon) and load the thieves up as the day goes on. If you notice, there'll be a few young guys sitting there quietly with a cop sleeping behind the wheel. I would say it's funny, but they are active and no doubt cause some people a lot of heart ache.

Don't think it can't happen to you.

Kurochan, you could wear a t-shirt that says, "Kill me and you'll be shot by tomorrow afternoon."