Moxie makes her way out on to the streets, keen to share one of her earliest observations of life in the city of New York. It's a topic that, no matter how many ways she tries to look at it, she can't understand the fuss, the aggression, the tension. And so, with that in mind, she makes her way out to speak on it, to gather the thoughts and the opinions of others.

Standing in the late evening sun, she pulls her jacket a little tighter around her shoulders to protect from the slightest chill in the early spring breeze. Taking a deep breath, she flicks back her long, dark, loosely curled hair and begins to speak.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I'll try to not keep you for too long on such a lovely spring night; it's a night for sitting in a beer garden somewhere, with a glass of white wine, or maybe a light Mexican beer, not for long and deep conversations on the fabric of our world.

I do want to share a few thoughts though, and ask for you to share yours.

Pickpocketing is a topic that, as far as my research shows, seems to pop up on our streets on a semi regular basis. It also seems, according to the stories in my ancestors journals, to lead to some fairly regular bitching and crying for leaders and their hands to deal with. It seems to bring out the inner whiney-ness of mobsters and drive them into a false sense of self defense and aggression. Hell, I've even seen folks in my short time here wearing buttons on their shirts declaring that they'll fire a shot on anyone who mugs them in response to their attempts to pickpocket.

So, here are my questions.

• Is $5000 really so important to you that you must wear a badge on your suit declaring you unfriendly to the practice of pickpocketing? Doing so only, as far as I can see, serves to make the wearer a much more attractive a target to dip the pockets of. So if you really can't spare that $5000, do you think wearing such a badge serves to make any difference? 
• We're criminals. Why do we insist on wearing pickpocket statuses at all? Since when do criminals ask permission before committing a crime on somebody?
• If you insist on pickpocketing somebody, why do it without accepting the risks attached? When you stick your hands into somebodies pockets, it's almost a reflex that if they'll catch you, they'll beat seven shades of shit out of you. It is a violation of that person. So why try to expect that they will not turn around to beat the shit out of you?
• If you pickpocket somebody and get mugged, why the hell would your reflex be to cry to your boss? I don't understand why people think that their bosses should go in to battle with other leaders and other cities, and potentially risk straining relations, because one of their members couldn't accept responsibility for the consequences of where their hands have roamed, but it seems an incredibly selfish attitude.

I'm curious to hear peoples thoughts here, because truly, pickpocketing seems to just be some kind of strange venue for people to take out their excess testosterone and bad tempers. Which is fine, until they expect others to fight the battles that they themselves have started. Then it's quite pathetic. 

• Is $5000 really so important to you that you must wear a badge on your suit declaring you unfriendly to the practice of pickpocketing? Doing so only, as far as I can see, serves to make the wearer a much more attractive a target to dip the pockets of. So if you really can't spare that $5000, do you think wearing such a badge serves to make any difference? 

Perhaps not, I only wear such a tag so that people know that they will be mugged, so no confusion or conflict will arise from it.

• We're criminals. Why do we insist on wearing pickpocket statuses at all? Since when do criminals ask permission before committing a crime on somebody?

If we wouldn't, there would be much more conflict, bickering, harassment and whatnot, even if the majority (if not all) city rules declare that the upper structure won't deal with such disputes. Personal disputes can still arise.

• If you insist on pickpocketing somebody, why do it without accepting the risks attached? When you stick your hands into somebodies pockets, it's almost a reflex that if they'll catch you, they'll beat seven shades of shit out of you. It is a violation of that person. So why try to expect that they will not turn around to beat the shit out of you?

 I normally always expect a mug when I pick pocket someone, even if that person states to be ''Pickpocket friendly''. A happy hour if I don't get mugged!

• If you pickpocket somebody and get mugged, why the hell would your reflex be to cry to your boss? I don't understand why people think that their bosses should go in to battle with other leaders and other cities, and potentially risk straining relations, because one of their members couldn't accept responsibility for the consequences of where their hands have roamed, but it seems an incredibly selfish attitude.

Only if exceptional amounts are mugged from someone, and the guy (who mugged) is being an absolute twat about it. And then don't give back all the money, but a percentage? Depends on if the person (or the leader) is willing to do that of course.

I guess people just want that free ass money, but don't want to lose any of their own in the process, nor do they want to miss their flights etc.

Hi MinamotoNoYoritomo - thank you for taking the time to listen to my speech and to try to put some answers to my questions. I hope you don't mind me countering them though? I don't believe that the whole psychology that has built up around pickpocketing is quite so easily unraveled, you see. 

Perhaps not, I only wear such a tag so that people know that they will be mugged, so no confusion or conflict will arise from it.

