Near Mugging

I stayed four blocks away from the beach front in Durban at a hostel called Banana Backpackers. I threw down only 80 rand a night for a private room – that’s a bed with nothing else. Since this is the winter season, hostels have low occupancy. Consequently meeting other travelers is limited. One afternoon I decided to venture out to the beach front on my own. The beach is a safe environment during the day with police cars scanning up and down the front. But I had to reach the beach front first…

On the third block, I walked up a hill on a narrow sidewalk right outside a Shoprite grocery store. All of sudden a scruffy man stepped up front me, leans on a light post, and sticks out his rear end into my stomach. This forced me into the wall of the building. I instinctively stuck my hands in my pocket which held one credit card, 200 rands (~$35), photocopies of my passport, and a cheap cell phone. I decided to not carry my camera and shoulder bag this time. Then another man aggressively pushed up against my back. So I went Bruce Lee crazy on them. Or maybe not…

As the men randomly yelped and yelled, I remained calm and walked past the light post with my hands deep in my pockets in the middle of daylight. After ten seconds of being bounced like a ping pong, the men walked off without a dime. Although this was a public scene, not one soul came to help me during or afterwards. Looking back, I should have given up everything to the men, rather than risking my life.

Otherwise, I enjoyed the rest of the cold, cloudy, and rainy beachfront in a restaurant with paranoia.