Crime and Poverty While Traveling

[00:00:00] We are today talking about crime, being victims of crime or crime of poverty.

[00:00:17] Hey everyone, welcome back to another episode of Rhythm and Roam. My name is Benef and I'm here with my co-hosts Paul and Trecia. How are ya?

[00:00:29] Hello.

[00:00:30] Bonjour, ça va?

[00:00:31] Bonjour, ça va? Ça va bien? Merci.

[00:00:34] Ça va bien!

[00:00:35] This is a podcast where we talk about our travel adventures and those cultural encounters where we notice the similarities, the differences, our ignorance, misconceptions, and so on.

[00:00:49] And so we are today talking about crime and it's being victims of crime or crime of poverty, the stuff that we see while traveling because it's everywhere, unfortunately, and some places worse than others.

[00:01:05] So that's, um...

[00:01:08] Yeah, this is kind of an interesting topic to tell you because I'm just like, you know, obviously it's one of those, um, ones where obviously it doesn't affect everyone that travel.

[00:01:18] So let's, you know, obviously make...

[00:01:20] Well, we'd hope that it will not affect everyone that travels.

[00:01:23] It doesn't, but...

[00:01:25] But it's bound to hit you at some point.

[00:01:29] At some point, yeah.

[00:01:30] Yeah.

[00:01:31] Can I ask, like, what's the parameter or the divide of crime while traveling? Meaning, are we talking about have anybody gotten arrested or all of the above, all the scandals and stuff like that?

[00:01:43] Well, anything. I mean, crime, like, from misdemeanors to felonies, I don't know, like, shoot.

[00:01:47] I mean, it's like, let's hope we haven't experienced felonies while traveling. I mean, in crime...

[00:01:54] Right. I don't think so.

[00:01:55] It's different.

[00:01:56] It's a whole nother show if that's the case.

[00:01:58] Well, but like other countries, you know, categorize things differently, right?

[00:02:02] I'm just trying to protect you from FBI. That's all.

[00:02:05] Well, that's just the whole thing. I was just gonna say that. Okay.

[00:02:08] First of all, if you're traveling, I mean, domestically in the United States, you know, there are certain laws apply, right?

[00:02:15] But if you're traveling, you know, those laws no longer apply.

[00:02:19] Well, there are stiffer penalties.

[00:02:21] First of all, I, you know, from death to cutting off of hands to be heading to, you know, all stoning all kinds of things.

[00:02:33] And, you know, where they bury you under the jail or.

[00:02:36] Well, so I mean, because we've heard, I mean, we, the, the woman that was stoned to death for not having her fail on correctly.

[00:02:46] Now we can't go to Iran. So that's probably not going to be an issue for us.

[00:02:51] Since we're not allowed to go there.

[00:02:55] But I mean, yeah, it could be something as simple as that.

[00:02:57] I mean, that's a simple thing that we would think, oh, my hair is showing.

[00:03:02] Or, and I mean, I don't know what the actual penalty is, but they don't have gum in Singapore.

[00:03:08] So like if you're chewing gum and you like just throw it on the street, I think that that's a crime in Singapore.

[00:03:15] Read your embassy. Yeah. Wherever you're traveling, I would have to say you must at least be knowledgeable on if there's a anything happening before going there.

[00:03:28] There's my thumbs up or be, you know, making sure that, you know, well, well, or be well rounded in where is safe and where is not safe or something to that effect.

[00:03:42] Well, I mean, we say that, but do we actually do that? Like that's the question.

[00:03:46] Yeah.

[00:03:48] I mean, I'm trying to be politically correct here. I don't.

[00:03:52] You're like, oh, shit.

[00:03:54] I'm trying to be politically correct.

[00:03:55] Oh, my God.

[00:03:57] I'm going to say that I do. And that's only because I'm a rule follower.

[00:04:00] I mean, I'm that kind of person. And I also want to be respectful.

[00:04:04] So I will do some research to some degree and I'll go to, you know, my dot gov or, you know, my travel.

[00:04:11] I do go there.

[00:04:12] Go to at least kind of orient myself with what what the laws are like.

[00:04:18] Do they follow British law? Do they follow, you know, depending on the country that I'm going to. Right.

[00:04:22] I mean, it depends on the country. Right.

[00:04:24] Because if I was going to Italy or France, I'm not looking at my whatever the State Department.

[00:04:28] You know how much shit I got to look if I'm.

[00:04:30] Hell no, no idea.

[00:04:31] And I think the reason why I'm like this is maybe because I'm rebelling, because you and I know, Binaf, just from working in the government.

[00:04:40] I have trouble with that.

[00:04:41] That shit is given to us.

[00:04:42] Like it's.

[00:04:43] No, no, no, no, no.

[00:04:44] Well, the amount of like documentation that needs to be done before traveling.

[00:04:48] In fact, like we already know.

[00:04:50] Yeah.

