Skip to Content

Exclusive: Rock Band Unplugged Track List

'Putpocketing' puts money in visitors' pockets in London

More
Text SizeAAA

Filed under: Saving Money, Travel

London visitors are being putpocketed, and it's not as bad as it sounds.

As a way to brighten the economic crisis for some people, a broadband provider is funding a putpocketing program in which 20 former pickpockets are surreptitiously putting money back into unsuspecting people's pockets at London's tourist sites, according to a Reuters story.

Notes from 5 pounds ($8) to 20 pounds are being slipped into unguarded pockets or open handbags in Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden and other busy spots, according to the story.

Tourists should take extra precautions to avoid pickpockets, but this program almost makes you want to leave your wallet in an unbuttoned pocket.

"It feels good to give something back for a change -- and Britons certainly need it in the current economic climate," said Chris Fitch, a former pickpocket who heads the putpocketing initiative by TalkTalk.

"Every time I put money back in someone's pocket, I feel less guilty about the fact I spent many years taking it out," he told Reuters.

The program runs through August in London before being rolled out across the country. Buy your plane tickets to London soon before the 100,000 pounds are given away.
Subscribe to Walletpop

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

How Much Should I Save?

$
$
%
What are the Next Hot-Spots in the Luxury Resort Scene?
Luxist Awards asked three of our Expert Panelists, all veterans of the travel industry, about the ...
The Luxist Awards for Best Accessories
Do you know of a magnificent jewelry line with pieces that are to die for? Which is the finest ...

Savings Account Basics

Don't know the difference between an APR and APY? Want to know which options are available for savings accounts? Click below to find those answers and more.

    Lan N. Nguyen
    Lan N. Nguyen Filed under: Entrepreneurship, Career, Recession

    Switching Careers: Being your own boss

    The job picture has not brightened much since fall 2008, when Wall Street's troubles hit Main Street. But there's been one unexpected silver lining: people are trying their hand at being their own ...
    Zac Bissonnette
    Zac Bissonnette Filed under: Banks, Borrowing, College

    If you can't afford mortgage, don't borrow to send kid to college

    When I can't think of anything else to write about, I sometimes like to pick up a copy of US News & World Report's America's Best Colleges, and spend about 30 seconds flipping through to find one ...
    Lita Epstein
    Lita Epstein Filed under: Credit, Debt, Credit cards

    Chase becomes first bank to drop arbitration clause

    JP Morgan Chase became the first bank to drop its arbitration clause from its credit card contracts, so Chase credit card holders will have the right to go to court to dispute a problem with its ...
    Charles Feldman
    Charles Feldman Filed under: Home, Real Estate, Mortgages

    Renters have rights when owners lose building to foreclosure

    If you're a fan of disaster movies (and who isn't?) you already know that being in front of an oncoming tsunami wave is never a good thing. And, yet, for many renters around the U.S., this is exactly ...

    Banking Tools

    Use these bank account calculators and tools to help you make the smartest bank account moves.

      Headlines from WalletPop Partners