Percussive Pickpocket: Difference between revisions

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{{trope}}
{{trope}}
[[File:Bump_into_thief_1363.png|link=Fire Emblem the Sacred Stones (Video Game)|frame|The next thing she knew, Colm and her bracelet were gone.]]
[[File:Bump_into_thief_1363.png|link=Fire Emblem the Sacred Stones|frame|The next thing she knew, Colm and her bracelet were gone.]]
In short, a thief pickpockets something off of someone, disguising the act as an accidental bump on the street. The theory goes that a brief, seemingly harmless touch presents all the opportunity a skilled thief needs in order to take what he wants off an unwitting target.
In short, a thief pickpockets something off of someone, disguising the act as an accidental bump on the street. The theory goes that a brief, seemingly harmless touch presents all the opportunity a skilled thief needs in order to take what he wants off an unwitting target.


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While the term "percussion" is usually attributed to the family of musical instruments, as a word it simply refers to the act of one body striking another, hence the trope's name.
While the term "percussion" is usually attributed to the family of musical instruments, as a word it simply refers to the act of one body striking another, hence the trope's name.


A [[Sub-Trope]] of [[Five-Finger Discount]]. Compare to [[Affectionate Pickpocket]], where contact with the mark is achieved in a [[Distracted By the Sexy|more forward manner]].
A [[Sub-Trope]] of [[Five-Finger Discount]]. Compare to [[Affectionate Pickpocket]], where contact with the mark is achieved in a [[Distracted by the Sexy|more forward manner]].
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{{examples|Examples }}
{{examples|Examples }}


== Anime & Manga ==
== Anime & Manga ==
* ''[[Gintama (Manga)|Gintama]]'': Seita and Gintoki first meet when Seita pretends to accidentally bump into Gintoki and steals his wallet. Hilariously enough, not only does Seita find out that Gintoki wasn't carrying that much money but he also finds out that Gintoki had pick-pocketed him at the same time.
* ''[[Gintama]]'': Seita and Gintoki first meet when Seita pretends to accidentally bump into Gintoki and steals his wallet. Hilariously enough, not only does Seita find out that Gintoki wasn't carrying that much money but he also finds out that Gintoki had pick-pocketed him at the same time.
* ''[[Rurouni Kenshin (Anime)|Rurouni Kenshin]]'': Yahiko tries to pull this on Kenshin. [[Give Me Back My Wallet|It doesn't work]].
* ''[[Rurouni Kenshin]]'': Yahiko tries to pull this on Kenshin. [[Give Me Back My Wallet|It doesn't work]].
* ''[[Samurai Champloo (Anime)|Samurai Champloo]]'', Episode 7: Fuu's money bag is stolen in this manner by a [[Street Urchin]] trying to fence off enough money to pay for his mother's illness.
* ''[[Samurai Champloo]]'', Episode 7: Fuu's money bag is stolen in this manner by a [[Street Urchin]] trying to fence off enough money to pay for his mother's illness.
* ''[[Slayers (Light Novel)|Slayers]]'': A little boy does this to Lina Inverse. [[Give Me Back My Wallet|She catches him]] and makes him her slave.
* ''[[Slayers]]'': A little boy does this to Lina Inverse. [[Give Me Back My Wallet|She catches him]] and makes him her slave.




== Films -- Animation ==
== Films -- Animation ==
* ''[[Tintin (Film)|Tintin]]'': The pickpocket in the 2011 movie.
* ''[[Tintin (film)|Tintin]]'': The pickpocket in the 2011 movie.
** Or, you know, the one in the comic: All the Thompson twins initially remember of him is that they bumped into him.
** Or, you know, the one in the comic: All the Thompson twins initially remember of him is that they bumped into him.


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== Literature ==
== Literature ==
* ''[[Oliver Twist]]'': Happens to Fagin when he runs into a gang of young pickpockets.
* ''[[Oliver Twist]]'': Happens to Fagin when he runs into a gang of young pickpockets.
* Raiders of ''[[Gor (Literature)|Gor]]'': A girl is sentenced to slavery for being a pickpouch (Goreans don't have pockets) of this type. Bosk buys her and insists that she keep her skills sharp by allowing her to steal anything in camp, with the caveat that she must return whatever she steals within an hour or face serious consequences.
* Raiders of ''[[Gor]]'': A girl is sentenced to slavery for being a pickpouch (Goreans don't have pockets) of this type. Bosk buys her and insists that she keep her skills sharp by allowing her to steal anything in camp, with the caveat that she must return whatever she steals within an hour or face serious consequences.