[00:04:51] Well, we were living in Korea and we were wanting to go to UAE, Dubai.

[00:04:56] And oh, like Thomas and I had just forgotten all the stuff that we had do the last time we were stationed in Korea.

[00:05:03] So he didn't do anything.

[00:05:05] He wasn't able to go.

[00:05:07] If you have a security clearance, you've got to check all the things.

[00:05:11] Yes.

[00:05:12] And he didn't do any of that.

[00:05:14] And it was going to take like a full month to go through all the gates.

[00:05:17] And so he ended up not being able to go.

[00:05:19] Yeah.

[00:05:20] And that's that's what I don't.

[00:05:21] Yeah.

[00:05:22] I don't want to have to deal with.

[00:05:23] Yeah, I'm rebelling.

[00:05:25] So you're right.

[00:05:25] I should be doing it more often, but I don't.

[00:05:28] And I kind of.

[00:05:30] Are you traveling to like dangerous considered dangerous countries, though?

[00:05:34] Well, see, that's a misleading question.

[00:05:39] Okay.

[00:05:39] Because everywhere is potentially a dangerous.

[00:05:43] Well, it could be.

[00:05:44] Yes.

[00:05:45] Yeah.

[00:05:46] Yeah.

[00:05:46] Because I've been I've been in, for example, when I was living in Germany and hell, I mean,

[00:05:55] here in Paris last year, I wasn't traveling in Paris.

[00:05:59] I lived here and it was the big old.

[00:06:01] You remember all the protest all the time in Paris, all the time.

[00:06:06] But I mean, I just thought about this was serious because I even I was coming home from from the office and I got gas in my face in the subway or in the metro.

[00:06:15] Tear gas.

[00:06:16] Yeah, tear gas.

[00:06:17] But I mean, so this is good.

[00:06:19] It's probably gonna sound terrible.

[00:06:20] But like if I was traveling to Norway versus some a country in Africa, I mean, the State Department like Norway versus Africa.

[00:06:31] Like I'm going to do more research to go to Africa.

[00:06:34] Why?

[00:06:34] The only reason why you're doing that is because of what we have been trained in our brains to say Africa is bad.

[00:06:40] Norway is good.

[00:06:42] I probably would still look at myself.

[00:06:45] I probably would.

[00:06:46] There are countries in conflict in Africa and Norway and Sweden are not in conflict with each other.

[00:06:53] They typically know, but there is a there is.

[00:06:56] Yeah.

[00:06:56] But there is Russia that's still sweeping over on the other side.

[00:07:00] So it's not like they're right out of the you know what I mean?

[00:07:03] It's just that it's too much sci fi.

[00:07:05] So I probably would.

[00:07:07] I probably still watch.

[00:07:09] I don't give a shit.

[00:07:10] I still don't get me wrong.

[00:07:13] Yeah, but I'm the same way.

[00:07:14] I mean, I would you're right in a sense, but that's the psychological bullshit for South America.

[00:07:21] You know, that's the psychological bullshit.

[00:07:23] Yeah, that you know, because my friend just bad.

[00:07:27] Yeah, white skin white people.

[00:07:29] Not so much.

[00:07:30] Well, I mean, so is some of it psychological, but some of it is based in reality.

[00:07:34] No, I mean, there is a lot of drug trafficking happening.

[00:07:36] I say 70% of it is psychological and 30% of it is because my I give an example of a friend of mine that I went to college with.

[00:07:45] But he traveled to Columbia recently and right off the top of my head.

[00:07:50] I was like, how are you doing traveling to Columbia?

[00:07:52] Yeah, I want to do that.

[00:07:53] And he said, right.

[00:07:54] I'm like, oh, danger, danger.

[00:07:56] Exactly.

[00:07:57] Kidnapped.

[00:07:58] Kids.

[00:07:59] He went with his three kids.

[00:08:01] Yeah.

[00:08:02] But I have friends that I have friends right now that travel to Columbia.

[00:08:04] I had I had one that just traveled and she and she actually just went just came back from Cartagena and had a wonderful time.

[00:08:12] Yeah.

[00:08:12] He said he loved it.

[00:08:13] He said he was.

[00:08:14] Yeah.

[00:08:15] I mean, that's why I said I feel like sometimes our.

[00:08:19] We get I don't want to say brainwashed because these are important information, but I do.

[00:08:24] We do.

[00:08:25] Because you hear brown is bad and white is good.

[00:08:28] Yeah, that is.

[00:08:29] I mean, I didn't want to go to that extent, but I went to that extent.

[00:08:33] I went there.

[00:08:34] I went there.

[00:08:35] So I'm that's why I'm going to the State Department and I'm looking at everywhere before I travel.

[00:08:40] I'm just going to do a little look see.

[00:08:42] Yeah, see if there's anything going on.

[00:08:44] But the State Department is no is no better either, Tricia, because I give an example.

[00:08:49] Another example.

[00:08:50] My family hometown home, Jamaica, is on the do not fly list right now.

