The author recounts an experience on a Paris subway where a woman warned them about children targeting tourists, specifically East Asians, for pickpocketing. The article illustrates the non-verbal communication and alarm felt in the situation, emphasizing how minor incidents can heighten awareness of being perceived as a tourist. Interactions with the local people led to reflections on cultural differences and the intricacies of navigating these environments, while ultimately remaining unfazed as they lacked anything of value to steal.
They target Asians. Not racist, of course. You can't fault a pickpocketing gang of children for their ability to clock tourists - that's just good business practice.
Be careful about what? I told her that I thought they were doing fine, and then she elaborated: 'They are trying to trick them.'
The warning was more confusing than informative; the general message was urgency, as we arrived at the next stop.
Unfortunately, we had nothing worth stealing, which almost made an attempted pickpocketing just another experience of France's rich culture.
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