a mugging experience

[rezaf]

One of them was thin and looked young, maybe in his 20s, also he could say "money" and "credit card" in English. The other one was fat and strong. He looked a little bit older. As long as it's just about my cash I don't think that I want to risk fighting these guys even with some training but in case they really want to beat me up, I think I really need to be able to defend myself.

[imron]

I was nearly mugged once in Barcelona. At the time I'd been learning a martial art for about a year. What it taught me was not how to beat off my attackers, but rather it gave me the confidence not to panic when I was grabbed suddenly from behind at night in a deserted street, and enough knowledge to get myself free and then run off as fast as I could - luckily the hostel I was staying at was only a short distance away. I only had 2,000 pesetas on me at the time (maybe RMB 100 in today's currency) but my wallet also had lots of other important things in it (names and contact info of friends) that I didn't want to lose.

[renzhe]

A trained martial artist can outrun most muggers

Don't get me wrong, I <3 martial arts, but I've often seen people with too little experience and too much confidence, and sometimes they think they can take on two or three experienced muggers at the same time, with tragic consequences.

I advocate caution, that's all.

[gato]

I've often seen people with too little experience and too much confidence, and sometimes they think they can take on two or three experienced muggers at the same time, with tragic consequences.

Some times even experienced ones. See this from a few years ago.

http://www.usmta.com/ALEX%20GONG.htm

THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

SATURDAY AUG 2ND 2003

A world champion Thai-style kickboxer was shot to death in the middle of a busy San Francisco street Friday after he chased down a hit-and-run driver who had slammed into his parked car minutes earlier. Alex Gong, 30, was pronounced dead at the scene on Fifth Street near Harrison Street.

[imron]

A trained martial artist can outrun most muggers

A trained martial artists knows his/her limits

[rezaf]

Well my sister and I used to beat each other under the influence of the movie "Fight Club" when we were teenagers. I don't do crazy things like that anymore and I have replaced it with meditation (and sometimes a cold bath in winter:mrgreen:) but what those two muggers could do to me couldn't be worse than what my sister and i used to do to each other as a result I was calm and let them believe that I was a poor student who was scared to death. For me it was more like a spiritual experience.

Edited December 5, 2008 at 11:25 AM by rezaf

[Scoobyqueen]

Pretty scary experience.

When reporting to the police, it may help slip in you have friends who work in the media but you dont want them to write an article about a foreigner being attacked. It might help make them take it seriously. On the other hand, might put you in the category of trouble.

[badr]

Glad to hear you're OK.

I think we oughta all remember that China is like an other place in the world and we should exercise a minimum of precautions especially at night.

a couple of weeks ago, 2 foreigners were stabbed in Beijing in broad daylight by some punk who stole their bag/backpack... and it was not even in a dark alley, one was in guomao, the other next to the train station.

Don't be paranoid but don't cover yourself with a false safety blanket

[adrianlondon]

don't cover yourself with a false safety blanket

Unless it's stab proof.

[roddy]

Don't be paranoid but don't cover yourself with a false safety blanket

Smart advice. Years back people would say things like 'Thieves won't steal from foreigners, they know the police take it really seriously' and so on. I don't know if that was ever true (I suspect not, although I also suspect I took it at face value at the time) but it certainly isn't now.

[flameproof]

China is full of petty criminals. Or why do Chinese people all have steel metal gates and windowfences?

I had 3 experiences:

1. With a rucksack and some bags in my hand walking in Shenzhen. A guy (looked like a Uighur) was walking behind me and was opening on of the rucksacks zippers. He ran away when I noticed it. That was near a busy shopping street at full daylight.

2. Had my walled stolen out of my shorts pocket. Again had a rucksack, so couldn't run away. That time I didn't notice anything. Luckily that morning I took everything out of my wallet and just had a few banknotes in it.

3. Again in Shenzhen. I had a shoulder bag, just was getting into a bus and getting my change, I noted something pulling my bag - again a dude opening a zipper on my bag. Since I was standing higher I could give him a good kick in the face. I hope he lost some teeth. I preferred to stay in that bus and just get on.

I suggest:

1. do not carry stuff you don't need. If you don't plan to use your credit card - don't carry it etc.

2. If you have a bag, put valuables in places were it's not easy to catch

3. Don't look richer then you are.

4. If you have a waist belt - use it!

5. Thiefs look for easy targets - don't be one.

[Murray]

Wow! That sucks...I've never been mugged in my life but the thought of it turns my stomach. I guess I should take the advice in this thread and learn some martial arts myself!

[ABCinChina]

I'm sorry to hear about your experience but happy that nothing happened. I would have just ran myself if I have no chance of taking them both on at once. The fat/strong guy wouldn't be able to keep up but the skinny guy might be able to. You can run about 3 minutes until there is a difference in distance between the strong and skinny guy. Then take on the skinny guy if he is close and start running again when the strong guy gets near. Repeat process until you find the police.

[renzhe]

Apparently, a guy in Xi'an succeeded in unzipping my rucksack while I was in a shop. I didn't notice, but one of the sellers came up to us to tell us after he had chased the guy away. Of course, I didn't have anything of value in there (I keep all of it very close to me), but it did make me angry.

If you have bags that are easily opened, I suggest sticking a safety pin through the zipper, or binding two zipper handles together with some wire. It makes it far more difficult to unzip it in passing and without being noticed, so the pocket thieves will likely leave you alone. After I did that, the bag was never unzipped again.