Quito: Pickpockets on the trole

Two women did this to my pants, they were trying to get at my camera. but luckily they didnt get anyhing.
these were unlikely looking pickpockets, they looked like mothers in their 30s or 40s with handbags.
i sensed something when i felt some very gentle rubbing against me,so i decided to move to front of the bus. low and behold these two appeared beside me again. this time i watched them, first the one on the right, was to close to my pocket to i put my hand down in my pocket. she turned away from me then, so i watched the other one sneeking her hand over towards me beneith her handbag so i stared into her face , then both of them left the bus.

then as i went to tell my friends i noticed that the one to my right has actually cut a hole in my pants and my camera was just peeking out.. only for the silicone case on it made it impossible to get it out of my pocket without a lot of friction.

then my friend sara discovered the same had been done to her handbag! by those two women.

another lonely planet point! each ehehehehe

(added 19.06pm)
its interesting to watch how these people work
the trole bus is jam packed at certain times and everyone is standing very close, so you are not necesarily going to think anything of it if you feel people brushing against you,
they stand very close to the person , as in my case, sandwiching them from differnt sides. which doesent seem to out of the ordinary on a busy bus.
then they put out the feelers,using their fingers like little tentacles whilst looking in another direction, wiggling them ever so gentally,until the fingers reach the target,if its an open pocket they might get a note or so out.. and if there is a squarish bulge, like a camera or wallet, they feel where it is, then the knife knife can be used to remove it from the bottom. slitting the material across the item in your pocket so you dont feel it.then come the little fingers again to try and pry out the item. saw the same two women again later at another stop. haha
you can go up and down all day at no extra charge as long as you dont leave the bus shelter.I suppose thats what they are doing.
im still amazed at the fact that women like that are doing this, i thought avoiding young lads would be enough.

also im glad this happened to these pants, i was unsure about them from the beginning, and now im sure.. they are a bad design. they look like tourist pants for a start, but even the security pockets are useless. as in the foto , there are double pockets, the zippered one is on the outside and the open pocket is behind,it should be the other way round and also the zipper should be paralell with the belt so as not to be seen.

if someone slits my favourite combats.. i will be very annoyed..

i found a little shop on my street (the street of the hostel ) with an old guy ,some random junk for sale and a little old fashioned sewing machine. he sewed up sara' s bag in 20 minutes for $1