[00:08:56] Jamaica is on the do not fly.

[00:08:58] Yes, it was three months ago.

[00:09:00] It was three months ago because it always is.

[00:09:03] It was whatever it was them.

[00:09:06] And I think Bahamas was on there for a little bit, too, as well.

[00:09:08] But I'm just like, you're insane.

[00:09:11] Like it always is.

[00:09:13] But it's because of some type of yeah.

[00:09:18] Infighting just it's no worse than and then the big joke is a lot of there's been a lot of social media.

[00:09:23] Tick tock of Jamaicans are like, oh, it's so bad here.

[00:09:27] Yes, America.

[00:09:28] Don't come because it's so bad compared to like what just happened in Nevada with shooting or whatever.

[00:09:35] Do you know what I mean?

[00:09:36] It's like.

[00:09:36] Yeah.

[00:09:37] I mean, if there's anywhere that needs to be on the do not fly list is America right now.

[00:09:43] Yeah.

[00:09:46] I'm sorry.

[00:09:47] That's the wine speaking.

[00:09:49] I'm sorry.

[00:09:52] I go back again to the point of.

[00:09:57] Everywhere there is a conflict.

[00:09:59] So America is not in a civil war, but we sure to hell act like it.

[00:10:04] Yeah.

[00:10:04] I mean, yeah, I see what you mean by.

[00:10:07] But again, it doesn't stop us.

[00:10:09] It's and we just said we just said that Paul that that it's not stopping people from going to these places and some of these places that you know, and I hope it doesn't.

[00:10:18] I hope it doesn't.

[00:10:19] But we do.

[00:10:19] But then again, in my in our heads, because I didn't even go to Columbia because of what I heard about Columbia.

[00:10:27] So and when I told people, I think you might have been one of them, Paul, when I said I was going to Mexico and you were like.

[00:10:33] Oh, yes.

[00:10:34] Yes.

[00:10:34] I was like, I'm not going to just get kidnapped.

[00:10:38] Like, yeah.

[00:10:40] But yeah, people literally think that.

[00:10:42] And I said the same thing when you were going to I think you were going to Costa Rica.

[00:10:46] And I was like, they just kidnapped somebody for ransom in Costa Rica.

[00:10:49] You sure you want to go there?

[00:10:51] You know, but that's what I heard.

[00:10:53] They're not going for her.

[00:10:54] They're not going for her.

[00:10:55] But you get where I'm coming from, though.

[00:10:57] I do.

[00:10:58] I mean, and so it's the same thing.

[00:10:59] Well, they just shot, you know, a bunch of people on the street.

[00:11:03] Why are people going to the United States when we have like the worst?

[00:11:05] Exactly.

[00:11:06] You know, those those are the extreme cases.

[00:11:10] Yeah.

[00:11:10] I think.

[00:11:11] You know that we're speaking on as far as crime.

[00:11:15] Right.

[00:11:15] So and I mean, the same thing with poverty.

[00:11:18] I mean, if we want to talk about poverty and, you know, and homelessness, you know, there are several countries within the United States and growing where we're seeing lots and lots of more.

[00:11:29] Or lots and lots of states.

[00:11:30] You mean states?

[00:11:32] States.

[00:11:33] Excuse me.

[00:11:33] Yeah.

[00:11:33] We're seeing lots and lots more of states that that have, you know, you know, you're starting to see a lot more people on the streets.

[00:11:42] And, you know, of course, my statement that I say all the time is that until and I think I've even said it on previous shows that until the United States starts taking mental, you know, mental health and and wellness and in general.

[00:11:56] Seriously, we're going to see more and more people on the streets, you know, because, you know, life is hard.

[00:12:07] Yeah.

[00:12:08] So I mean, I think we would.

[00:12:11] I think you're right.

[00:12:12] Like both of you guys are right in everything you're saying.

[00:12:15] And one thing is is to the extreme, like you said, Trisha, but.

[00:12:20] I think one, the big question you may have already asked it, but I'll say it again is, you know, is there crime everywhere?

[00:12:27] Yes, there is crime everywhere.

[00:12:28] But.

[00:12:30] Unfortunately, some places in Benef, you did a good job in indicating.

[00:12:36] What are good crimes and bad crime areas?

[00:12:40] So, for example, when you gave the example of I'm going to do more of a definitional research on Africa than I am in Norway.

[00:12:48] And that is how everyone I wouldn't say everyone, but majority of people's talk when they go to visit, you know, wherever they're traveling to because I'm the same way to as well.

[00:13:01] And I did the same thing with and with a friend of mine, and I'm gonna try and get her on on camera to as well.

[00:13:07] She loved going to Africa.

[00:13:08] And she always tell me she's like, Oh, I'm going to Rwanda.

[00:13:11] You want to you know, you should come.

[00:13:13] I was like, isn't that where we're like Rwanda was?

[00:13:16] Yeah, I know.

