Feb 2014, 3rd Week

Monday, late afternoon. Walking west on Fields Ave between Walking Street and Teodoro street on the club side of the street.

Four Filipino males aged early 20s walking together on the sidewalk towards me. I am walking in the street, not on the sidewalk. They acted suspiciously feminine. About 50-feet away, one of the four moved to the left to walk in the street. He was in the same path that I was in. We would collide.

About 20 feet away, I cut to my left. I by-passed the four.

I heard three of them laughing in a feminine tone.

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Thursday, night, about 9 pm. Walking west on Fields Ave, about Teodoro street, passed Natalia Hotel. Across the street is Manson pharmacy.

The corner has a cluster of people. In the past, a lot of girls from Icarus club would stand there and entice men to go to the club. It is a choke point.

As usual, I walk in the street next to moving vehicles to avoid Filipinos.

Suddenly, from my blind side, I felt a strong hand grabbing my left forearm and pulling me back. Instinctively, I wrenched my left forearm out of someone's hand. I looked. It is a tall Filipino ugly man aged mid-40s in a female dress. I yelled him, "Keep your damn hand off of me." He looks across the street. showing his profile with a grim face. He acts like nothing had happened.

I am pissed off.

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Friday night, about 9 pm. Walking west on Fields Ave, about Teodoro street, passed Natalia Hotel. Across the street is Manson pharmacy.

The corner has a large cluster of people. I am thinking about a girl or two, who I should have barfined but another customer got to her before I could.

Suddenly, from my blind side, I felt a hand grabbing for my left forearm. I forgot to be prepared for this happening, but this time I turned quickly to face another Filipino ugly male aged mid-40s in a female dress, slightly shorter than me, and knocked his hand away. Then I slapped the right-side of his face.

He turned to look to his left. About six feet away, the same transvestite from last night (the first attacker) was standing and watching with a smile on his face. I walked away. Athough noisy with many people celebrating Valentine and street full of vehicles, I heard the two transvestites saying something in Filipino.

I looked back. The second attacker was charging towards me, looking angry.

I took a defensive posture and pointed my left arm at him. I shouted, Do Not Touch, several times.

He paused and looked back at the first attacker.

I looked over to the first attacker, who was listening to a Filipino man in a police (?) uniform who was speaking in a friendly, almost joking, manner..

I walked away and looked back every few seconds to see if anyone was following me. No one.

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Saturday noon. Checking out of my hotel.

I told the assistant hotel manager what had happened and requested a hotel complaint to the police about assaults by transvestites.

I doubt that the hotel will complain, since it always seem to be fully occupied.

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Saturday, about 1 pm. Waiting for a bus.

I told an expat bus employee (I guess) what had happened

He said that transvestites have been a growing problem. He said that the danger was that one transvestite would distract a tourist and a second transvestite would steal something from the tourist. It was his belief that the local police was involved. It was obvious that transvestites was causing a problem for male tourists, yet the police has done nothing.

I said that my philosophy was to live and let live. I did not care what people, be they homosexuals, transvestites, Moslems, or whatever, do, as long as they do not bother others. But what the transvestites did is a crime, called assault.

But, I did wonder what was bringing in the transvestites. I recalled that when I waited in my hotel lobby to check in, a tall transvestites in high heels and female dress aged mid-20s went to the reception counter and asked for a guest by name. The receptionist replied in the negative and the transvestite exited. So, are male tourists messing with transvestites?

Also, I recall a new hotel (on Oak, near Constaine) on the block behind Skytrax. The hotel is named Queens Hotel. I thought the name was unfortunate. But, now I wonder if the name was deliberate, similar to the Princess Madison Hotel on the back road behind Dollhouse Hotel (now named Fields Hotel), where there are a number of Filipino bars and homosexuals.

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When I visit Angeles City again, I will be walking on the opposite side of Fields Ave where the adjoining single-level vendor concrete stalls are. Although the two transvestite attackers were the initiators, I believe that if they see me again, they will cross the avenue to attack me again.