If we wouldn't, there would be much more conflict, bickering, harassment and whatnot, even if the majority (if not all) city rules declare that the upper structure won't deal with such disputes. Personal disputes can still arise. 

These are two good points, and I can accept that some will wear unfriendly tags to try to preempt the potential conflict that can follow a mugging. However. Personal disputes and bickering over pickpocketing is something that arises when we do wear tags. Is that something that would realistically be so much worse were we to stop making fools of ourselves as mobsters by wearing this kind of badge? And if upper structures said that they would not be willing to deal with such disputes and stuck to it, would we not come to a situation where we would eventually cease to see them because there would be no acceptable outlet? Meaning that the process would be: Make the choice to pickpocket ----> be mugged ----> get the fuck over it. Which to me seems perfectly reasonable.  

Only if exceptional amounts are mugged from someone, and the guy (who mugged) is being an absolute twat about it. And then don't give back all the money, but a percentage? Depends on if the person (or the leader) is willing to do that of course.

I do find quite fucking preposterous the idea that somebody should repay any amount of money that they have mugged from somebody. If you take the risk of pickpocketing someone AND are too lazy or arrogant to bank your cash, which is an easy solution to not losing large amounts of cash, why the hell SHOULD you expect any of it back?

To me, the person who is trying to demand money back is the twat in that situation, not the person who mugged or their leader.  

EddieOHare, I have to agree with your response. This pretty much sums up my attitude towards pickpocketing in it's entirety. If you wish to take the risk, take it, but be prepared to have that risk come back to bite you. And don't cry when it does. 

Red-Cloud, just because a topic has been covered before, does not mean that it is not worth covering again in the future, does not mean that new and fresh attitudes on that topic should be sought out, does not mean that further discussion of the topic is worthless. Why would I head back to old and dark corners of our streets to discuss this with corpses when I had questions of my own to directly address to the world? I see only one reason that you have come here and made the comment that you have, and that is that you are making a pathetic attempt to try to "get one over" on a younger mobster. In which case, I wish you well in going to discuss this issue with the corpses of old, I am sure they will find you infinitely more interesting than I do. 

As Red-Cloud was trying to walk away he turns back when he hears his name being spoken.

The thing is, these aren't old dark corners of our street. The discussion I'm speaking of is a month and a day old yes some of the mobsters that were partaking in that discussion are now corpses but plenty are not. So as to not confuse you any further, I'm not trying to "get one over on you" because you are what a day or two younger than I? I just see this as extremely lazy and unoriginal that is all. As I said before, all topics covered here have been covered there to a much further extent. I don't see anything new being discussed here, only re-iterations of what we have heard time and time again from the many discussions we have had in the past on this topic. Next time wait a little longer maybe before you decide to bring a topic back to life that has been beaten to a pulp many many many times before. If you think I'm wrong please tell me to go fuck myself and I shall move along, that is fine as well.

Red-Cloud turns to leave again, this time he waves down a taxi to make sure he can get away before he is pulled back into the topic. 

Let me educate you LordKobra, since you took this to the streets. Moxie has said we are criminals, and to an extent that is true. But we are Mafia, men of Honour. What you did goes beyond a simple mugging. If the person had picked your pocket first, and you mugged her, and laughed at her, and insulted her for being useless, I'd have had no issue. However, you picked her pocket. She naturally assumed you were Pick Pocket friendly, and as has been done for years she returned the favour. You then turned around, beat her down, took her money, and then laughed in her face.

Now, where is the honour in this action? You lured an unsuspecting person into believing that you were up for some pickpocket fun, and mugged her. If you had done it to me, I'd have shot you dead. So now you feel wronged because I decided to warn the whole of New York about your lack of honour and suggest they mug you if you go near their pockets? Tough fucking shit. You brought this upon yourself through your actions. The only reason I spoke to LordBlackwod is that he is my Ally, my friend and I respect his position. I spoke to him to inform him of exactly what I had done, and why you were probably going to come crying to him about everyone in New York mugging your candy ass back to the stone age jabroni.

A experience of my mine long ago, with a pp issue:

I pp’ed someone, they mugged me, fair enough, I accepted it, but said person got nothing from said mug, and proceeded to PP me. I caught them, and proceeded to mug them, retrieving a large sum of cash. He complained that it was rather unfair, from my understanding, and that it was a messy business frankly; at the time, I thought I was abiding by the rules, my pp stance was clear and so was his, he mugged me, and I took it without complaint. He beat me down, and got nothing to show for it, he pp’ed me; why he did this, was somewhat beyond my own thinking at the time, was it for principal or did he assume I was friendly? Regardless, I’d mugged him, resulting in a messy affair afterwards. I wish it didn't come to what it did, saddened me really.

