Mugged in the Market!!

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I decided to go for a walk outside the hotel. The sun was pounding down, and the air hot and sticky. The streets were crowded with people buying and selling a variety of things from fresh fruit to strappy sandals.

I saw a small stall selling sugar cane - yes please, I will take two. I put on in my pocked and ate the other. The one in my pocket was a bit too long and protruded by about half its length.

My phone, normally clipped to my belt at the back, was not attached at the front as a basic security measure since I was walking through heavy crowds.

I was in a thick crowd of people, walking through the market. And then it happened. It was slightly confusing at first, as a man came up and started saying and gesturing that there was something wrong with my shorts. He grabbed my shorts with one hand and started using his hat to “dust” off my shorts. It happened so fast that I was immediately uncomfortable. I reached down and firmly grabbed his arm, twisted it away, shoved him into the crowd and shouted, “No!” as loud and deeply as I could. He left me alone, I turned to walk away simultaneously checking for my phone (check), my cash (check) and my hotel key (check). It was only two minutes later that I noticed that he had managed to get away with the sugar cane that was sticking out of my pocket - total value: $0.10.

Do you think I could get into the Guinness Book for the lowest value mugging in history?

I should say that although I was struck by how solid his arm was, and how strong he felt, I did not EVER feel that it could have escalated into a violent encounter. I was in a large crowd of very tourist friendly people.

In the mean time, we have now met with a tour operator here in DAR that is organising our adventure of the next few days. With any luck, my next BLOG entry will contain some wildlife pictures…

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Comments

[Nick]

mugging?
I think Guinness Book might refuse you on the ground it was only a pick-pocketing.... You could appeal based on the interaction you had but.... Hopefully we'll get idtag.info up soon so somebody can id your tagged sugercane going forward.... ;-)