This might be a national trait. I noticed that women who put their hand on my back to nudge me into a bar or club were upset when I removed their hand from my back. I especially do not those women who were eating, stopped, and then put their hand on my back. Were they wiping their fingers on my shirt? Maybe I should be more confrontational and tell them to their face, keep your hand off of me. But, I have done that and they really got upset and went to someone else in the club to complain about me.

Being a senior male walking slightly slower with a limp due to a bad knee makes me a target for street muggers.

I try to stay very street aware and cautious, but my mind occasionally wanders after seeing a pretty girl.

Keep on mowing.

"Maybe I should be more confrontational..."

Jeez, you're already striking people in the street, how much more confrontational do you want to get?

You're lucky you didn't end up with a knife in your ribs.

Sorry to hear that you are having these types of problems, but to be honest I have never been bothered. I walk with purpose and don't look at them, they - the trannies - in turn don't bother me. If I sit at Phillies Sports Bar (That street corner seems to have become tranny central) I don't even return any smile or attempt at acknowledgement. That seems to work for me.

The same thing applies when I am walking around Fields - just completely ignore them....

Your reactions, in all honesty, were a bit over the top. Don't react, just ignore. And for fuck's sake, don't hit a bakla just because she's grabbed your arm. Being confrontational is begging for some serious trouble next time you walk down the street.

I saw plenty of baklas in AC last month. They would call out and reach for me, but I just ignored them or said "not my thing" and kept walking. I had zero problems.

You weren't wearing axe body spray by any chance, were you?

Grabbing someone with force is an assault. In USA, assault is a crime. You have to be bigger than your attacker to IGNORE his assault.

I did not have to do anything to the first attacker, because he looked away as though nothing had happened.

I defended myself against the 2nd attacker. My slap to his face was like a wake-up tap. What the hell are you doing? No force in my slap.

More effective in stopping them was my SHOUTING at them. (By the way, shouting at 2-yr beggar kids stops them from getting close.)

I always walk without making eye contact with anyone. The two attackers came behind me and grabbed me. SNEAK ATTACKS. No doubt that if they knife me next time, they will knife me in my back.

If you guys are letting people grab you without saying or doing anything, then you are contributing to the problem.

I do not have a problem with transvestites in Thailand or elsewhere, because I walk a zig-zag path to avoid any confrontation. Live and let live.

I believe that OLDER people are seen as better targets to mug. Even though I ignore people on the street (but watch them out of the corner of my eyes to stay out of their kicking range), there is still hostility from passer-bys and by-standers.

An expat told me: Behind their smiling faces, Filipinos hate expats.

Hatred makes sense after centuries of subjugation by Spaniards, Japanese, and Americans; of economic dominance by resident Chinese; of continuous shootouts with Moslems, and the coming military clashes with China.

More fun in the Philippines.

I'm just concerned that if you keep going off at the slightest provocation you're going to end up on the wrong side of the grass.

You do seem quite sensitive to any touch, since your original posting also mentions you pushing away hands of actual girls that try to nudge you into bars to the point of them appearing upset. Something seems off here if your reaction to typical - and I would stress typical - interactions you have in AC (like street kids, door girls, and transvestites) are screaming, pushing, and slapping.

I do wish you all the best and that you don't get hurt at some point with one of these extreme reactions. I sure would be an ugly scene for you if the trannies ganged up on you and you get got into a fight with them.

You mention hostility of locals, but it sure seems you have plenty of hostility towards them yourself.

Actually I would be surprised if not everyone on this board who has traveled to AC did not have similar issues, but yet seemed to manage this better. Also it is generally pretty commonly known to limit and avoid Filipino men due to their sometimes unpredictable reaction to us foreigners.

If you don't like being touched, don't travel to third world countries. You weren't assaulted, you were touched. Even being grabbed by the arm is not an assault. Anyone whose been to AC or similarly poor regions of the world has experienced what we would regard as inappropriate touching by locals, be they beggars or hookers or whatever. The proper response is to walk away, not engage. I'm sure I was similarly "touched" at least a dozen times while walking around AC last month, but I just stepped away, without escalating the situation, and nothing happened.