[00:13:18] And so where are we?

[00:13:19] Are we all just totally influenced by the news that we see?

[00:13:24] Yes.

[00:13:25] Because here's the thing.

[00:13:26] Rwanda is like the leading country right now for environmental something, and it's so clean.

[00:13:36] Like she sent me a video of this just the other day.

[00:13:40] And maybe I can we can put it on, you know, link it to our this podcast.

[00:13:45] But this is my point is that we are listening too much of what social media or media or who we know in contact, tell us about the place and movies, because that's the reason why I said what the hell you going to Rwanda for?

[00:13:59] Yeah.

[00:14:00] And, you know, she's this lily white girl.

[00:14:03] And, you know, but I mean, I guess it would be like finding that balance because yeah, how do we balance what we see on the news versus our own experience?

[00:14:13] Yeah.

[00:14:14] And if we never go there because we're too afraid.

[00:14:17] Yep.

[00:14:18] I think the balance.

[00:14:19] And that's just my point.

[00:14:21] I mean, that's that's the point that I was making, you know, you know, do your research and, and, you know, look up the information and find if you're if your first influence or your first knee jerk reaction is, you know, that's crazy.

[00:14:31] I would never think about going there.

[00:14:33] Well, for the fair fact that someone that you know, a friend of yours or whatever saying that they're going, obviously, you know, are they crazy?

[00:14:42] I mean, are they are they known as a friend that, you know, that goes off the deep end and does things like this, you know, whatever the circumstances are, but I think it deserves some, you know, some look see to see what the country is about.

[00:14:53] And then and then make up your own mind and decide if that's something, you know, that's something that you want to do.

[00:14:59] But don't let anyone deter you because of what they say.

[00:15:03] I mean, I say this, I say, I would say don't let .gov deter you either, because .gov could sound like it's a fucking World War Three.

[00:15:10] It's propaganda.

[00:15:12] I mean, every government site that is.

[00:15:13] I try to look at everything like it's propaganda, you know, honestly, because people are going to do, you know, want you to look at things and read things because they want you to be persuaded.

[00:15:24] Right.

[00:15:24] Honestly, I would.

[00:15:26] Yeah.

[00:15:26] But and like I said, both of you guys bring up great points.

[00:15:31] And I don't want to sound like, you know, I'm all angry about it because I'm not because I felt even the same way when I was living in Germany and I was traveling with friends out east to places that I before living in Germany, I didn't even.

[00:15:48] I mean, I heard of it, but I was like on a map in high school.

[00:15:51] But when I went as far as Estonia and Lithuania, you know, those countries, you know, that's literally, you know, Russia is not far away kind of thing.

[00:16:02] But I was looking at it as in like, I didn't want to go because I am this color and you're not, you know, kind of thing.

[00:16:11] And if I continued on that, that spectrum of things, you know, and obviously I wanted to not be in a violent situation, which is why I think of things that way.

[00:16:24] We do have to think about that.

[00:16:25] Well, I don't think of those like those countries I don't think of as being violent.

[00:16:29] And that could just be my naivete because they're white.

[00:16:33] Yes.

[00:16:33] Bingo.

[00:16:33] That's 100% accurate.

[00:16:36] People think that, you know, white people don't do this stuff.

[00:16:39] Yeah, I know.

[00:16:40] And where did that mentality come from?

[00:16:43] No, but no, it's true.

[00:16:46] I mean, and again, I understand that and we get that.

[00:16:50] And I think and again, I think what we're talking about is the extreme.

[00:16:55] What about what about those things where where you're in a country and, you know, what about theft?

[00:17:04] You know, what about, you know, you know, petty crimes?

[00:17:07] You know, that's anywhere.

[00:17:09] I got stuff stolen in Italy and Rome and that youth hostile nightmare.

[00:17:16] So we drop our stuff and we're like, we just feel nasty.

[00:17:20] We're going to go shower.

[00:17:21] And so, like, everything was co-ed.

[00:17:23] But thankfully, the showers at least had some privacy.

[00:17:26] So we were feeling better.

[00:17:28] We come back.

[00:17:29] And then I was going to, like, put on a tank top.

[00:17:33] And then I can't find it.

[00:17:35] Like, I'm searching my backpack.

[00:17:36] I mean, I had literally, like, had been there that morning.

[00:17:39] It wasn't there.

[00:17:39] Well, it turns out we found out later that those assholes had already rifled through our bags because that being the naive cadets, we had left our shit unsecured and just went to the bathroom.

[00:17:53] Like, we're like, nobody will.

[00:17:55] A cadet does not, will not lie, cheat or steal or tolerate those who do.

[00:18:01] And so we just assumed, like, the rest of the world operated this honor code.

[00:18:06] And they don't.

[00:18:07] So that shit was gone.

[00:18:08] They had taken two of my tank tops, two of my friend's shirts, and a credit card from each.

[00:18:13] So, of course, I didn't find out about the credit card until I called home.

