Ladrones, Buscónes and Rateros

The "Oops-I-dropped-my-stuff, kind lady" two-thief strategy, from "How Pickpockets Work" on the website "How Stuff Works"

If you're wondering about crime in Mexico, two blog posts, by Evan in Xico and Calypso John in Veracruz offer advice and "learn-from-this" anecdotes that would be useful anywhere. I love the one about the bird doodoo.

When I lived in California, my purse was stolen from my car in San Rafael, I was knocked to the pavement by a purse-snatcher in San Francisco, lost my sound system to burglars on my boat in Sausalito and was rudely awakened by armed robbers in Healdsburg.

I've yet to have anything stolen from me in Mexico but yes, Evan and John, I'm paying attention. I'm designing a little flat purse I can wear under my shirt to carry ID and most of my cash before I make another trip, for starters.

But who could sleep in a Mexican bus station anyway? I can't even sleep on the bus!

P.S. Interesting: my diccionario says a buscón is a petty thief, but a buscóna is a loose woman.