Aug 18, 2018
RAY: This is from my "Travel and Leisure" Series. Here it is:
Not long ago, I spent some time vacationing in a well known place. It was also well known for pickpockets and other unsavory characters. And no, it wasn't Car Talk Plaza.
When I checked into the hotel, the folks at the desk were quick to warn me of the dangers of certain areas. They insisted that I would be much safer not leaving the hotel grounds, and I could spend all of my money right there.
I chose to disregard them, of course, and when I visited some of these areas, I saw signs all over the place warning people to be on their guard for pickpockets.
By the end of my visit, I found out that the percentage of people who had filed reports with the police claiming to have had their pockets picked had gone up dramatically since the signs were put up.
And that's the question: can you explain why pickpocketing rates increased after the signs went up?
RAY: Here's what happens. You see a sign that says, 'Beware of the pickpockets.' And you immediately reach for your wallet! You reach for the most valuable thing you have, whether it's your wallet, your passport, your Rolex watch, to reassure yourself that it hasn't already been taken. And the pickpockets know exactly which pocket to go to.
