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Robbed in Cali Colombia
09-21-2015, 11:50 AM
Man, this is bad.
Unfortunately your advise is not so easy to implement:
- Most drivers talk on their phones while driving. What should we do about?
- I had many drivers with bad attitude, especially at night. Weighting between telling the driver to stop and just go on, you often just keep on going. In many areas you just don't want to get out of the taxi.
- Easytaxi sometimes does not work at night. In the situation you get out of a club, line of taxi in front: I tried Easytaxi and was waiting for more than 15 minutes without one arriving. So you need to take one standing there, even if the driver had a fucked attitude.
- Worst thing that happend to me in taxis at night was being overcharged up to double normal fare. One taxi had a obviously manipulated meter, running at double the speed. I normally don't bother to argure, better just pay.
About pickpocketing I have two stories:
- I was in Medellin at a concert. Very crowdy. Two guys start a fight (made up to distract). One falls onto me and pulls my moneyclip (about 50k pesos and a copy of my passport) out of my pocket. I could have hit or kicked the guy as I felt it, but decided not to do it. Better lose some money than ending up with a knife in your back. I was with a girl that night of which they stole a larger sum of money (for Colombian dimensions). Why do you carry so much money around silly girl?
- En el centro de Bogota at maybe 7 pm, I was walking with a girl. I repeatedly told her to be careful. Apparently she wasn't, as someone took her IPhone out of the pocket. She did not feel anything.
Conclusion: Colombian girls are stupid (carrying to much valuables) and unaware (just be careful stupid!)
Almost any girl I asked, told me that she had been robbed violently before. At gunpoint, knifepoint, getting the window smashed while stopping in a car (this is why people run red lights at night).
Colombia is a fucked up place. Better only carry cash (split in two different pockets) and a cheap phone.
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Robbed in Cali Colombia
09-21-2015, 11:56 AM
Glad you're alright, I've had one sketchy experience in Bogotá where the driver was taking me the opposite direction of my apartment, could've been running up the meter on me or had other plans but I bailed out at a red light. I use Uber when I'm in Bogotá now.
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Robbed in Cali Colombia
09-21-2015, 11:59 AM
Great story and cautionary tale. +1 from me.
But I gotta ask, did you get the bang?
Vice-Captain - #TeamWaitAndSee
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Robbed in Cali Colombia
09-21-2015, 12:15 PM
Luckily going on my 4th year in Colombia I have never been robbed or had any bad situations (knock on wood)....Tappsi is a solid go to....but not always easy to use if your out in some obscure places late at night....
one thing I do more so late at night if I have to get a taxi off the street is take a pic with my phone (that will be sent to my cloud even if my phone gets robbed) of the Taxi's placard with the drivers pic, Name, and plate numbers....
I often make it a bit of a production letting the taxi driver know I am not a stupid gringo and he knows that I know how taxi robberies occur in Colombia....
just another back up to being safe.....but in the end nothing is 100% preventive. Just be observant and if things start to seem sketchy listen to that inner voice and bail on the taxi and get out asap.
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Robbed in Cali Colombia
09-21-2015, 12:56 PM
Quote: (09-21-2015 12:51 PM)Merenguero Wrote:
Quote: (09-21-2015 12:28 PM)zoom Wrote:
You should reimburse her
I would and I was thinking the same thing, but we have guys who are too Alpha to buy drinks for girls, so I kept that to myself.
I would offer to share the cost of her loss. 50-50. You are not completely responsible either.
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Robbed in Cali Colombia
09-21-2015, 01:16 PM
Quote: (09-21-2015 12:51 PM)Merenguero Wrote:
Quote: (09-21-2015 12:28 PM)zoom Wrote:
You should reimburse her
I would and I was thinking the same thing, but we have guys who are too Alpha to buy drinks for girls, so I kept that to myself.
Very nice to see people like you here. I would of reimbursed as much as I could too. This has nothing to with being Alpha or Beta, its being a good person. Being Alpha doesn't mean you can't be a good person and help people who are in need.
