Monday, June 2, 2014
The pickpocket
How sad that one of Tricia and Jim's last memories of Paris will be of a pickpocket. While you don't need to worry about attacks on your person in Paris, pickpocketing and petty thievery are another matter. Signs posted in public places warn people of pickpockets. The signs are a favorite place for the thieves to hang out. When people read the sign, they often pat the places where they've stored their valuables, and the pickpockets then know where to strike.
That wasn't the situation, however, as we made our way back from Versailles, with no advance warning of what was to occur. As Jim entered the metro car, a pretty, dark-haired young woman slammed into him, as though she were struggling to keep her balance, but the train hadn't starting moving yet. Jim knew at once what was up, and he caught her hand before she could get it into his pocket. Kevin, who was standing next to Jim, sternly told her to sit down, which she did, but then she stood and opened her coat, to show that she hadn't taken anything. However, we had no doubt of her intent. She giggled nervously until she and a confederate—who had moved back when the young woman was caught—exited at the next station.
There was no point in reporting the incident, because we couldn't prove what had happened, and the police are well aware of the activity on the metro. What impressed me is that Jim and Tricia took it in stride and did not let it mar their trip.
Pickpockets are even more prevalent now in Paris than they were in the past. Last year, the Louvre had to shut for a day because of a pickpocket invasion. Eventually, the leader of that gang was convicted. He had gone to Eastern Europe to entice young women with the promise of a job in the travel industry. Then, when they got to Paris, they were forced into prostitution or pickpocketing. He gave them a quota of 300 euros a day, and if they didn't make it, they were raped or tortured.
We don't know why the young woman made the attempt on Jim. Because we were uncertain of her motivation, I think we were all left with mixed feelings about the encounter.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment