ACTION IN THE STREETS!
August 17, 2008 01:02 PM Filed in: Travel
I wish I had a picture for this one. It's an
interesting story, the kind that would probably turn
many people off coming to this place. I was coming
back from from a short afternoon outing last week and
as the taxi turned onto the street of my hotel, I
heard a commotion. People were yelling and screaming.
Next thing I noticed was people pointing. Running
towards the car I was in was a guy, maybe late
thirties or early forties. He was running hard and
clearly out of breath. He passed the cab as people
kept pointing. Following behind him was a motorbike
with two people, wearing dark glasses and generally
dressed like bad guys, in my opinion. What was most
surprising, was the guy on the front pulled out a
handgun and began aiming at the running man while
yelling something in the local language. I'm not
entirely certain if he ever fired. Everything sounded
muffled inside the cab. I heard what I thought was
shots, but I also thought it should be louder.
What surprised me the most was how distant it all seemed to me. Even though this passed right by my car, I wasn't shocked. The driver wasn't phased either. I think back and wonder why I wasn't scared or didn't duck down at the site of the weapon, but instead kept watching. Naturally I had to know what happened.
I got out of the cab and went into the hotel while people were still crowding around watching. I asked the lady at the front desk and she explained based on what she knew. The guy I saw running, according to her, was a "snatcher". Snatching and running is somewhat common in the city, though not so much in the area where I am staying. What I found more interesting was that she explained that the guys on the motorbike with the gun were cops! I was told it's fairly common for motorcycle cops to ride around in plain clothes. Makes sense, because I almost never see a uniformed cop around here.
The first thing people need to know is that this does not mean this is a dangerous city. Yes, there is poverty which leads to a bit of petty crime, usually pickpockets and snatchers, but Cebu City hardly gains notice when it comes to any real or violent crime. In the list of the top 50 cities for violent crime, New York, L.A., Moscow, Johannesburg, Detroit and like cities are in the top 10. Cebu City isn't on the list at all. So fear not. There is not trouble in paradise. The only thing you need to fear is all the single women who may be after you or, if you're female, after your man.
What surprised me the most was how distant it all seemed to me. Even though this passed right by my car, I wasn't shocked. The driver wasn't phased either. I think back and wonder why I wasn't scared or didn't duck down at the site of the weapon, but instead kept watching. Naturally I had to know what happened.
I got out of the cab and went into the hotel while people were still crowding around watching. I asked the lady at the front desk and she explained based on what she knew. The guy I saw running, according to her, was a "snatcher". Snatching and running is somewhat common in the city, though not so much in the area where I am staying. What I found more interesting was that she explained that the guys on the motorbike with the gun were cops! I was told it's fairly common for motorcycle cops to ride around in plain clothes. Makes sense, because I almost never see a uniformed cop around here.
The first thing people need to know is that this does not mean this is a dangerous city. Yes, there is poverty which leads to a bit of petty crime, usually pickpockets and snatchers, but Cebu City hardly gains notice when it comes to any real or violent crime. In the list of the top 50 cities for violent crime, New York, L.A., Moscow, Johannesburg, Detroit and like cities are in the top 10. Cebu City isn't on the list at all. So fear not. There is not trouble in paradise. The only thing you need to fear is all the single women who may be after you or, if you're female, after your man.
|