[00:18:17] And my parents were like, yeah, they called.

[00:18:20] And because it's like the 90s.

[00:18:22] You know, there's no instant notification of anything.

[00:18:27] So, I mean, we didn't know any of that until after we had left.

[00:18:31] And that, thank God, knock on wood, I have never, or I hate saying the word never in cases like this, but I have not.

[00:18:40] You have not experienced it.

[00:18:41] Me personally experienced.

[00:18:43] But, I mean, I've had people who traveled to visit me here in Paris where they almost got pickpocketed by the same people that I saw walk past me.

[00:18:54] It went to them kind of thing.

[00:18:56] They looked like a target, right?

[00:18:59] Touristy or just, like, not aware of what was happening or just like, ooh, you know.

[00:19:04] You know, she was wearing the typical baseball cap.

[00:19:06] He was wearing the typical cargo shorts as if you're not going to look like an American.

[00:19:12] So, and I wanted them to not do that.

[00:19:14] Well, it's just not looking like a target.

[00:19:16] Like, I mean, you don't engage.

[00:19:18] I mean, eye contact in big cities is not, you know, unagreeable.

[00:19:24] They should have known better because they're also from New York.

[00:19:27] They're from New York.

[00:19:27] It's not like they don't know any better.

[00:19:29] I would look at social media to just see what the temperature is.

[00:19:34] People's opinions.

[00:19:35] Yeah, just because I do that.

[00:19:37] I do do that.

[00:19:38] That's what I do.

[00:19:38] You do do.

[00:19:39] But are they being paid?

[00:19:41] Because some of these people are being influencing for money, you know.

[00:19:45] And this is how, this is why you have to obviously use your, you know, other common sense and just be like, okay, this doesn't make sense.

[00:19:53] But I use it for like, you know, things to do.

[00:19:55] You know, when you wanted to say, or is there crime?

[00:19:58] Go to Google.

[00:19:59] I type in stupid words like that too as well.

[00:20:01] You'd be surprised of all the comments that come up.

[00:20:03] I mean, we do it when we buy products on Amazon and we look at how many people are buying the product and stuff like this.

[00:20:12] Reviews.

[00:20:12] Yeah.

[00:20:12] The point I'm making is even look at the media and see what the media is saying.

[00:20:18] And then you make an assessment on your own to see if it's worth you going.

[00:20:23] I've only had something happen to me.

[00:20:26] I've only actually personally had something that personally happened to me.

[00:20:29] But was in a group or was near something that happened.

[00:20:34] That's what I'm trying to say.

[00:20:35] When we were in the group, my very first trip actually abroad, when I had gone to, well, I should say to Europe.

[00:20:42] When I'd gone to Paris in England.

[00:20:44] Well, first we went to England and then we took the bullet train over to Paris.

[00:20:48] And it was the lady in our group.

[00:20:51] And, you know, they specifically tell you, you know, if you're going to carry a purse, don't carry one.

[00:20:55] But if you're going to carry one, you need to make sure you hold on to it, keep it in front of you.

[00:20:58] You know, if you're going to do that, whatever, like that's going to help.

[00:21:01] But still, if you're going to have it and, you know, they tell you specifically what to look for, what to feel for, what to, you know, they just a whole rundown.

[00:21:09] Well, of course the lady didn't do it.

[00:21:12] And it was an older lady on the trip.

[00:21:14] And of course she got robbed.

[00:21:15] You know, we were in the pond and she, you know, she got everything stolen.

[00:21:19] She got her wallet stolen.

[00:21:21] It's embedded in us now.

[00:21:22] When you travel somewhere, why are you putting your wallet in your back pocket?

[00:21:26] For what?

[00:21:27] Why are you putting your cell phone in your back pocket?

[00:21:29] I see people do this all the time and I laugh.

[00:21:31] And if I see somebody get their shit taken away from them, I'm just going to laugh in their face.

[00:21:37] I'm not going to help them.

[00:21:38] Okay, that's really bad.

[00:21:40] I'm sorry.

[00:21:42] But you know what too?

[00:21:43] I am dead serious.

[00:21:46] I'm laughing at that.

[00:21:47] I'm going to put it so bad.

[00:21:48] I'm going to put it out there because, you know, sometimes people forget.

[00:21:51] And I will say that they forget.

[00:21:53] And, you know, the moment they stick it in their back pocket, whatever the circumstances are.

[00:21:56] I'm going to say that they have a momentary lapse, but vacation is not one of those times for you.

[00:22:01] Not to have a momentary lapse.

[00:22:02] For sure.

[00:22:02] The point is.

[00:22:03] I'm just encouraging you not to have those momentary lapse.

[00:22:06] No, no, no.

[00:22:07] I know.

[00:22:07] And there's really no reason.

[00:22:08] No, listen.

