Skooblevart’s Pickpocket Repellent

To avoid any possible confusion, we should point out that Ingredient #7 is not a S andwich, such as the Earl of Sandwich, inventor of the sandwich.  It is also not a S andwich, such as the parish in England where the sandwich’s inventor resided.  In fact, ingredient #7 is not, strictly speaking, a sandwich. 

Ingredient #7 is a method of layering your belongings similar to how you would layer items in a sandwich. 

Assume for a moment that a filch, or a member of a filch (as per our definition in Ingredient #5), manages to get close, and in fact gains access to your pocket or bag / satchel.  How and where you put your goodies will significantly impact whether the filch walks away with your money, or merely gets to eat your ham sandwich.

Simply put, the closer an item is to your body, the more likely you’ll feel movement as the item is extracted, and have an opportunity to terminate said extraction.  Additionally, in order to be fast, thieves will oftentimes simply slice open the satchel near the bottom and grab whatever falls out.

The solution is to put your passport, money, phone, etc., close to your body, and your water bottle, umbrella, and guide book away from your body.  Ideally, your satchel will have a divider (e.g. a “club sandwich”).  Place the valuable but bulky items, such as a tablet, on the side of the divider that is nearest your body.  By doing this, you ensure that only the low value and easily replaceable items fall out if the satchel is cut.

Next week, ingredient #8.