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Ted Lamb
Senior Member
Username: Ted_l
Post Number: 1017
Registered: 06-2003
Posted From: 71.189.7.202
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 28, 2010 - 12:35 am: | |
We have learned to travel without purses (her) or wallets (me). Even so, I know that I was the target of a pickpocket on two occasions (once in Florence and once in Rome). Neither attempt was successful.
In Palermo, we were walking near the Sicilian parliament building, when suddenly we were soaked with water. Two kids had run up behind us, and unloaded one plastic bag each, filled with water.
We turned, and watched them run back to their companions, so we just kept walking (I believed that was the best response, under the circumstances).
Looking over her shoulder, my wife said that the kids weren't finished, as a couple more were running up behind us, with these plastic bags. We kept looking over our shoulders as they launched them, but they were far short.
Then, apparently egged on by their comrades, one more began to run toward us. At this point, I turned around, crossed my arms, and stared this little s@#$ down. He, too, launched way early, rather than approach me closely, and his bag fell far short of us.
Exhausted of their ammunition, these little jerks stood a fair distance away, and shouted things (probably welcoming us to Palermo, and wishing us a good trip and fond memories of romantic Sicily).
I declined to try to run after any of them, and give them what they deserved, mainly because I was in a country of which I was not a citizen, and I didn't speak the language. I can only imagine what kind of 'splaining I'd have to do to the police abut beating the crap out of a couple of 10-year old kids. |
Katie Daily
Member
Username: Kdes
Post Number: 23
Registered: 06-2003
Posted From: 76.195.75.92
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 27, 2010 - 01:01 pm: | |
Craig,
In 2004, we were robbed in a similar manner in naples, Italy:
Sitting in our small rental, stuck in traffic with the windows rolled down, on a wide boulevard next to the port, a young man on a Vespa drove by, in between the car lanes, on our passenger side. We heard a loud crash. I thought he ran into us but he had banged the passenger side break-away-rear-view-mirror forward to make the loud noise.
I said, the way they drive here it was bound to happen - we had insurance. About 20 seconds later my spouse noticed the same Vespa rider headed down the sidewalk (about three lanes to our right) riding back in our direction. We both looked at each other and giggled. Right at that moment another young man reached in the open passenger window and grabbed the bag on the floor in between my feet. I grab the bag and yanked it back into the car, and the robber yanked it out the window again. By this time my spouse was out of the car and never having been robbed before was not quite sure what to do.
Remembering a Richard Prior stand up comedy routine (robbers are afraid of crazy people)my spouse began yelling and banging on the the car like a lunatic. The robber let go of the bag an ran off.
We made a bee-line for the Navy Lodge and as we entered the base our then six-year-old asked if the guards would be there all night. |
Martha Fralia
Advanced Member
Username: Mjfralia
Post Number: 360
Registered: 06-2003
Posted From: 207.13.58.240
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 27, 2010 - 12:23 am: | |
Craig,
There used to be information posted in the Sigonella terminal warning of the incident that happened to you. |
Lester Green
Advanced Member
Username: Rtgreen5
Post Number: 305
Registered: 03-2007
Posted From: 69.143.222.224
| | Posted on Monday, April 26, 2010 - 11:04 pm: | |
Craig: I guess that when we travel, we obviously stand out as tourists and are prey to these vermon who are only intent on doing damage. I've heard of these coordinated motor scooter snatchings in Rome or Naples, but surprised that this is going on in Sicily, as well. Apparently, these guys had you cased out before they pulled their dirty tricks. Perhaps it was from an earlier stop or contact that you had made before arriving in that town with the narrow streets. Nothing spoils a trip like an episode such as you described, and it seems to happen frequently, from what I have read on Pepperd. You say that this is your second Space A trip to Sicily, so I assume that during your first trip everything went smoothly, e.g. you didn't get robbed.
Thanks for the report and I guess that this establishes that one should carry the IDs and passports in a neck or waist pouch, or leave ones possessions in a lock box in the hotel.. |
Melinda Cardarelli
Senior Member
Username: Jmcard
Post Number: 403
Registered: 06-2007
Posted From: 72.49.218.166
| | Posted on Monday, April 26, 2010 - 09:16 pm: | |
Craig, thanks for posting this well-written report! Enjoyed the fun photos too. Kudos to you for telling other SPATs about the robbery but not letting it ruin your trip. Quite the adventure! |
Jeffrey G. Carlen
Advanced Member
Username: Jcarlen
Post Number: 287
Registered: 06-2003
Posted From: 72.66.111.2
| | Posted on Monday, April 26, 2010 - 02:33 am: | |
Sounds like a pretty great trip and your pictures were really useful understanding the realities of military aircraft. Sorry about your loss in Sicily. How did you get back on base without an ID card? |
Craig Hullinger
New member
Username: Craighullinger
Post Number: 1
Registered: 01-2010
Posted From: 75.200.124.76
| | Posted on Sunday, April 25, 2010 - 09:23 pm: | |
Our 2nd space a trip Macdill to Sicliy.
Thanks for the scoop
http://travelhullinger.blogspot.com/ |
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