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Travellers' questions that don't fit anywhere else This is an opportunity to ask any question, and post any notice you wish that doesn't fit into one of the other sections.
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I haven't been everywhere...
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Photo by Ellen Delis,
Lagunas Ojos del Campo,
Antofalla, Catamarca



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  #1  
Old 7 Jun 2005
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Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Salisbury UK
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Getting Robbed
I just saw a thread about carrying in a gun on an overland trip.

It got me thinking people who consider carrying such weapons are obviously very scared of being attacked and robbed. Ithought it might be a good idea for us to share our being robbed stories so new posters could see you dont get killed and it usally is only unpleasent for a breif period.

Can you please post the country the situation and what was stolen by who (police civilian army etc) also if you were hurt.

In my limited experince I have only been nearly robbed buy a guy in an loo at Tangier Port luckly I was in full riding gera with helmet and after a hard stare and a short coversation all be it with pressed against a wall, I peed and left un hindered.

Lets reassure the gun carriers that people are really quite nice actually, even the roibber?

Charlie
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  #2  
Old 8 Jun 2005
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The posession of handguns is illegal in most countries on our beautiful blue planet. I think you are more likely to get into deep trouble having one than by not having one.

Keep a fake wallet on you with expired credit cards and a little cash. If you are threatened with a weapon you hand it over and you have lost almost nothing.

I think this has been discussed on HUBB before?

A relation of my other half was mugged here in Antibes a while back. No weapons involved, but he was surounded by three guys. A gun wouldn't have helped him: they hit him before asking questions. Had he managed to pull out a gun he'd either be shot himself or be in prison now.

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  #3  
Old 8 Jun 2005
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I was mugged once, some 15 years ago. A typical story, really. I was serving as a soldier in the UN peace keeping forces, and was on leave in Tel-Aviv. Several of us guys got really pissed. I went to the loo. While there, minding my own business (trying to pee into the toilet while holding the building from swaying) I remember I felt a hand creeping up my neck. I thought it was one of the guys and told him, without facing the guy, to get his hands off. Then the mugger schmacks my head into the toilet cisterne. Not very hard, but hard enough for me to loose contiousness for a fraction of a second. The mugger got away with my UN ID-card, some small cash and a gold necklace. No big deal. I remember feeling like a jerk, disobeying all the golden rules to avoid being mugged. All I suffered was a bump in my head, a terrible headache - and a deeply hurt pride.
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  #4  
Old 8 Jun 2005
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The only time i've ever actually lost anything was in Cueta, the Spanish enclave of Morrocco. I had some of my Morroccan cash in a wad which I'd taken out of my wallet as it was getting mixed in with my Euros. It was in the little pocket next to the gear stick of my car. Locked the car and went in to a shop and when I came out it was gone. Why? Cos I'd left my passenger window wound down! About £30 quid though so not worth worrying about. I've always felt being ripped off as regards to price was more likely in the third world and all you have to do to combat that is know the rough going rate for stuff and failing that how much your being asked for in your local currency gives you an idea. I quite seriously think I'm more likely to be mugged in Edinburgh than in most other places I've been.
matt
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  #5  
Old 20 Jun 2005
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Carying a handgun is asking for trouble unless you are very, very proficient in their use and familiar dealing with the sort of situations that require them. I would not want to escalate any situation by using weapons unless I fealt I had no alternative. Remember the person(s) who are robbing you are desperate or very ruthless. Spread valubles around your person so you only lose a small amount, but you'll learn a valuble lesson. Pull out a gun and/or a knife and suddenly you've raised the stakes to all or nothing and winner takes all.
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  #6  
Old 24 Jun 2005
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Location: Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom
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Not sure if this counts, BUT......

I was mentally prepared to be robbed on this trip (trans-americas) and I´ve been carrying a dummy wallet with some old cards and the days cash in it - and quite prepared to give it away to anybody who threatened me. Fundementally, I´m not going to be a hero for $100.

BUT - while in Quito (Avd. Amazonias) my ATM card was cloned and in 10 days around $10,000 was siphoned from my account before I next checked it.

Now I still have my card and I´ve always covered the keypad when entering the PIN - even when alone. So the little buggars are not without creativity.

It has caused considerable hassle and the bank hasn´t strictly said they´ll cover the loss yet (although I expect them to).

So I´m not sure if it adds to the debate. I wasn´t expecting to be ´robbed´in this fashion but it makes the $100 in the dummy-wallet seem a bit redundant!

Happy travels
Greg

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