[Rob Banks]

I was staying at a hostel in South America. The other people staying there were not tourists. Most of them were poor/ghetto people who were living there because it was cheap, and they won't think twice about robbing you if given the chance.

I am not a tourist either. I have family here in South America and I speak Spanish.

I and made friends with this one Colombian guy we hung out several times. He even defended me when other people tried to start shit with me. Then, the other night, I was at a bar with him, and when we left the bar, we were alone on an empty street, and he just grabs my wallet and passport and pockets my money. When I tried to reach in his pocket to get it back, he threatened to stab me, and I backed off like a pussy. I know how to fight and I'm not one to usually back down from a fight, but for some reason I did this time. He said he would return my money (which was obviously bullshit) and my passport.

I contacted him the next day and asked for my passport back and he agreed to meet me. When I asked about my money, he said "we'll talk about it."

I can't get over the fact that I pussied out and backed off when he threatened to stab me. I should have at least asked him to show me the knife before backing off.

What should I do if/when I see him again? People have told me to just ask him for the passport and forget about the money, and that it isn't worth fighting over shit like this. Other people have told me to avoid seeing him altogether and just go to the embassy for a new passport. But if I feel like if I don't confront him about the money, I would just be pussying out again and I will regret it.

[Fortis]

I don't know about you, but I think my life is worth more than a passport and some money. A couple years back a guy on this forum told a story about a friend of his in Peru that lost his life trying to prove a point to some street punks. He got stabbed and went to the wrong hospital and they didn't take his insurance. I think if we could go back and ask this guy if it was worth it, he'd take wounded pride and his life over a pointless death.

I would not beat myself up over this. If he's bold enough to try and rob you like that, it means he's desperate and he might not have been bluffing.

Also, which country are you in? If you got family there I'm sure you know someone who might be able to help you get your stuff back. If he's a guest, what the fuck is he going to do? Depends on you, though.

Note: Anyone else chuckle when they see that this thread was started by a guy named Rob Banks?

[Speculation]

Assuming this is true, why don't you go to the cops, tell them the story and get them to wait out of sight while this guy meets you? He gets arrested and they get your stuff back (probably passport and wallet, but not cash).

Assuming cops are corrupt or you have other reasons for not getting their help:

This guy is just likely to try to extort more money out of you for your stuff or even get his criminal friends to help roll you again. Meet him in a crowded public place and ask for your passport back. If he won't or feeds you some bullshit to try to get you to go with him, just stand up and leave. Don't bother talking to him again. Go get a new passport from the embassy and chalk it up to the game. There is nothing pussy about being smart and not fighting someone who you threatens to kill you.

[scotian]

What Colombian city are you in? I could probably put you in touch with someone who will stab him for $100 mas o menos.

[Leonard D Neubache]

Yeah, but isn't that like throwing good money after bad?

Seems like the civic thing to do is to pay the guy to stab someone who's about to rob someone else.

Maybe you could pay extra and have him follow the dude around until he robs someone else and stab him then. Y'know, like some kind of low rent superhero. That would make Banks kind of like a Professor X type character.

[Kona]

How much alcohol and cocaine had you ingested when this occurred? It's Ok, you can be honest.

There's something we're missing about this story, and my gut says it's gay prostitution. Let's hope I'm wrong.

Aloha!

[Belgrano]

(05-08-2018 04:20 AM)Rob Banks Wrote:  

When I tried to reach in his pocket to get it back, he threatened to stab me, and I backed off like a pussy like a reasonable person who can always get a new passport at the embassy and earn new money back at home, all while staying alive to see another day.

Fixed it.

[joost]

Doesn't matter if you know Kung Fu (like in The Matrix), you don't fight someone with a knife if you don't need to.

The member who mentioned about extorting more money is correct. If he wanted to give you back your documents he could just ask somebody to leave them in the hostel or anywhere else. He still wants to see you? What a shitty situation. I would avoid completely. Call the cops if you think they can identify him and get a new passport.

Were you carrying more money than you were willing to spend/lose with you?
You don't go out with your passport in 3rd world countries.

Hope Rob Banks it's a name ?

I have the impression he was taking you somewhere to buy some coke and ripped you off.

[Dragan]

Laugh it off, nothing absolutely horrible happened. Maintain higher situational awareness from now on. Learn from mistakes.

[ShotgunUppercuts]

Ahh man. Theives are a bitch to deal with.

Look man just go get a newpassport from the embassy. I wouldnt even play that fucking game of cat n mouse with him.

Keep your head on swivel and be careful about who you make friends with.

