Increasing use of kidnap and violence by bank robbers may be a grim sign that safe makers have gained the upper hand. Ben Sampson traces the history of their noble profession The thief crouches over the safe in the dark, working against the clock. He holds a stethoscope in one hand and deftly turns a dial with the other, while both his ears strain to hear the tumble of the lock, or the wail of police sirens. It's an easy image to conjure - safe crackers and bank robbers are long-standing characters in popular culture. Whether it's George Clooney in Ocean's Eleven or Robert De Niro in The Score, the danger and drama of the heist make for great entertainment.
展开▼
