As I am passing this guy on the street, he spits at me right by my waistline (Yes, you did read right – SPITS at me), and VERY deliberately so it seemed like. The first thought that goes through my head is “what the heck is this jackass doing, and why?..”, as I give him two very evil eyes. Somehow I know that he knew exactly what he was doing, but as his face turns into a grin full of guilt and regret I decide to give him the benefit of the doubt for ‘accidentally’ spitting on me; -It’s ok man don’t worry about it, I said in my most forgiving way presuming that he probably already was full of shame for having spitted at me, and because I do not want to make him feel more embarrassed than necessary.
The guy then insists for making up for his ‘fault’ by using his napkins to wipe it off of me. -It’s fine I said, just leave it, I replied, but the bloke just will not take no for an answer. So I decide to let him wipe his own spit of my own waistline, just to be nice with him so that his mind will not trouble him too much because of the mistake he made.
-It’s fine I said, just leave it, I replied, but the bloke just will not take no for an answer.
As he is wiping his own spit of my clothes and making up for his ‘sin’, his hand slips down my front jeans pocket and woooops goes my smartphone and the jackass runs down the street with it as if he is in the Olympics. I really do not know what I am supposed to do in a situation like that, as I now also can see that he is not operating alone, but with 4 other guys trying to block my way and give him time to get away. My head anyways explodes of anger, I see totally red, and take up the chase after him down the street after bulldozing my way through his buddies.
Pretty fit as I am, there is really just a matter of time before I will catch up on him, and quite correctly I have soon brought the looter to a total halt, before I wrestle him down on his knees in the mud and force my smartphone back. Being the gentleman that I am I resists from spitting back at him, nor do I call for any help or police, just teaches him a lesson that I think I am better off without describing in detail right here – let us just say that he will not be looting again.
***
A few days back I decided to prepare my flight out of Addis and leave the city and country about a month before I originally was supposed to, due to the total sum of many small and different factors that made me unable to enjoy my stay here. And sadly but truly, little events like this one (although this isolated situation cannot be blamed on Ethiopians as a people) just underlines that I have already made the right decision.
After having been in over 40 countries and numerous cities. After both having been threatened with a gun to my head, and tried being beaten up with a baseball bat in earlier years. After having traveled extensively for about 18 years, and witnessed tricks, scams and having shared dreadful travelers stories with backpackers and businessmen from all corners of the globe; This, being spitted at and then mugged, has to be the lowest and less flattering and charming scam ever experienced.
I really wish I could have left this place under other circumstances.. So what will be different in Addis Abeba by tomorrow? Not much, but a looter less and a traveler less.
You have brought up a very superb points , thanks for the post.
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