For the second time in my life, I was pickpocketed, this time in Addis Ababa. But this time, rather boldly (or stupidly), I reacted swiftly.
A Pickpocket Stole My iPhone In Addis Ababa And Didn’t Run
I spent one night in Addis Ababa before flying home, staying at the Hyatt Regency in the heart of the city. Jetlag was a big problem on this trip and I got up before dawn to take a walk, hopping to end up at Tomoca Coffee (Ethiopia’s first upscale coffee roaster, which opened in 1953) at 6:30 am when it opened.
As I walked down Bole Road outside the hotel, a boy who looked no more than 13 or 14 approached me holding a tray of tissues. He got up really close to me and kept pushing them in my face, urging me to buy them.
All of a sudden, I felt his hand in my front pocket and he deftly lifted my iPhone out.
What he should have done is run…I doubt I would have chased him.
Instead, he just stood there looking at me, almost inviting me to react.
And I did.
I grabbed his tray and saw that he was holding my phone underneath the tray. I took my phone, put it back into my pocket, handed him back the tray, wagged my finger at him Deltalina style, and then said, “We don’t do that.”
I was more than a foot taller than him and he was scrawny…I guess I subliminally sized him up and felt competent that I could prevail in any physical match against him. Maybe he thought the same thing?
It still probably wasn’t smart to lunge at him, in case he had a knife or some other weapon. I still don’t understand why he did not run. Indeed, I was almost tempted to ask him for a selfie…but I got my phone back…
In 2010, my wallet was pickpocketed in Bangkok…that was a rough day in which I also got beat up for not respecting the (late) King.
> Read More: Robbed and Battered in Bangkok
I suppose going 15 years before the next incident is not bad…
The situation did rattle me…I skipped coffee and went back to the hotel. I took off my watch, wallet, and ring and put it in the safe in my hotel room, something I don’t think I’ve ever done. My heart beat rather rapidly when I went across the street later in the morning to the Red Terror Martyrs Memorial Museum.
CONCLUSION
It appears that pickpocketing and mugging is relatively common in Addis Ababa, just like many cities. Thankfully, the kid did not run when he stole my phone…though my data was backed up and it would have been more an annoyance than a devastating loss. Even so, it was a reminder to me that I probably let my guard down by even letting this kid approach me in the first place and that we must all exercise due diligence wherever we are, particularly in major cities.
I’ve had an attempted pickpocket of my phone in Addis a few years ago.
I noticed it right as they were lifting it, I stopped it and then walked on.
I don’t think they want a fight – but I would have fought them if needed.
I’ve been to ADD a few times, and now I avoid it.
I was pickpocketed once 10 years ago in Brussels. Ever since I have been carrying a dummy wallet with a few dollars and a canceled credit card. Recently I have also been carrying a cheap backup cell phone for use in public.
*Delatlina (not ‘Delatline’)
Nice reference. Glad things worked out. When we stayed in Dar es Salaam, we did a daytime stay waiting for a midnight flight at the Hyatt Regency there, and did not ‘explore.’ Nice rooftop, good views of river/port. Was enough for us.
I think it’s Deltalina, bud.
LOL. At least Matt fixed it in the article. Unfortunately, no edits in the comments. Oof.
I always have a dummy wallet in my back pocket with an array of “Motion Picture” fake bills that you can buy on ebay. They’re going to get punished much more harshly trying to cash the fake bills, hopefully the black and blue left on them by a local or the local cops will teach them a lesson.
The same thing happened to me within 10 minutes of walking outside my hotel in ADD. They used the same technique on me with the tray, but they also had two others trying to distract me with over friendly conversation. Luckily, my wife was next to me and saw what was going on and yelled and pushed them away which made them drop my phone.
My wife was much more situationally aware because women tend to be more alert when men approach them too physically close.
Best travel purchase of my life: https://pacsafe.com/products/vibe-150-anti-theft-sling-pack Have been using for over 10 years and good luck someone trying to take anything from me without threatening me with a gun or a knife.
Here are my travel habits:
.Pacsafe sling bag crossing my chest;
.Absolutely nothing on any pockets. Zero!;
.Inside the sling pack there is my iPhone (fully backed up), a power bank for my phone, my DL as form of ID, no more than two credit cards, 1 debit card (with a limit of $500 ATM withdrawals per day) and no more than $50 equivalent in cash;
.Apple Watch (depending on the country) and Oura Ring.
Wait, so back in 2010, you lost your wallet in Bangkok but didn’t bother getting a (fake) replacement ISIC card? The forgers used to have a thriving business along Khao San Road.
