Video screenshot: The "intern thief" on Xiangtan bus failed in stealing.
Rednet Changsha, January 19th (Rolling reporter Hongren Geng of the Xiaoxiang Morning Post, intern Wei Zhang) As the year-end approaches, everyone is looking forward to receiving a big red envelope. Thieves also want to make some money for New Year's goods to celebrate the New Year. At this time, we must remember to prevent theft in public places. However, recently, a netizen published a segment of surveillance video on the Rednet Forum, showing the entire process of a theft on a Xiangtan bus. The technical level was truly "awful," clearly an "intern thief" on the job, which made many netizens burst out laughing. Of course, it also reminded us not to be complacent, otherwise, if we are deceived by an intern thief, we will feel very frustrated.
Surveillance video exposes "intern thief" on the bus
"Pay attention, especially elderly citizens, look at this female pickpocket!" On the morning of January 18th, the netizen "Furongwang can still" posted a video on the Xiangtan section of the Rednet Forum. This surveillance video completely recorded the behavior of a young woman stealing on the bus on the afternoon of January 15th. The bus traveled more than one stop, but the woman did not succeed, leading some netizens to comment that this thief should be an intern thief practicing her skills, and she should have "intern" written on her back so that she could "rely on others" in time.
This surveillance video shows that at 4:45 PM on January 15th, the young protagonist appeared. She had short hair, a slightly round face, wearing a thick down jacket, carrying a very large handbag. After paying and boarding the bus, she looked around. Neither the driver nor the passengers seemed to notice anything unusual. Then the young woman stretched one hand onto the railing, placing the handbag on her shoulder while freeing up the other hand to reach towards a middle-aged woman, using her own handbag as a cover. This process continued until the bus passed one station, but the theft attempt failed.
Then a backpack-carrying girl boarded the bus. When the door closed, the middle-aged woman with the bag who had not been successfully stolen from seemed to sense something. Because the young woman was very close, during the journey, the young woman continued to try to steal from the middle-aged woman with the bag. The female thief pretended to be nonchalant, looking around while her hands did not stop. At this moment, another middle-aged woman nearby seemed to say something to the victimized woman. The victimized woman then circled around the thief and walked to the front door of the bus, ending the thief's unsuccessful attempt.
Netizens' follow-up comments: Should wear an intern label on her back
"The three-fingered ones are the most annoying, so young and doing this!" On the Rednet forum, many netizens commented on the young woman's actions, saying she did not look like someone without the ability to work, why would she think of getting rich without working? Some netizens questioned the publication of such videos online, claiming that since the woman was just a thief, publishing her appearance might infringe on her right to portrait. Of course, more netizens believed that exposure was necessary, and some joked that it was not the first time they had seen such clumsy thieves, they really should put an internship label on them, like cars, so everyone could avoid her.
Netizens share funny stories after encountering thieves
"Last time I saw a female thief on bus No. 405 in Changsha!" Some netizens enthusiastically shared their experiences with thieves, "That woman accidentally touched a man while stealing his wallet, and was discovered by the man. The man calmly touched the woman's face (the woman was pretty). That woman looked at the man. The man said 'you touched me, I can't touch you.' I laughed."
Another netizen told a story about his father: "In 1987, my father took 40 yuan early in the morning for the first time to Shaoyang County. Just after getting off the bus, he realized his money was gone. A kind person nearby told him: the young man far away stole your money. My father chased him and asked for his money back. The thief cursed, kicked him three times, beat him up, and left. My father followed him, keeping a distance of three steps all the way. Wherever the thief went, my father followed. Until the afternoon, the thief couldn't get rid of him, gave the money back, and said 'I'm tired of you, poor ghost!'
Xiangtan Bus Company: The video has been provided to the police
On the evening of January 18th, a rolling reporter from the Xiaoxiang Morning Post contacted Feng Yong, the person who posted the thread and the head of the inspection team of Xiangtan Bus Company. According to him, this video from January 15th was viewed when reviewing the surveillance footage on the morning of January 18th. The involved bus was Route 15 of Xiangtan Bus Company. Currently, Xiangtan Bus Company has provided the video to Xiangtan Public Security Bureau. The police department has arranged anti-pickpocket personnel to focus on buses prone to thefts, cooperating with police officers to do year-end anti-theft work, providing videos and other materials for the police to review, and reminding citizens to pay attention to anti-theft, reporting theft cases promptly.