SHOUTING is not much better, especially with the little beggars. They are on the streets because their parents put them there, not because it's their idea of a good time. Saying no a couple of times is almost always enough to discourage them. SHOUTING just leads to negative stereotypes of foreigners.

You probably want to avoid gross over-generalizations such as "filipinos hate expats." And you seem to be a bit overly anxious if you're zigging and zagging while walking down the streets in AC, Thailand or elsewhere. As one of the resident Club Hombre old guys, I've not found myself a target anywhere I've traveled.

Are you having fun on these trips? I wouldn't be if I felt as anxious as you portray yourself. You seem to see hostility everywhere. I met some locals one day at a bar and we went out drinking one evening and had a great time. Never once was I thinking they meant to do me harm because I'm from the States.

My favorite inappropriate touching is when the bar girls stick their hands up my shorts and start playing with my little marvin :-)

I had a little problem with the trannies in AC recently. One grabbed my arm and was insistent that I go with it, as I struggled to get away. It took me a moment to realize it was a tranny, too, as the only ones I had seen previously were quite ugly and obvious, and this one was pretty cute. The next night, it was in the same place with two friends, and grabbed at me again.

I just pulled away and said I wasn't interested, no big deal.

(Message edited by Hunterman on February 20, 2014)

That area on Fields @ Manson/JJ is full of either ladyboys and street kids. All have the same MO - group comes up to you grabs and arm, another tries to grab the pocket. Happens all day/every day. Be away of it and put your cash/money in a safe place.

Don't be confrontational as that will eventually lead to far bugger issues.

Not related, but two Koreans were shot dead two nights ago about a block apart (unrelated) in perimeter/friendship.

"Don't be confrontational as that will eventually lead to far bugger issues."

Especially if you're dealing with Trannies!

(Message edited by ixtoc on February 21, 2014)

"You weren't wearing axe body spray by any chance, were you?"

[ Bwana_dik: "And you seem to be a bit overly anxious if you're zigging and zagging while walking down the streets in AC, Thailand or elsewhere." ]

I walk a zig-zag path. Primarily to avoid people coming towards me from getting close. Second, a standard security precaution is to never take the same route every day. But, some routes have no alternate route. So, I zig and zag.

Thanks, Hunterman and Don Marco, for your comments. Good to know that I am not the only visitor in AC to be grabbed by a transvestite.

In fact, when I considered other posters' advice to ignore the transvestites, I wondered if my ignoring the transvestite was the reason for their grabbing me -- after I had passed by them when I walked in the street and not on the sidewalk where they stood. Maybe they wanted me to acknowledge that they were there, they existed?

I have been traveling overseas for romance since the early 1980s. I have been attacked a number of times. The scariest was a guy who tried to knife me in the late afternoon in a Central America city.

Prior to my AC trip a few weeks ago, a group of 12-15 boys of about the same age tried to circle and close in on me in Manila near Star City about six months ago about 9pm. I mentioned this last incident in my recent Manila report.

[ Don Marco: "... two Koreans were shot dead two nights ago..." ]

Maybe what someone told me is true: Behind their smiling faces, Filipinos hate expats.

See: https://www.facebook.com/foreigners4Justice

I posted my report on AC to let others know about a possible danger.

I visit AC about 4-5 times a year. Now, I am cutting back on my AC visits.

Walking a zig-zag path is a very good idea, certainly when/where several unknowns are coming toward you. Excellent example is the street kids in Rio, always a concern.

I have mixed feelings on the zig-zag path.

On the one hand, you are showing an alertness, even forcing it upon yourself and not getting too comfortable.

On the other hand, it seems you may be calling some undue attention to yourself. "Look at the gringo walking back and forth across the street, let's see what's up with him."

Personally, I try to blend in as much as possible while still looking around constantly to be aware of my surroundings, it's a balance. When I do feel a little uncomfortable, I will walk in the street or cross even, but attempt to make it look natural, not like some kind of pattern.

Hmmm, Bwana, don't shoot the messenger here? Thanks for the heads up.

DM and others had good advice... Laugh it off.

