Gaining notoriety on the underground scene

Travelling by Tube is a risky business for Basten Greenhill Andrews design director Steve Slemmings, who spends the whole time awaiting arrest.

People stare at him. Often they glare at him. Sometimes he even speeds up to get away, especially on the escalators.

They think Steve’s a pickpocket – probably because the Underground is adorned with photofits of him filching wallets, alongside his thought processes which go along the lines of “a couple of seconds and I’ve earned a normal day’s pay”.

BGA designed a series of posters for London Transport, which aims to alert the public to the dangers of pickpockets. The posters feature three other consultancy members.

“Nobody has actually come up to me yet, but people do look at me hard, and it’s not friendly. It’s worse on the escalators as there are about six posters on each side. I walk fast as I’m afraid someone will call the police and frogmarch me away,” says Slemmings.

At least people are looking at it, so design-wise it must be a success.