I replaced the ISIC at some point, but lost my military ID card, which was far more serious…
No sense in the pickpocket to run if he knew you could track the phone and disable it.
In Italy I’ve been surrounded by very young thieving kids at the market in San Remo. For the children I keep a pocket with random coins and hard sweets that I throw down on approach. Yes it’s sad, but they receive something and quickly run off.
In Bangkok all valuables are worn under my clothing. At chak to chak market I’ve been followed but the perpetrator was recognized by a shopkeeper that stomped on him. My rule is to enjoy the hotel club spreads in the evening!
Wow sorry that happened to you! Sounds like it comes with the territory. Are you sure he wasn’t reaching for something else???
I got pickpocketed as I got on the tram that goes from NCE airport to Nice city center. I was wearing a sling bag across my chest and had a rolling bag with me. Two young women immediately rushed me after I got on and began asking me for directions, while pressed up almost against me. One of them unzipped the sling bag inches from my face and removed my wallet so deftly, that I was only saved the loss of the wallet by two eagle eyed passengers who whipped out their phones, started filming the thieves and simultaneously yelling thief in English. The thief then dropped my wallet on the floor of the tram and both women then exited before the tram doors closed. For the remainder of that trip I placed all money, credit cards and passport on the inside zipped pocket of the sling bag which has a zipper that is much more difficult to open, I left the empty wallet in the more accessible part of the bag, which the thieves had removed my wallet from originally. In any future travels, especially outside the US, I have continued to do the same. I have previously used a Travelon cross body bag that had locking zippers, and will probably replace that sling bag at some point with either another Travelon or a PacSafe sling bag that is more secure.
Let’s recall that Katherine Lee-Hinton, better known as Deltalina is a German-born American flight attendant for Delta Air Lines who has appeared in several Delta onboard safety videos. The first Deltalina safety video was released in February 2008 and became one of the most-watched videos on YouTube at the time thanks to the fan-favorite flight attendant’s confident finger-wag warning against smoking onboard. Her nickname Deltalina came from YouTube viewers who, in the comments on the 2008 video, compared her looks to those of actress Angelina Jolie.
What he should have done is ran…I doubt I would have chased him.
ran should be run.
Correct. I’m thankful he did not run or ran!
I was hit by a pickpocket in a very upscale mall in São Paulo. I was wearing a crossbody bag. It was super crowded and never realized what was happening. I however always carry my motorcycle wallet with the chain attached to the inside of my bag. Next thing I knew my wallet was dangling at my knee. They dropped it and ran. Nice try old motorcycle chicks die hard!
Well now I’m interested in how you inadvertently disrespected the king. Do you have a link to that article? I found the Bangkok pickpocketing but not the assault related to the disrespect.
I wrote about it here:
https://liveandletsfly.com/airline-insult-thai-king/
Ah interesting, thanks!
I’m confused and probably naive, but why in this day and age is a stolen phone of any value? How can they reuse it? And, if they can, why can’t they be designed so they can’t? BTW, I have no memory of why I choose to do so, but I always have my wallet in my front pocket. It helps avoid loss by accident or from theft. I also carry a travel wallet away from hope with an ATM/debit card from an account with a small balance (I can instantaneously transfer money into it via an app) a credit card I never use (and thus any charges would be fraudulent unless I use it in an emergency) and a small amount of local cash. Nowadays, I can use Google Pay fir everything.
Because the phone can be wiped clean and resold.
But can’t they make that impossible?
I was assaulted by pickpockets on the Paris Metro right after Covid re-opening. It was crazy. Waiting to board, the station was empty. Train had only a handful of passengers. I made the mistake of entering at the most convenient door right by the stairs. 5 Black guys were waiting just inside the train. 3 of them held me while two of them patted me down to identify where my valuables were. I started yelling and they backed off, possibly not wanting to attract attention from the handful of other passengers (none really close though). They should have just taken what they wanted and ran but I guess by the time they identified where I kept my valuables the doors were closing and they couldn’t get away so they all split up and sat nearby. I was traveling with a friend, we were standing by the doors, and one of them tried to pickpocket him as they left the train (they left individually at different stops). He knew they might try so he was ready and grabbed the pickpocket’s wrist as he put his hand in my friend’s front pocket to steal his phone. They stared off briefly and the pickpocket released his hold on the phone and silently left the train. We were quite shaken by the experience. I knew there were pickpockets in Paris who tried to distract you, but it was shocking how brazen these guys were. Now I take Uber or taxis around Paris and avoid the Metro.