[Handsome Creepy Eel]

Based on your description of how he befriended you first, this cunt that robbed you is obviously a seasoned hustler and no doubt has dealt with serious violence in the past when someone refused (there must have been such cases too). I think you made the right call. A replaceable passport and some cash are not worth the very high risk of getting killed.

Since you're a Spanish-speaking local and you're on even footing, I say involving the police would be a better move. That, or there's always Scotian ™.

[Repo]

(05-08-2018 05:52 AM)Kona Wrote:  

How much alcohol and cocaine had you ingested when this occurred? It's Ok, you can be honest.

There's something we're missing about this story, and my gut says it's gay prostitution. Let's hope I'm wrong.

Aloha!

Do you remember this thread?

thread-60377.html

Agree more to the story we are missing.

[Horus]

The joke's on him because he's Colombian. He can sell your passport for about $20 (stolen passports aren't worth much these days) and let's say he stole $100 dollars from you. With that money he'll have enough to keep his extended family knee deep in tamales for five months while still having enough left over for a donkey to keep his village knee deep in pussy. You on the other hand can make that money back with a few hours work because you don't come from a shithole.

Everyone who has spent a decent amount of time in South America has a story of being robbed. It comes with the territory. Get over it.

[Jetset]

(05-08-2018 04:20 AM)Rob Banks Wrote:  

I can't get over the fact that I pussied out and backed off when he threatened to stab me. I should have at least asked him to show me the knife before backing off.

Seems like some normal and reasonable behavior to me.

Also seems like you're gonna get robbed again.

[gework]

[Tigre]

What country are you in?

Was this guy also a guest at the place you were staying?

Is it an option for you to leave town and never come back again?

[Repo]

I'm all confused.

Why did you try to reach into his wallet to get the money back? Why were you even still with him after he robbed you? If you were going to try to get your money back, wouldn't it be before he pockets it and it's still in his hand?

Why were the other guys picking on you?

This sounds like a made up story, or some real drunk shit.

[redpillage]

I am not sure why this hasn't been brought up by anyone else but...

DUDE, YOU'VE GOT TO KEEP BETTER COMPANY!

[joost]

From Gework:

In the 50 most violent cities in the WORLD, there's some American; St. Louis, Detroit, New Orleans, Baltimore...

What those cities have in common? ?

[Simeon_Strangelight]

(05-08-2018 03:22 PM)joost Wrote:  

From Gework:

In the 50 most violent cities in the WORLD, there's some American; St. Louis, Detroit, New Orleans, Baltimore...

What those cities have in common? ?

Please - don't trigger anyone with facts.

[BortimusPrime]

See now with concealed carry you'd still have your wallet and he'd be writhing around on the ground in that alley with a painful gut wound.

[Kona]

(05-08-2018 03:42 PM)BortimusPrime Wrote:  

See now with concealed carry you'd still have your wallet and he'd be writhing around on the ground in that alley with a painful gut wound.

I think from the sound of it, the gay prostitute would have a shiny new gun to go with his new passport and Rob Banks' money.

Aloha!

[Aurini]

Part of me wants to make fun of you for being a pussy, but Hell - I used to be a pussy. Everybody used to be a pussy. Nobody's born a badass, it's something you earn.

Cut your losses, swallow your pride, take it like a man - and figure out what signals you were sending out that made him think you'd be an easy mark. Don't overcompensate buy getting a knife or a gun, just learn to stand up for yourself in social situations, and walk with your back straight.

Step by step. When you can stand up for yourself socially, you'll be able to stand up for yourself physically, and the predators will realize that.

[AneroidOcean]

Tell him you have some not quite matured bonds to trade him for the passport.

Kidding, move on with your life and take it as a cheap lesson learned (don't trust strangers especially in hostels).

When in a 3rd world country, keep your passport in a safe place that nobody can grab easily. Keep a little bit of money in an obvious place, keep the rest of it in a non-obvious place. Do not leave your valuables out while you sleep in a hostel...really anywhere.

All general advice above you should follow in the future. Why exactly are you not staying with your family?

Seems really strange that you have family in the country but sleeping in a hostel/hanging with randoms.

[MongolianAbroad]

You're in the gutter, man.

Get out of the gutter as soon as you can.

Life's better when you're an extrovert and are surrounded by quality people or you're an introvert and you've got a ton of privacy and security/control over your surroundings and the people you interact with.

You don't fall under either of those scenarios and my advice is to upgrade both your physical environment and your social environment as soon as you can.

The passport and the $100 are neither here nor there, they're irrelevant, the bigger problem is your physical and social environment.