The speaker, who is an expert in sleight of hand and misdirection, shares his personal journey and experiences in this field. He recounts how he was fascinated by magic tricks from a young age, which sparked his lifelong interest in sleight of hand, misdirection, and distraction. He also mentions an incident where he saw a photograph of a pickpocket in an old magazine. This image of a pickpocket successfully stealing from a crowd in a bullring in Mexico City in the 1950s intrigued him.
From this moment, he began studying the techniques of real pickpockets. He now travels the world performing a pickpocket entertainment act, where he demonstrates these techniques. He emphasizes that he is not a criminal and that he returns the items he takes during his performances. He also works with police forces, security companies, and individuals to help people avoid becoming victims of pickpockets.
He then demonstrates some of these techniques on two volunteers, Jeremiah and Richard. He shows them how pickpockets identify what people have in their pockets and how they can avoid being targeted. He also shares a story about a pickpocket signaling to another pickpocket outside a shop to know which pocket to bump into when the victim comes out of the shop.
Finally, he concludes by advising the audience to keep their distance from pickpockets and to be aware of their surroundings. He thanks the volunteers and the audience for their time and participation.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The speaker was given a box of magic tricks for his fourth birthday.
2. The speaker became interested in sleight of hand, misdirection, and distraction at a young age.
3. The speaker saw a picture of a boy around his age who was a pickpocket in an old magazine.
4. The picture was taken in the 1950s in Mexico City.
5. The speaker started studying the techniques of real pickpockets after seeing the picture.
6. The speaker now travels the world performing a pickpocket entertainment act.
7. The speaker works with police forces and security companies to help people avoid becoming victims of pickpocketing.
8. The speaker gives back all the items he takes during his performances.
9. The speaker chose two people, Jeremiah and Richard, to join him on stage.
10. The speaker demonstrated various pickpocketing techniques on Richard.
11. The speaker showed how pickpockets can use distractions to steal items.
12. The speaker advised the audience to be aware of their surroundings and to cover their PIN numbers when typing them into ATMs or machines.
13. The speaker mentioned that pickpockets often work in gangs.
14. The speaker's performance was time-limited, and he had to work quickly to demonstrate his techniques.