Point being, pins are a necessity, to show what you are, and what you are capable of doing, it shows you are either the kind of person that’s up for fun or up for some beating. Every action has a reaction, quite true within this case, every time your fingers skitter towards someone else’s pocket, you invite the possibility of your own ass being beaten down, you can avoid this, by just pickpocking the duds that are the CA, without needing to dent your bank or someone else’s, with your ass being unbeaten. I’ve been mugged, and passed around by a few people, as evident on some profiles, in some cases, it’s worth disputing. 

People who complain over being mugged, and with a suit that clearly states they mug, well, that does annoy me slightly, nobody forced you into moving your hand, but some will complain. The life of crime can be a messy business, from what I have experienced.

Now! Now! Lets all take a deep breathe for a second.

This is a topic that has been discussed many a times on multitude of levels....to the point where even some CL's banned this in their districts and cities. Yet is a part of this thing of ours, so I am definitely against discouraging it. I myself am one to PP, but Im more of a officer thief than a mobster one. Not too long ago, when old chi existed I pp'd someone and not being the Mugger type, I expected a PP...and I got Mugged. Yea I wanted to shoot the bum! Alas our laws prohibit such hasty decisions. 

When I look at some old books of my fathers, there was a time and age when being a Made Man or a Hand or a Crew Leader allowed someone the amnesty from being mugged. Now a days...no one cares. Thats an argument for a different day though. 

What we have on hand here, is bickering to measure who's ding dong is longer kinda thing. No need to be threatening people out here, no need to call cities out. Wrong on both accounts...

But I will say this from my part. PP is a base concept in this thing of ours. Its something instilled in all mobsters from the moment we are born till the day we die. Its a part of the criminal order. Now if someone goes ahead and pp's someone, they should be well aware that the person they pp'd is within their right to mug back if they choose. For someone thats being bullied for example (A cl pp's a WG and under...their only option really is mug). So anyone thats Made or above should be very weary of that when picking pockets of low rankers. 

In this particular case I must say though, things have escalated a bit. A low ranker felt like they were deceived by the actions of my member here. I can see that perspective. And he understands that this is a two way street. He reacted a certain way and now he knows his pp's are gonna get answered with mugs. So Kobra knows now, and the victim party has been compensated. As far as this convo being out here...thats a No! No! Leader talk is leader talk, not street talk! So for that I am sorry Mr Rock. But again, no need for hasty decisions in such matters. 

This should have never been an issue, but because it is in the streets now...I felt compelled to address it. 

I hope this lays it all to rest. Kobra...this convo ends here! 

As always LordBlackwod you are wise in all things, mostly in choosing the rock as a friend.

Rain hears the conversation taking place.  She doesn’t go stand up to be heard.  She just speaks to the kind looking gentleman next to her.

Pick pocketing is an art.  It takes a lot of practice actually to become good.  Around this city I don’t think it’s always about the money.  How many they get is like an achievement, another notch added to their belt or something.    I know they are out there and I try not to carry a lot of cash on me.  I am a hard working lady also.  I try to be polite and ask that they return my money.  If they don’t it only brings the bitch out in me.

I'm new.  My bloodline and I have only been here a short time.  I don't have history - just perspective.

I will PP - for the point of gaining experience and making me a better mobster.  I return the money because I don't want the hard feelings between me and other mobsters.  I don't care if people PP me - but I expect the fair treatment and they can return the money.  I think we can all agree the money isn't the important thing here, it's the respect.  

If someone doesn't want to be PP'd I'll respect their wishes - but said person can expect to be mugged if they try.  Not because of the money - but the double standard - which to me - is a lack of respect.  There are strategic reasons which people may not want to be PP'd I have come to learn in my short time here - and for that reason I can understand why people wouldn't want it done.  It's not the way I do it, but I'll certainly respect the wishes of those people.

Sure, we are criminals here, but in the end we are still expected to treat one another with respect.  To me, even in pickpocketing, even in death.

If the person had picked your pocket first, and you mugged her, and laughed at her, and insulted her for being useless, I'd have had no issue. However, you picked her pocket. She naturally assumed you were Pick Pocket friendly, and as has been done for years she returned the favour. You then turned around, beat her down, took her money, and then laughed in her face.

Alright, so he picked her pocket, which gives her the right to mug him. She didn't do this, and picked his pocket instead. Then, why doesn't he have the same right to mug her? Why would she assume he was pick pocket friendly,<font color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)"> if he doesn't wear such a tag? It's reasonable for her to think that LordKobra here was a douchebag to do so, but it stops there. It's not like he </font>committed<font color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)"> some horrible act (or an act worth shooting him for...)</font>

Apologies for bringing this up again, should have done it much much sooner.