This interesting story reminds me of an anecdote from boarding school. As I was preparing to leave a lecture hall one day, a classmate asked me if I enjoyed reading. I was a little confused by his question because I'd never seen or met the guy before. Then, with a smile, he systematically removed all my papers and textbooks from his bag. To be fair, I might've been complacent as a teenager and therefore an easy target, but it was still an impressive trick. I can understand why many of the folks in this article think pickpocketing can be an exhilarating artform.