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Published: August 30th 2015
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Warning! Do not read this entry if you are sensitive to scary factual stories…Please stop reading after this sentence, but know that I am OK and alive and things like that. So I had a hard time deciding if I would post this story because I don’t want to scare anyone off or have people worry about me more than they already are, but being true to the point of this blog (regaling my accounts of my adventures) I have chosen to share a doosy of a story. After a fun night exploring the 7
th street area of Melville (the suburb of Joburg Ive been staying in) with a South African guy named Villem another buddy from England named Jon asked if I would like to stretch my legs and check out a park down the road. It was about 2:30 in the afternoon that fateful Friday and the sun was shining without a cloud in the sky. The Melville area is well protected by many high fences with various forms of pointy things on the top and reported to be the safest suburb in the otherwise “rough” Joburg. Said fence was enclosing the park we were trying to reach on
Main Ave. The opening to the fence wasn’t apparent to us until we were approached by two gentlemen wielding arms…”Don’t move I kill you.” “Turn around I kill you.” The gun was the reason for the issue. If they just had knives we would have a proper scrap, but as it is, I saw the look in the man’s eye via the gun barrel and he seemed serious enough and far enough away for me to do nothing except what I was told. Eyes closed we marched down some path in the park where they proceeded to take my belt and my own shoelaces and tie me up. I assume they did something the same to Jon but we were face down and not trying to see who was doing what. From one spot they untied the feet and walked us to another spot where they removed some kind of huge cement cover. Then as they were taking everything out of our pockets they threw something heavy with chains down this drain and we heard a splash. After multiple questions about Jons bank card PIN and where my phone was the threat came to throw us down the drain. They
said if the number was wrong we’re both dead and they had a guy going to check and if Jon said the wrong one we’re both dead. I didn’t have my phone with and because of this they were getting mad and searched me even harder saying I was playing games and if I was lying we’re both dead. After grilling Jon some more about his bank details they said they would be back and they would be the ones to untie us. They said a man was watching us and if we move we’re dead and if we talk to each other or tried anything we’re dead. After about ten minutes Jon was brave enough to look around and whispered to me that they might be gone. I checked as well and time to ninja out. My right hand was tied so tight I couldn’t feel it any more but I had 2 good fingers on my left hand to untie Jon’s feet. Then I got his hands. Again my ropes were bound so tight Jon actually had to bite through them to free me. For some reason they crooks left me with my room key so I used
that to cut the laces off my ankles. Since the used my own laces on me I didn’t have shoes on but I didn’t know if they were back around the corner so I took a few steps that way. Sort of realized I didn’t want to go back the way the shitheads were I bolted back towards one of these pointy fences near a tree. Jon still had his shoes so he bounded over gracefully. I was a bit more awkward and got cut up on the pointy bits! We ran through the park and found a security booth and told the story. He didn’t want to use his airtime to call the cops or a cab for us so we decided to walk the 2 blocks back to the hostel. Rounding a corner we saw a guy with a hat and shades and black gloves about a block away. No idea what his deal was, but he saw us and put his hand in his pocket, looked down, and kept walking towards us. Fuck that. We bolted back to another security booth and they also didn’t want to use their airtime to help out. A taxi driver lived
in this particular apartment complex but they weren’t too sure which apartment. Eventually a tuk tuk driver dropped someone off and he generously gave us a ride back to the hostel where we called the police and drank some vanilla rum from Madagascar to take the edge off! The police were about as useless as anyone can imagine including the expected well the park is on the other side of the street which isn’t our jurisdiction….. :/ In the end Jon lost about $500 USD and his sweet phone which was his camera, computer, and international phone. They got about $2 USD and my shoes... My only pair… My favorite piece of equipment…well they’re all my favorite lol but yeah…these ones…damnit. But we are both alive with just a few bumps and scratches and now a good story to tell. Now I got this part out of the way the next 8 months will be a breeeeeeeze!!! Thank you for listening and im off to Kruger searching for the big 5
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Blair Ness
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TIA
TIA