There’s no quicker way to ruin a day than to reach into your pocket and discover that your wallet’s been lifted.
Some Nairobi pickpockets are very talented. Once they’ve picked you as their target, you can kiss that wallet goodbye. The key is to not get picked as their target to begin with.
According to some netizens the skillful art of pickpocketing without arousing the attention of victims, who shy away from reporting to authorities,could be on the rise in Nairobi.
The pickpockets prefer PSVs, which they board disguised as commuters, before mysteriously stealing from their unsuspecting prey.
Victims discover later they have either lost cash or mobile phones, but are normally unable to fathom circumstances surrounding the loss. PSVs representatives have admitted that pickpocketing is real, claiming the perpetrators are sedating victims – allegations that were difficult to immediately corroborate.
However , with the recent ban by Nairobi county barring matatus from accessing the cbd , Pickpockets could be preparing to spend christmas on the sandy beaches as they could lay ground in hunt for their prey.
You live in Kasarani. You work at Upper hill. And it’s 8pm you have to walk from Upper hill through CBD to Ngara to take a Matatu. Tell me what stops muggers and pickpocketers? Someone in Nairobi has suspended his brains.
— Lord Abraham Mutai (@ItsMutai) December 3, 2018
Notorious spots
Globe Cinema Round About:
Globe cinema roundabout has for a long time remained notorious for pickpockets and other gangs who steal side mirrors. Despite its expansion, accessing the Central Business District through the roundabout is always a nightmare for motorists.
However the thing to check out for is when using the pedestrian bridge which is heavily crowded .
This is one of the most suitable places pickpockets could use and reduce the chance of being noticed .
Railways bus stage:
09:52 Railways bridge its a mess!! pic.twitter.com/axE90PBIkh via @KenKisesi
— Ma3Route (@Ma3Route) December 3, 2018
At the spot, the pickpockets take advantage of passengers scrambling for matatus headed to Mombasa road and Rongai. The goons mostly carry hand bags, envelopes and bags to fool crew and passengers.
Know the classic tricks
If you’re in a crowd and you’re suddenly pushed roughly in way you cant explain, that’s a red flag. As you catch your balance, your hands go up (away from your purse or pockets), you stop paying attention for a split second… and it’s the perfect moment to lift your wallet.
Or, if you’re on a bus that’s packed to the gills and someone forces their way on—despite there being clearly no room at all on the bus—that could be a trick, too. Of course, lots of people try to shove on. But if you see someone squeeze on and then continue to work their way through the bus, despite the crowd, that’s a sign of something fishy.
Finally, be aware when you see a group of several people (usually, unfortunately,Nairobi), begging on a street or along a crowd. There will be a child or two, or a cardboard sign, or sometimes both. Stop to read the sign, and a child gets you from your back pocket. Turn to the child, and someone’s pickpocketing you while using the sign as cover.