Note: Pay attention to common anti-thief "coded language" used by bus drivers
Additionally, Captain Feng of Xiangtan Bus Company stated that besides reminding citizens to prevent theft, they also often communicate some anti-thief "coded language" with bus drivers, such as a certain place where bus drivers deliberately let a passenger being stolen from swipe the card again. The passenger may not understand at first, but eventually, they thank the driver. These coded languages are not unique to any particular city, but they provide good guidance for some bus drivers. Summarizing them roughly includes the following points:
1. Casual style: When encountering a thief, always use seemingly casual words to alert passengers. For example, when seeing a thief's hand reaching into a passenger's pocket, a driver might suddenly shout at this passenger: "Hey, everyone watch your belongings, don't drop them!"
2. Appropriate reminder style: Some thieves board the bus and intentionally block the driver's view while their accomplices surround the passengers preparing to steal. A driver might pat the relevant passenger's shoulder: "Young man, go inside, hold your things."
3. Making conversation style: A driver notices a passenger being targeted by a thief, so he initiates a conversation with this passenger, asking where they are getting off, persuading them to move inside. Words that seem unnecessary are actually reminders for passengers to escape danger.
4. Deliberate provocation style: Seeing a passenger's handbag opened by a thief, the passenger remains unaware. The driver suddenly remembers the passenger placed the card in the bag after swiping, so he suddenly says to the passenger: "How many times did you swipe your card? Take it out, let me check." This trick avoids the thief but often angers the passenger.
5. Advance prevention style: If a driver spots familiar habitual thieves, when passengers board the bus, he will emphasize: "Please pay attention! Please take care of your belongings, move inside."
Netizens' popular bus anti-pickpocket guidelines
On the Rednet forum, some netizens collected and organized three major points for preventing theft, from how to prevent theft, how to identify "pickpockets" to six safety tips, which broadened the horizons of many netizens, saying that knowing these small tips, going out absolutely won't fear thieves. Among them, how to prevent theft includes the following ideas:
1. Precautions when waiting for the bus: One type is at suburban bus stops, another type is in urban bus stops. In both cases, attention must be paid to prevent pickpocketing incidents.
2. Precautions when boarding the bus: When the bus arrives at the station, passengers usually rush for seats, competing to board the bus. During this time, it becomes very crowded, making it easy for pickpocketing incidents to occur.
3. Precautions while riding the bus: While riding, if possible, find a seat quickly to sit down, avoid standing in crowded areas, and pay attention to observing suspicious people and situations around you.
4. Precautions when getting off the bus: Since the destination is approaching, passengers tend to relax. Additionally, the door is relatively crowded when getting off, so vigilance must still be maintained.
How to identify "pickpockets": Look at expressions, observe actions
1. Look at expressions: Pickpockets differ from normal passengers; their eyes always focus on customers' pockets, bags, backpacks, with wandering gazes.
2. Observe actions: Pickpockets often wander through the crowd, choosing targets and taking advantage of crowded or vehicle sway opportunities to test the "targets" pockets with arms and backs of hands.
3. Watch movements: When pickpockets act, they often tightly press against the body of the target, using others or accomplices as cover, or using their own arms, bags, clothes, newspapers, etc., to block the target's sight.
4. Listen to language: To facilitate communication, pickpockets often use slang and hidden language. They call picking pockets "back shell" or "find time"; they call each other "craftsman" or "clerk"; they call stealing on the bus "rush the bus" or "find money on the bus"; they call upper pockets "sky window" or "upper pocket"; lower pockets are called "platform (pocket)"; trouser pockets are called "hook pocket"; victims or owners are called "sheep (child)" or "faint rabbit (child)."
The "six safety tips" are even more practical to prevent theft.
1. Avoid crowding when getting on and off the bus. Some people always push to get on the bus to grab seats, but they don't realize that there may be thieves in the crowded crowd.
2. Avoid exposing jewelry. Passengers should try not to expose necklaces, bracelets, rings, and other gold and silver jewelry, as exposed valuables easily attract pickpockets.
3. Don't carry bags behind you. Shoulder bags and backpacks can easily become targets for thieves in crowded situations, so try to keep them within your line of sight.
4. Avoid carrying loose change together. Some passengers always take out their wallets on the bus, pulling out a single coin from a stack of cash to buy tickets, unaware that thieves may be nearby. Therefore, separate loose change from larger bills and avoid exposing your whole wallet.
5. Don't keep valuables in outer coat pockets. Due to thicker autumn and winter clothing, outer coat pockets are hard to feel. Especially male outerwear side pockets and rear pants pockets are easier for thieves to snatch with tweezers.
6. Don't be greedy for small gains. Some criminals often use poker scams, canned drink "lottery wins," or exchange fake foreign banknotes for RMB to defraud passengers' money.
[Source: Rednet - Xiaoxiang Morning Post]