Posted by Dimone on November 30, 2000 at 14:18:30:
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In the thread below “Anybody Been Mugged Their First Time Out?” by KRICO I talked about being mugged. Not long after the second time I typed up the following but have never posted it anywhere. Its part of a little project I am working on but that’s a long story... ------------------------- I have read and heard a lot of stories about people being mugged in Tijuana, I have also experienced one first hand. Most of the stories are all the same including mine. When it happened I was surprised that it was just like I had always heard. I have been down to TJ hundreds of times and I have been mugged twice. Both times it was my own fault; I broke my own safety rules (walking alone, at night, away from the normal tourist path) and was not fully aware of my surroundings. The first time was only a few months after I first started to go the TJ. It was fairly early, about 9:00 p.m., and I had just left the Chicago Club. I was heading back to the border and was about a half block from Avenida Revolucion on Primera (1st Street). I was walking on the side walk and just not paying attention to the people around me and then suddenly there was an arm around my neck and my feet were off the ground. A second guy started to check my pockets for money. I began to struggle but as soon as I realized what was happening I decided that the money I had on me was not worth getting hurt for (I only had about $30 because I had already spent the rest at the Chicago). By this time the guy holding me had spun me around so that he could use a wall for support and his friend was in front of me. I knew I had one $20 bill in my left front pocket so I stopped fighting to get away and just grabbed for that twenty-dollar bill. The last thing I remember was getting the money out of my pocket and seeing it fall to the ground. The next thing I know I was regaining conciseness, sitting against the wall. It all happened very fast and the way he was holding me caused me to pass out. I only lost the one $20 bill and my driver’s license and I didn't get hurt. The rest of my money was in a pocket in my jacket and the attack stopped as soon as they got some money. Even though I had passed out they did not continue going though my pockets looking for money. The second time was 3 years later and again I was daydreaming (I did just get laid) and walked into a bad place (between a closed news stand and a building) where I would have never gone if I was paying attention. This just happened to be directly across the street from where I had been attacked before. The mugging was pretty much the same as before one guy grabbed me from behind the other started to go though my pockets. As soon as they found some money they let go and ran. This time I had $81 on me and they only got $1. I had 4 $20 bills and my ID in the breast pocket of my jacket and one dollar in my left hand front pants pocket. That is why I think you should have a small wad of ones (5-10 dollars) that you can get to easily and just get it out and let them take it. They will probably run off as soon as they get cash no matter how little, remember 5 or 10 dollars may not be much to you or I but it is allot of money for them. I would also try to resist fighting the attackers, there will almost always be more then one and they could be armed. Nothing that they may steel is worth getting seriously hurt or killed for and even if you manage to hurt them, that could lead to YOU ending up in jail. The best defense against a mugging is "situational awareness" always remembering where you are and what is going on around you. Most muggings are sneak attacks and rely on caching the victims off guard. They almost always work in groups of 2-3 young men and they are looking for easy targets. Anything you can do to make it more difficult for the muggers to surprise you the more likely they will forget about you and look for an easier target. You must ALWAYS be on the alert when walking the streets of TJ. - Dimone
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