[00:22:08] And there's no reason to take your phone out, you know, during a purchase or during those things,

[00:22:13] unless you're using it to tap, you know, tap pay, you know, tap pay, stick it back in your pouch,

[00:22:19] in front of you, underneath your shirt.

[00:22:21] Bingo.

[00:22:22] You know, in your, in your, in your panty pack.

[00:22:25] That's it.

[00:22:25] Underneath your shirt.

[00:22:26] That's it.

[00:22:27] Don't have it out.

[00:22:28] You don't need to put your shit in your back pocket.

[00:22:30] I don't get that.

[00:22:31] I know people are used to that.

[00:22:33] And I'm just like, you're stupid, but whatever.

[00:22:35] And my thing is, is that, you know, I know this sounds really stupid, but because I didn't

[00:22:41] want to look stupid doing it, I actually practiced like a week or two before I went so that I

[00:22:47] would be comfortable with my.

[00:22:48] Oh, wow.

[00:22:49] Oh, my God.

[00:22:50] That's a good idea.

[00:22:51] You're freaking doing rehearsals.

[00:22:53] Oh, my God.

[00:22:54] I do rehearsals because I don't want anybody stealing my shit.

[00:22:57] I'm sorry.

[00:22:58] That's a little bit over the top, but hey, whatever works for us.

[00:23:01] Proper prior planning prevents piss poor performance.

[00:23:06] Oh, Jesus.

[00:23:06] Thank you.

[00:23:07] So.

[00:23:08] This is bad to say.

[00:23:09] I really don't plan.

[00:23:12] I know you don't.

[00:23:12] I guess that's probably because I'm a little bit spontaneous.

[00:23:15] But I think to sum up all of this, the biggest thing that comes to my mind that is important

[00:23:25] and the number one and number two thing to have is common sense and street smart.

[00:23:32] And believe it or not, those are two important things and people don't have them.

[00:23:36] The other thing though, Paul, is that you say you don't plan, but you're going to countries

[00:23:41] that don't really require a whole lot of like.

[00:23:45] For the most part in Europe.

[00:23:47] You're not going to Africa.

[00:23:48] You're not going to South America.

[00:23:50] Yeah.

[00:23:50] But even when I, even because I am going to go there sometime, but even when I go

[00:23:54] to Africa, the most planning I'm going to do is I'm going to say, okay, what do I need?

[00:24:02] Do I need this?

[00:24:03] Do I need that?

[00:24:03] And then, you know, where I want to go.

[00:24:06] That's the most planning I probably do.

[00:24:07] Oh, you're going to have to take some shots.

[00:24:09] You're going to have to.

[00:24:10] Well, that's what I mean.

[00:24:11] That's what I'm talking about.

[00:24:12] I'm talking about those planning.

[00:24:13] That's, that's a no, that's a no brainer, but I'm talking about everything else we're

[00:24:18] talking about here is when I get on ground, you know, am I going to plan to like, make

[00:24:24] sure that my, my wallet is wherever it is.

[00:24:27] No, because I do it anyway.

[00:24:28] I, you know, I hold my phone every time I go somewhere, which is probably not the best

[00:24:33] thing to do, but I hold it tight.

[00:24:35] I hold it tight.

[00:24:36] Somebody be chopping off your hand for that phone.

[00:24:38] That's right.

[00:24:39] In the UK.

[00:24:40] Yes.

[00:24:41] That's, that's the thing.

[00:24:41] I was just having awareness as one way to mitigate risk, like being fully aware of what's

[00:24:47] happening around you.

[00:24:48] And I think if you're in the phone, you're not fully aware.

[00:24:51] I think it's too hard to do both.

[00:24:53] Exactly.

[00:24:54] And that's why I say common sense and street smarts are two most important things.

[00:25:00] I feel like get me by a lot of times.

[00:25:02] If I see a dark ass alley and my friends wanting to go in there, which has happened to me.

[00:25:07] I'm like, I'm not going there.

[00:25:08] They're like, dude, it's Prague.

[00:25:10] Ain't nothing going to happen.

[00:25:10] I'm like, okay, I'll tell you what.

[00:25:12] I go around where there's people and you guys can go through the alley.

[00:25:16] I'll meet you.

[00:25:17] Yeah.

[00:25:18] I'll meet you around the other side because why would we go around?

[00:25:21] Why?

[00:25:22] Yeah.

[00:25:22] Well, putting yourself in a potentially risk.

[00:25:25] At risk.

[00:25:25] Yeah.

[00:25:26] This doesn't make sense.

[00:25:27] And we do that when we're drinking.

[00:25:28] We do that, unfortunately.

[00:25:29] Well, yeah.

[00:25:30] Because you lose.

[00:25:31] You absolutely lose inhibitions.

[00:25:33] Exactly.

[00:25:34] You lose the ability to think.

[00:25:36] Thank you for another reminder.

[00:25:38] And I believe something like this, a situation like this has happened to your French teacher, Guillaume, as well.

[00:25:46] I have one pretty bad story.

