What you can learn from my experience getting pick pocketed
You’re not as aware as you assume you are
A few years ago I was returning home from visiting a Director colleague’s set when someone picked my pocket.
The scoundrel pickpocketed me. (Is that a word?)
Anyway, it was an odd experience. How did it happen?
Well, I was heading home around 9 pm.
It rained so traffic had built up, causing congestion and bus drivers reluctant to head back in that direction.
From the bus park where it would normally take under 5 minutes to get a bus, myself and the growing crowd found ourselves there for close to an hour.
For my North American and European readers, the public transport system is erm, different here, we have what we call Danfo, yellow small buses with black stripes. Think NY Cab drivers with 10x the attitude and aggression.
Back to the story.
Eager to get home before the rains started again or it got too late, we were getting pretty desperate.
Each bus approaching was our potential rescuer from the coming doom. Bus after bus refusing to go in our direction, it was apparent we were going to be there for a while.
Keeping an eagle eye, I prepared for the next bus heading to my destination. One bus came and I rushed for it. I had already entered, only for the driver to announce he wasn’t going anywhere.
I got off the bus and then noticed my phone sticking halfway out of my pocket.
Strangely, cos I hadn’t recently used it nor would I ever leave it peaking out, I had a sense that someone had just made an attempt but brushed it off and
I pushed it back down into my pocket, ignoring the tiny voice that said,
“Put it in your bag”.
Another 15 minutes and another bus came, once again made it to the front, as well as three others and got on the bus, the same thing
“I no dey go”(i’m not going)
This was less than a minute of time and in between that and getting off the bus, I touched my pocket and the phone was gone. It dawned on me, whoever just took it, patiently tracked me and waited to finish his/her mission.
Lesson 1- Desperation
My desperation to get home and out of the rain I anticipated, which eventually didn’t fall again put me in the prime state
Lesson 2- Rush
Rushing without verifying made me a mark they easily targeted.
Lesson 3- Distraction
The intent of getting on the bus before anyone else or before it got full distracted me for long enough for them to carry out their mission with ease.
Unfortunately as i had been on A tv shoot set all day the phone was on silent/vibrate , so calling it was useless and the thief soon turned it off.
Immediately I got home I changed my passwords and had to recover my line the next day.
But all my notes, messages and whatnot were on the phone.
No idea if they intended to crack the password and try to use my number for a scam or if they’d just wanted to sell it.
Considering it was a 4-year-old android with a cracked screen and a foggy camera, good luck with that.
My consolation is that they went for the phone and not my wallet.
I thought I’d never become a victim because I could feel the presence or absence of the phone in my pocket.
Obviously, I was wrong. It was dark. I was in a hurry with lowered situational awareness.
Making me just another statistic.
How often in life are we Desperate, In a Rush and Distracted that we put ourselves in a position to lose?
A Purchase? Growth of a business? Deciding who to marry? An Investment Opportunity?
When we are desperate how vulnerable are we making ourselves or putting a target on our own back to those with ill intent?
Love to hear your thoughts
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