How do you handle thieves when you catch them on the scene?

How do you handle thieves when you catch them on the scene?
Mar 21, 2008 15:39	#11
CLAUDIUS Points: Join Date: Jul 24, 2007 Status: Offline	Please, as a rule, do not try to overpower the thief yourself. Much of your actions should depend on the circumstances you are in, especially your environment. For a start, snatch thieves are common in Guangdong, especially Guangzhou, where they'd grab your bag/haversack/wallet/cellphone and take off. But in the north, in places like Shenyang, there is a growing trend of thieves committing murder in order to render their victim hapless. In other words, your life is pretty much worth only the pennies in your pocket. They normally use small pocket knives hidden in the palm of their hand or curved blades tied to the end of a wooden pole. They simply slice their victim's throat open from behind. These are stories related by locals, by the way. The recommended action will be to draw as much attention to yourself, shout or carry with you a small electronic hailer capable of emitting loud and high pitch noise. In a crowd, use the gadget and point to the direction of your thief, stay where you are unless its dangerous to remain so. Only desparados commit crime alone and they will most likely have accomplices where you can't see them. As a precautionary measure, check out the crime rate and nature of the common crimes in your locality (from the locals). Do not bring excess valuables or cash if you can help it. Your life (and safety) is definitely more important than to risk it on a confrontation. My experience is that, for high crime rate areas, the security should already be better as the authorities would be keeping an eye. If reasonable security (i.e. constant presence of the police) is not there, it either means they are on the take, or the locals have already understood the unsaid curfew in that area. Either way, there is really little help rendered if you're a victimised. You'll probably spend hours in the local police station recording a statement in Chinese and will never hear from them ever after. Prevention is much better than cure in China. Sorry for the plagmatic view but this is how I stayed safe while I travel to more than 20 cities all over China since 2002.

Mar 21, 2008 15:39

#11

CLAUDIUS
Points:
Join Date: Jul 24, 2007
Status: Offline

Please, as a rule, do not try to overpower the thief yourself. Much of your actions should depend on the circumstances you are in, especially your environment. For a start, snatch thieves are common in Guangdong, especially Guangzhou, where they'd grab your bag/haversack/wallet/cellphone and take off. But in the north, in places like Shenyang, there is a growing trend of thieves committing murder in order to render their victim hapless. In other words, your life is pretty much worth only the pennies in your pocket. They normally use small pocket knives hidden in the palm of their hand or curved blades tied to the end of a wooden pole. They simply slice their victim's throat open from behind. These are stories related by locals, by the way.

The recommended action will be to draw as much attention to yourself, shout or carry with you a small electronic hailer capable of emitting loud and high pitch noise. In a crowd, use the gadget and point to the direction of your thief, stay where you are unless its dangerous to remain so. Only desparados commit crime alone and they will most likely have accomplices where you can't see them.

As a precautionary measure, check out the crime rate and nature of the common crimes in your locality (from the locals). Do not bring excess valuables or cash if you can help it. Your life (and safety) is definitely more important than to risk it on a confrontation.

My experience is that, for high crime rate areas, the security should already be better as the authorities would be keeping an eye. If reasonable security (i.e. constant presence of the police) is not there, it either means they are on the take, or the locals have already understood the unsaid curfew in that area. Either way, there is really little help rendered if you're a victimised. You'll probably spend hours in the local police station recording a statement in Chinese and will never hear from them ever after.

Prevention is much better than cure in China. Sorry for the plagmatic view but this is how I stayed safe while I travel to more than 20 cities all over China since 2002.

Mar 28, 2008 12:47

#12

STEVEINGLE
Points:
Join Date: Jul 24, 2007
Status: Offline

All of these are good suggestions Claudius. Can I add another? I carry a dummy wallet while I travel even here in U.S. It seems that daylight robberies have increased here as well, small towns-big cities, California.
My dummy wallet is in my back-pocket with a couple of dollars and old official looking papers of any kind w/o any imp. personal info., business cards from restaurants, basically anything in it to make wallet appear to be real. Most thieves are not going to open wallet and check it out while robbing you but for the one who might quick glance at your wallet with a couple of dollars might be money well-spent to send him on his way. I keep my real cash & id elsewhere. When purchasing something while traveling I go to restroom to retrieve $ or credit card. Another tip. Some people think not signing the back of their credit card is a safe measure in case it is stolen. However, any thief can then sign your name and he does not have to match your signature when he signs receipt while charging on your card because the way he signs your name matches the card he has signed because you did not sign your card. I hope I have made that clear enough. I understand there is a new way for merchants to check signature electronically but if the merchant does not have that up to date technology.... A law enforcement friend of mine has said that you should never let your card out of your sight since thieves now have applied to work in restaurants for the sole purpose of obtaining credit card numbers by writing down the info. or taking a pic. of it while they run your purchase through. I know it sounds like I live in fear but I actually do not since I take these precautions. Its a sorry thing that we have to do these things but its better to be safe and prepared than sorry latter when you are trying to replace a passport, credit card etc. How do you get money when your credit cards and cash have been stolen while traveling? Be prepared not sorry.

Mar 28, 2008 13:37	#13
GARYKINKADE Points: Join Date: Jan 8, 2008 Status: Offline	STEVEINGLE.......Let's just hope that no California thieves are reading this thread in regards to your wallet trick. Thanks for the tip about signing the back of credit cards.

Mar 29, 2008 11:12	#14
JCNILE123 Points: Join Date: Mar 30, 2006 Status: Offline	(((How do you handle thieves when you catch them on the scene?))) God has been very good to me this far, not such experience to this date. Of course, I do my self an effort to stay away from dangerous places.

Mar 30, 2008 06:00

#15

CLAUDIUS
Points:
Join Date: Jul 24, 2007
Status: Offline

Quite an innovative idea there, Steve! In Chinese, its called using the same trick back on the trickster. (or something to that degree).

Many foreigner friend asked me this question before, is credit card safe in China?
While most crimes in China are generally 'simpler' (they just want the cash), white collar crimes are emerging in the developed coaster cities. One of the news report I've seen revealed that the burglars have technology that allow them to copy your identity and duplicate your card with one swipe on their machine. You'll hardly notice it because the amount they take from your card is generally small (I wonder if they have used statistics to calculate the probability of discovery). I've used credit cards in Shanghai regularly and have never encountered any problem, maybe I wont even know actually if I've met with this type of fraud.

If I travel inland, or to places I've never been, I'd usually leave the credit card at home (american express out the window!). I'll carry a suitable amount of cash in my wallet, tie the rest in a small package and put it in the pocket of my trousers or jeans. I have a local bank account with Bank of China and carry the atm card around, you can usually withdraw cash from the account all over China. The withdrawal limit is 3k RMB if I'm not wrong, so there is a cap to how much you would lose to a burglar or how much you can spend, whichever way you'd see it, there is a limit that is out of your control.

Apr 10, 2008 19:17	#16
GUEST81212	I would like to take the pick-poket to a nice diner if it was a beautiful girl.....hah hah hah

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