[00:25:49] You have to know that, yes, Argentina can be pretty dangerous.

[00:25:52] And there are parts in Buenos Aires.

[00:25:54] Buenos Aires depends a lot of the part of the city.

[00:25:57] There are really safe parts.

[00:25:58] Yeah.

[00:25:59] But dangerous can be everywhere, actually.

[00:26:03] And once I was with food in my hands, I was coming back to my house with food.

[00:26:07] And I met a guy in the street and he wanted to have my food.

[00:26:12] So I stopped and I gave him a few French fries because I wanted to be nice with him.

[00:26:18] And then he was like, no, I don't want only these French fries.

[00:26:21] I want way more.

[00:26:22] Oh, my God.

[00:26:23] I want all of it.

[00:26:23] I want more food.

[00:26:24] So I was like, no, I was already nice to give you French fries.

[00:26:30] So I'm not going to give you more.

[00:26:32] So I said, well, let me go.

[00:26:34] So I'm going.

[00:26:35] And then he was starting to follow me and he became more and more aggressive.

[00:26:39] He was telling me, give me more, give me more.

[00:26:41] And then he punched me in the jaw.

[00:26:45] Are you kidding me?

[00:26:46] Yeah, he punched me in the jaw.

[00:26:49] I'm so sorry to hear that.

[00:26:50] That's crazy.

[00:26:51] I pushed him and I went, I didn't want to fight with him because he was a guy from the street.

[00:26:56] He was, he looked dangerous.

[00:26:57] He had like a lot of scars in the, so not the kind of guy you want to have trouble with.

[00:27:02] So I just pushed him.

[00:27:03] I'm sorry about that.

[00:27:03] And I, luckily I'm running pretty fast.

[00:27:07] Yeah.

[00:27:07] So I'm, but he had something in his, like, I don't know what you call it, but.

[00:27:12] His trolley or something like this.

[00:27:13] Because people are from the street in Argentina, they, they, they recuperate all the garbage in the streets and they put it in the.

[00:27:19] A cart.

[00:27:20] To recycle it.

[00:27:21] Yeah.

[00:27:21] I don't know why.

[00:27:22] So he, he, he took that and he, he, how did he say?

[00:27:25] Throw it at you.

[00:27:26] Throw it to me when I was running.

[00:27:27] So I received it in the legs.

[00:27:29] But I managed to, to run faster than him and I escaped.

[00:27:32] Oh my God.

[00:27:33] That is, that is, that is horrible.

[00:27:35] This was a bad experience.

[00:27:37] Yeah.

[00:27:37] But actually I didn't have any trouble.

[00:27:40] Well, I'm sorry to hear that.

[00:27:41] I mean, at least this is something, I mean, I, I never knew Argentina was considered that.

[00:27:48] I've never been.

[00:27:48] That's on my list of places to go.

[00:27:50] But I didn't realize it could be dangerous.

[00:27:54] And the only advice I would love is to never stop when a foreigner is speaking to you in

[00:27:59] the streets, you don't stop.

[00:28:01] You keep on walking, you in your room.

[00:28:03] Because if, if you stop it, they, they can take it as a weakness sign so they can improve.

[00:28:10] But that's interesting.

[00:28:11] You said that Guillaume, because that's exactly what you guys do here in France.

[00:28:16] If a homeless person or someone that's bothering you, asking you for money.

[00:28:20] I know like French people that I know, they tell me all the time, don't stop.

[00:28:26] Don't stop.

[00:28:26] Just you, or even if you're standing there, you just act like you don't see them or hear

[00:28:31] them kind of thing.

[00:28:32] So I'm sorry to hear about your story, but that's, uh, I think it's the case in every

[00:28:37] country.

[00:28:38] Yeah.

[00:28:38] Of course.

[00:28:39] Well, it depends.

[00:28:40] It depends as well.

[00:28:42] Who is the person?

[00:28:43] If you see it's an old lady, for example, you can help her, of course.

[00:28:47] But in Argentina, uh, it's interesting.

[00:28:50] And I'm glad you were able to share that.

[00:28:52] One of the other things too, that I think we should mention, um, also when you're, when

[00:28:56] you're talking about crime or you're talking about, you know, or you don't think potentially,

[00:29:01] uh, about crime, um, in another, or, you know, is, is when you're making your reservations,

[00:29:06] um, and making your, um, your accommodations in a foreign country, um, you know, what's advertised

[00:29:15] on the internet is not necessarily what you get when you get there.

[00:29:20] Um, um, I have a friend.

[00:29:22] Good.

[00:29:24] Yeah.

[00:29:24] Yeah.

[00:29:25] That good.

[00:29:26] Exactly.

[00:29:27] And my friend, uh, you know, I, I have a friend that actually had that happen to, um, you know,

[00:29:33] she went to Rome and made, you know, made a reservation.

[00:29:35] It was her and her daughter.

[00:29:36] So it was, you know, there were no males on the trip with them.

