65th Stopped Pick-Pocket: Red Square Ruse in Moscow!

St. Basil's Cathedral in Red Square in Moscow, Russia

Editor's Note: This is our third stop in Russia and our first in Moscow!

Chuck recently called in to let us know about his stopped pick-pocket experience. Here is his story told to our Founder/Designer Adam:

"We were on a Viking River Boat tour of Russia and had just arrived in Moscow. On our first day there, we went to Red Square, and their annual fall festival was going on. Sculptures were depicting the season like giant pumpkins, and interestingly, a surfboard tank was set up. We walked up to watch the surfers in that tank, and my wife was standing with me on my left side. I felt something tug on my left front pocket and turned around to see what was going on. All of a sudden, someone behind me in line rushed ahead to get away. The button flap had stopped him!

He was able to get the zipper down up to the flap to get a few fingers in but couldn’t get the button flap opened before I noticed what was happening. As soon as I did, he was gone.

I had about $200 in the pocket, and it was held together by a money clip, but he couldn’t get the clip out. When he tried to pull it free, it wouldn’t fit through with the flap still there and that altered me.

My wife was standing on that side, and she felt him bump her as he tried to pull away. This alerted her to someone trying to pick my pockets as well. She watched with me as he disappeared into the crowd ahead."

- Chuck from California, USA