[ Bwana_dik: "You probably want to avoid gross over-generalizations such as "filipinos hate expats." ]

Local newspaper, The Manila Bulletin, Saturday, March 2, 2014 contained a column "Business Matters" by Francis J. Kong. He is a Filipino writing about Filipino business.

In one of his sentences, he basically stated not to trust people with kind smile and people with charming demeanor.

He did not mention foreigners.

So, while he did not explicitly exclude foreigners, I think he was talking about Filipinos.

[ Mrmeaner: "it seems you may be calling some undue attention to yourself. 'Look at the gringo walking back and forth across the street, let's see what's up with him.'" ]

A few years ago, I thought of doing a photo essay of Ermita sidewalks. The message was that Ermita sidewalks are full of parked cars, holes, vendor stands of wares, trees, and people. There are police posts built to take up the entire sidewalk, forcing people to walk in the street.

Literally, impossible to walk a straight line.

With a lot of people on a sidewalk, some Filipinos will literally collide into you and other Filipino, or cause you to stop to let him/her by.

Deliberate? My guess is not deliberate, because he/she has no respect for others. He/she only cares about close relatives.

When I see two people walking towards me, I move to the side. When I see three or more people walking towards me, I cross to the other side of the street.

One morning about two years ago, I was walking alone a side street to a dental appointment across from the Diamond Hotel.
-- I heard a sound behind me.
-- It was a middle-aged Filipino man walking fast towards me.
-- I crossed the street to the other sidewalk. -- Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the Filipino stopped, then crossed the street to get ahead of me on the sidewalk, and next stopped to face me.
-- I stopped and waved at him to get out of my way.
-- He had targeted me.
-- But, he walked away back to where he came from, when, I guess, he realized that I wanted nothing to do with him.

Sorry, I cannot blend in. To do so, I would have to put on brown makeup on my face and arms, a dark wig on my head or dye my white hair a dark color, wear a t-shirt, short pants, flip-flops, lose 20 pounds to look skinny, and urinate in the street.

Wow, why do you even bother going to PI? I am 6'5", which certainly makes me stand out....

It sounds like you pretty much have convinced yourself to be worried your entire time there. How do you even enjoy yourself?

For those of us that are completely at ease with the NORMAL bullshit that goes on there, we seem to make it by just fine and do not have problems outside the NORMAL hassles.

I think this thread has run its course....keep zip zagging, shouting, screaming, and pushing - I truly just hope that you do not create unnecessary problems for yourself along the way had you just acted a little more natural.

Local newspaper, The Manila Bulletin, Saturday, March 2, 2014 contained a column "Business Matters" by Francis J. Kong. He is a Filipino writing about Filipino business.

In one of his sentences, he basically stated not to trust people with kind smile and people with charming demeanor.

He did not mention foreigners.

So, while he did not explicitly exclude foreigners, I think he was talking about Filipinos.

Sounds like a pretty wild logical leap to me, going from that to a conclusion that this filipino businessman was saying "don't trust filipinos."

I've only been to AC a dozen times or so, but I've never had a single interaction with a filipino/a that seemed remotely threatening. I know there are some bad characters in AC, but it's the trike mafia I worry about, not baklas or beggar kids.

Dear Mr. Grasser,

You will be pleased to learn that I have diagnosed your condition. You are suffering from Haphephobia, an unnatural fear of being touched.

Respectfully,

Dr. Baxter

Baxter,

Thanks for naming my condition.

But, naming my condition is not the same as diagnosing the condition. That is, what caused it?

If you have seen the tv series "Dexter", in one episode he attacked from behind a man entering a house and unexpectedly had a big fight before he was able to kill the man. Dexter explained that the man was an athlete, who quickly reacted to any touch.

In my case, I played various sports in elementary and high schools including suicide (anyone can tackle the guy holding the ball inside the gym), touch football, basketball, and judo.

As mentioned before, there have been many attacks on me. So, I learned to be cautious. In fact, I feel sorry for those of you who walk around with your head in the clouds thinking that there is no evil in the world.

My report was to warn you guys to be aware of an AC danger. Unless you are 6'5" (which I am not) and not a senior (which I am), then open your eyes and watch the street action.