[00:29:39] Um, and they actually went to Rome, um, and their booking was when they got there, it was,

[00:29:46] you know, past, you know, all the touristy things passed off, you know, which is fine.

[00:29:49] I mean, cause they had done B and B's in the past, but it just seemed further away than,

[00:29:55] you know, than where they typically would go.

[00:29:59] And, you know, she thought she had mapped it out of it and it was, I mean, it was further

[00:30:02] away and it was still on the out, you know, it was still kind of in the area, but it was

[00:30:06] on the Oscars and turned out to be, um, you know, when they checked into the hotel, uh,

[00:30:13] it was not quite, uh, what they expected.

[00:30:16] And, you know, it was late at night when their flight, you know, got in.

[00:30:20] So, you know, they didn't think that there was anything to do when they got, when they

[00:30:24] got checked into the room.

[00:30:25] Oh my God, it was even better.

[00:30:27] The room door didn't even lock properly.

[00:30:29] Um, it was dingy.

[00:30:31] It was nasty.

[00:30:31] The carpet, the bed.

[00:30:32] That's why I say don't look at pictures.

[00:30:35] Pictures.

[00:30:35] And it turned out to be a crack hotel.

[00:30:39] Oh my God.

[00:30:40] So people that go there to do, wow.

[00:30:43] They were to go shoot up.

[00:30:45] That's what it was.

[00:30:46] Oh God.

[00:30:46] I mean, and that's where I would be like, let, let me find a, a known chain, like a

[00:30:51] bingo.

[00:30:52] Yes, exactly.

[00:30:53] Especially if you've never been to a place before.

[00:30:56] And I will tell you, Earl and I were just a victim of this just recently because.

[00:31:00] Was this London?

[00:31:01] When you were in London?

[00:31:02] It wasn't when we were in London, but this was not, this was not a situation.

[00:31:05] Where it was a drug hotel, but it was certainly one of those, those places where you, um,

[00:31:11] you had, where you, uh, where it used to be a nice place, like an, like an older place.

[00:31:17] So what happens is, is they were still using photos, um, when the place used to be in its,

[00:31:22] in its heyday, if you will.

[00:31:24] And so it's one of those places, um, you know, where it gets taken over and, you know,

[00:31:30] the lobby looks okay, but then you start to question it when you walk in and it's a

[00:31:34] nice, it's, it is in a nice neighborhood.

[00:31:35] It's a, it's a Kensington.

[00:31:37] It's a great place, you know, great neighborhood.

[00:31:39] But then when you walk into the place, then you notice, you know, certain things.

[00:31:43] I start to sit things out of place and you get up to the room and it was disgusting.

[00:31:48] Absolutely disgusting.

[00:31:49] One of them, but see, but my pet peeve when I'm, when I'm, if I go to like, uh, especially

[00:31:54] a country or a city that's an older city, like Rome, I will chance myself because it's just

[00:32:01] me on a hotel chain that I'm familiar with in a continental Marriott or whatever like that.

[00:32:08] And I would say to people, because right now the most popular thing, especially here in

[00:32:12] Europe is Airbnb and Airbnb people look at it because the price, a lot of times, like,

[00:32:20] uh, I had a family member who was traveling here and they forgot to contact me.

[00:32:25] Well, they got their Airbnb in St.

[00:32:27] Donne.

[00:32:28] They're okay.

[00:32:29] There's nothing wrong with St.

[00:32:30] Donne, but St.

[00:32:30] Donne is technically like one of probably the worst areas in, in, in Paris.

[00:32:36] And I'm sure all my French people will agree with me on that one.

[00:32:40] Um, it's just that, you know, it's not the best of place, but it's, it's, it's one of

[00:32:44] those things because that's why you say don't just because the price is right.

[00:32:49] Doesn't mean that the place is right, you know, kind of thing.

[00:32:52] So always do those looking at a research and they were like, well, the pictures look

[00:32:56] good and the area look good.

[00:32:57] And I was like, well, duh, who's going to show you a picture of like poverty or something

[00:33:02] like that.

[00:33:03] Yeah.

[00:33:04] You know?

[00:33:05] So.

[00:33:05] Okay.

[00:33:06] Well, thank you everyone for watching and listening.

[00:33:10] I hope you enjoyed our show.

[00:33:12] And if you have any crazy stories, uh, please share them.

[00:33:16] I'm sure there are about, um, crime traveling and any, any kind of crazy story.

[00:33:23] It doesn't have to be about, uh, about crime, but we love to hear your stories.

[00:33:26] Cause we want to, we want to share those interactions.

[00:33:29] Um, and quite frankly, talk about them.

[00:33:31] Um, yes.

[00:33:34] So please like subscribe, share with your friends, um, and give us feedback and we will

[00:33:40] see you next time.

[00:33:41] Bye.

[00:33:42] Bye.

[00:33:43] Bye.

[00:33:44] Bye.