Pickpockets

Asha'man

Asha'man

Joined
Jan 22, 2001
Messages
897
Has anyone ever had a pocket-clipped knife snagged by a pickpocket? Reason I'm asking is that I'm going to NYC in a week or two and am kinda apprehensive about clipping my knives into my pockets. Should I just drop them all the way into the pockets and forget about a super-quick draw? Also, my wallet. Is a front-pocket carry going to be enough to thwart a pickpocket?

Asha'man
 
If you are unaware enough that someone can take something out of your FRONT POCKET without notice you must be asleep :) I have never had a pickpocket try for my front pocket, i have had a few try for my wallet in my back pocket(got wallet back all times) once he didnt get very far since i noticed right away and just missed grabbing his arm by inches, actually he was nice enough to give it back after me and my 4 friends chased him into a dead end alley and had a little talk with him. The other times i grabbed his arm before they could run away. Honestly, think about it for a second, do you really think someone can take something out of your front pocket and you not notice? I mean just watch whats going on around you, if there are people to close together and you cannot avoid bumping into anyone they put your hands in your front pockets, then they cant get anyhting plus you have your hands already on your knife/gun/ASP/whatevers in your pockets.
 
Why not walk with your hand over the clipped knife? Make sure you are good with the length laws in NY too.
 
lol....i love other peoples impressions of NYC....

all they think about is crime

i'd put the knife all the way in the pocket....just cuz some cops don't consider a knife clipped...to be concealed

any knife you carry must be concealed

also keep in mind there is a 4 inch ordinance....
the blade must be under 4 inches......UNDER 3.9 is ok 4.0 is not

as for wallet....put it in your front if you feel more comfortable
 
When I feel a bit nervous In a public place, I just unclip my knife and hold it with my hand in my pocket. Once I was in L.A. California, and a pickpocket got my Benchmade 690-01. (carbon-fiber bolsters, micarta ivory scales, you know the one). Luckily I had found one in the newspaper a week later. (How odd that a person would sell it nib thru the paper.)

Regards,

Steve C.
 
I recommend being careful of "street shows". A performer will do something like juggle and as the spectators gather around closely, this is when the pickpockets really strike. Always know who is behind you.
Nick
 
Okay. I usually walk with my hands in my pockets anyway, so I guess that'll be good. All my blades are under 3.5, so no worries there. Thanks guys!

Asha'man
 
How not to look like a 'mark' in NYC
1 Don't carry your camera around your neck.
2 Don't count your money in the street.
3 Don't wear the nametag outside of the conference/meeting hall.
4 Use common sense...if it too good to be true, it is.
5 Don't look up ;)
 
A bit off-topic, but I generally try to avoid walking with my hands in my pockets. You're more vulnerable to sudden pushes or being hit.
Jim
 
I worked all around NY for few years, Hunts Point, Queens, Manhattan, It's fine if you're aware of your surroundings.

Whenever I go to the city I usually look like a homeless person,(than again my wife says I always look like a homeless person)this way no one bothers me,(they actually walk on the otherside of the street).Always look like you belong there, look confident, and be aware of your immediate surroundings. If you're not comfortable alone, it's best to travel with others, As far as your knife goes, carry it clipped inside your waist band, I'm sure if someone reaches in there you'll know.

As an after thought, since 9-11 all federal and state buildings have metal detectors:mad: , hell you can't even go into MSG without going through one:mad: , so be prepared to have to lose or leave your blade behind if you go into any of these places. :mad:
 
I have been to New Yourk three times in last two years...have necver had any problems. Even in Harlem when the tour bus I was on broke down and I had to walk back to Manhattan.

Your original question asks : "Should I just drop them all the way into the pockets and forget about a super-quick draw? "

Then later you say you walk around with your hands in your pocket..which IMHO is not conducive to a quick draw.

Really you just need to be aware of what is going on around you.
 
Pu your knife all the way in your pocket. You HAVE to carry it concealed. Don't break the four inch rule, like was said 3.9 ok four inches is not!

by the way:in Harlem when the tour bus I was on broke down and I had to walk back to Manhattan.

Harlem is in Manhattan

New York is not the crime bastion it was in the Late 1970's 1980's and ealy 1990's. Rudy took care of that. Now if we could get rid of Raymond "Jelly" Kelly as Police Commisoner:mad: We might have Rudyesque crime drops again. I carry a can of OC. If you want a can of OC that complies with NY State law head down to the Little Italy China Town region and go into John Jovino and Co. The oldest Gun Shop in the city. THey will sell to you but you have to fill out paper work. They have knives too. If you like guns, the Beretta show room is in Manhattan, Henry Repeating Arms factory is in Brooklyn ( It is owned by John Jovino so ask in that shop and they will give you the details). There is alot to see. NY is a great city. I have been to Chicago, Boston, Miami, Atlanta, etc. and nothing compares to it. The best view of the skylines can be had at the Waterfront in Hoboken, NJ. It will cost you a dollar fifty to use the path train from 33rd street (near Penn Station) and take that to Hoboken. Good luck and enjoy your trip.
 
My brother Grad. from Eastman School of Music in Rochester 3 years ago. After living there 4 years I asked him what he did. He left his keys and knife in his right pocket and his wallet in his left. If he needed to carry more stuff he would wear a jacket with pockets on the inside. He never had any problems, but some of his friends (not from NY) did get pickpocketed when they visited NYC.

I realise that it can get hot up there in the summer, my suggestion would be that instead of the Jacket find yourself some cargo pants. The more pockets the better. I am always looking for more places to put more stuff. :)
 
If you're interested in learning how to avoid being a prime target for pickpockets and other street thieves, check out:

www.bobarno.com

Bob and I have been friends for over 30 years (I wrote much of his stage material when he was still an entertainer; now he and his wife spend most of their time making documentaries about street crime.) I remember a piece of footage done for a talk show that shows Bob, under the pretense of asking for directions on a street map, stealing the watch right off a uniformed cop's wrist! The theft wasn't fixed or set up for the cameras; it was totally legit. When the TV show host came over and handed him his wristwatch back, the look on the cop's face was priceless!

Bob Arno's best advice: "Always give the impression that you are alert and completely aware of your surroundings."
 
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