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* ''[[Crusade]]'': Happens to Max. Dureena recovers it, and tells Max that the pickpocket was clumsy.
* ''[[Crusade]]'': Happens to Max. Dureena recovers it, and tells Max that the pickpocket was clumsy.
* An episode of ''[[CSI New York]]'''s [[Cold Opening]] has Mac catching a pickpocket (who manages to hide his stash before they grab him) just before running into the [[Victim of the Week]]. {{spoiler|They later find a security camera video of said pickpocket bumping into their suspect and realise that he stole a camera with vital evidence on it.}}
* An episode of ''[[CSI New York]]'''s [[Cold Opening]] has Mac catching a pickpocket (who manages to hide his stash before they grab him) just before running into the [[Victim of the Week]]. {{spoiler|They later find a security camera video of said pickpocket bumping into their suspect and realise that he stole a camera with vital evidence on it.}}
* 1960s ''[[Batman (TV)|Batman]]'' episode "The Joker's Last Laugh". Batman discovers a tiny loudspeaker built into Commissioner Gordon's cufflink. He deduces that the Joker, who is a "master conjurer" (AKA stage magician), brushed into Gordon and switched cufflinks. Batman then reveals that in that single bump the Joker also managed to wrap several feet of an induction-receiving antenna around Gordon's waist and down his left trouser leg! Gordon then remembers that an oddly dressed person did bump into him on the subway that morning, confirming Batman's theory.
* 1960s ''[[Batman (TV series)|Batman]]'' episode "The Joker's Last Laugh". Batman discovers a tiny loudspeaker built into Commissioner Gordon's cufflink. He deduces that the Joker, who is a "master conjurer" (AKA stage magician), brushed into Gordon and switched cufflinks. Batman then reveals that in that single bump the Joker also managed to wrap several feet of an induction-receiving antenna around Gordon's waist and down his left trouser leg! Gordon then remembers that an oddly dressed person did bump into him on the subway that morning, confirming Batman's theory.




== Tabletop RPG ==
== Tabletop RPG ==
* ''Starblazer Adventures'', based on the 1970's-80's British science fiction comic book. The "Bump and Grab" stunt allows you to take advantage of a distraction (such as bumping into someone) to pickpocket them.
* ''Starblazer Adventures'', based on the 1970's-80's British science fiction comic book. The "Bump and Grab" stunt allows you to take advantage of a distraction (such as bumping into someone) to pickpocket them.
* Chaosium's ''[[Thieves World]]'' RPG (1981). The Game Master's Guide to Sanctuary had a plethora of random encounter tables. A couple of the entries had pickpockets bumping into the [[PC|PCs]] in order to steal from them. Other encounters mentioned a [[NPC]] bumping into a [[PC]] so players wouldn't think that everyone bumping into them was a pickpocket.
* Chaosium's ''[[Thieves' World]]'' RPG (1981). The Game Master's Guide to Sanctuary had a plethora of random encounter tables. A couple of the entries had pickpockets bumping into the [[PC|PCs]] in order to steal from them. Other encounters mentioned a [[NPC]] bumping into a [[PC]] so players wouldn't think that everyone bumping into them was a pickpocket.
* ''Witch Bunter: The Invisible World''. The Grab and Run talent allows the user to brush into a target and relieve them of their belongings.
* ''Witch Bunter: The Invisible World''. The Grab and Run talent allows the user to brush into a target and relieve them of their belongings.


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== Video Games ==
== Video Games ==
* ''[[Assassin's Creed 2 (Video Game)|Assassin's Creed 2]]'': Ezio can do this to random people on the streets.
* ''[[Assassin's Creed II|Assassin's Creed 2]]'': Ezio can do this to random people on the streets.
* ''[[Breath of Fire II (Video Game)|Breath of Fire II]]'': Patty does this to you a couple of times.
* ''[[Breath of Fire II]]'': Patty does this to you a couple of times.
* ''[[Fire Emblem (Video Game)|Fire Emblem]] 8, the Sacred Stones'': Colm bumps into Eirika during one cutscene and steals her [[MacGuffin|Lunar Bracelet]]. Eirika doesn't quite realize what happened until after Colm has escaped.
* ''[[Fire Emblem]] 8, the Sacred Stones'': Colm bumps into Eirika during one cutscene and steals her [[MacGuffin|Lunar Bracelet]]. Eirika doesn't quite realize what happened until after Colm has escaped.
* ''[[Mass Effect 2 (Video Game)|Mass Effect 2]]'': During the mission ''The Crime in Progress," a volus on the Citadel accuses a quarian of doing this to him and stealing his credit chit. The chit was actually forgotten by the volus at the last place he went shopping.
* ''[[Mass Effect 2]]'': During the mission ''The Crime in Progress," a volus on the Citadel accuses a quarian of doing this to him and stealing his credit chit. The chit was actually forgotten by the volus at the last place he went shopping.
* In ''[[Saints Row the Third (Video Game)|Saints Row the Third]]'' you can purchase the ability to do this as an upgrade.
* In ''[[Saints Row: The Third|Saints Row the Third]]'' you can purchase the ability to do this as an upgrade.




== Web Comics ==
== Web Comics ==
* ''[[The Order of the Stick (Webcomic)|The Order of the Stick]]'': A pair of children in Sandsedge [http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0673.html attempt to do this to Durkon].
* ''[[The Order of the Stick]]'': A pair of children in Sandsedge [http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0673.html attempt to do this to Durkon].


{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
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