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Robbed in Cali Colombia
09-21-2015, 01:19 PM
Thanks for sharing your misfortunate experience.
Although a lot was not stolen, but something was stolen in a dangerous situation. What I would do is grease some liutenant cop etc and get that guy to come into the station. Get him charged if you can and even report it to the local paper (not sure if Cali has a q'hubo pues) paper,,,, el tiempo for sure. Tip the reporter too.
I would ruin his taxi career.... I don't care if it leaves me $1000 short. From my perspective he would be out of a job and cannot do this to anybody else using a government taxi and others would think twice about robbing anyone.
In pereira about a year ago a man along with 2 females were charged with robbing men who these girls seduced. They ended up getting caught and their picture was posted on the net and paper. I hope you pursue charges.... But, I see you are moving on......
In the spring (well North American spring time) in Medellin by VIZCAYA in poblado, some guys on motorcycles robbed some Toyota SUV,,, the violent robberies don't only happen to tourists.
Whenever I hail a cab off the street, I always try to remember the license plate,,,usually last 3 numbers. Once in I usually will touch something so my fingerprints will be found,,, just in case. Then, I like to see if they have any religious pictures, for my own piece of mind. I remember Roosh had some tips regarding hailing a taxi cab.
I was in parque berrio,,, by the metro station in Medellin getting my running shoes cleaned by one of those dudes with a shoe shine box. I see that he's poor, so I said heck, let's give him some business. It was 2 mil per shoe or both,,, can't remember..... Then I see a few of his buddies gathering around and he tells me 20 mil per shoe... I wasn't that upset but I wasn't happy either. One part of me thought, he's poor let him have a bit of my pocket change,,,. The other part of me thought to hell with him. However, I avoid buying stuff in Centro (like services) and sharing this story, he will lose more future business for being a thief.
Thanks for sharing your story. It will definitely help someone.
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Robbed in Cali Colombia
09-21-2015, 01:44 PM
Thanks for sharing brother. I've been robbed at knife point before, it ain't fun but I think it sharpens you up. You'll bounce back.
Hypothetical question...
Would it be unusual or particularly difficult to carry a weapon for protection whilst travelling in SA? Or it is considered smarter to just give up what you have and hope they let you walk away?
I'm just interested in what the attitude towards carrying a blade or a piece would be both from a member perspective and what is the done thing in general.
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Robbed in Cali Colombia
09-21-2015, 01:45 PM
Quote: (09-21-2015 01:44 PM)Blackwell Wrote:
Thanks for sharing brother. I've been robbed at knife point before, it ain't fun but I think it sharpens you up. You'll bounce back.
Just out of curiosity.
Would it be unusual or particularly difficult to carry a weapon for your protection whilst travelling in SA? Or it is considered smarter to just give up what you have and hope they let you walk away?
I'm just interested in what the attitude towards carrying a blade or a piece would be both from a member perspective and what is the done thing in general.
I don't think its wise to carry a weapon in Latin America, he could of been killed if he had a gun on him. You don't wanna piss off the guys holding the semi-automatic guns.
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Robbed in Cali Colombia
09-21-2015, 01:57 PM
Just few things here playboy
1.You should never carry your bank card around. Carry some cash that you will need for that day and you should be ok. You were just going to pick up this girl from the terminal, I don't think you needed 150k pesos in your pocket.
2.Always ask the taxi to leave you right outside your hotel, never 3 or 4 blocks away from it like you did. I have the habit of asking the taxi driver for his personal number, I always tell them that I need a cool taxi driver to take me around, I never call them after that of course but it gives them some sense of keeping things cool with you while they are taking you home.
I have stayed in Colombia for 3 months and never had any problems. And I went to the hood in Cali several times and nothing never happened. I am sure being a black guy helped and if I was a white guy I wouldn't take such risks but most of the time, I see that guys who get robbed are usually asking for it. (I am not saying that's you OP but I still think you could have minimised your risks).
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Robbed in Cali Colombia
09-21-2015, 02:30 PM
Is it broadly speaking equally bad in Brazil (the south excluded) compared to Colombia?