By Mike Huber
Having a battle buddy in Colombia was great. Not just for company but for safety. Matt and I had met while backpacking through Asia and kept in touch as we both traveled throughout the world. In January, we coincidentally found ourselves being neighbors in Medellin, Colombia.
For almost three months we would hang out a few times every week. Usually just getting some beers and people watching around our neighborhood. There is never a shortage of sights to see in this city (see my previous blog and the photos here). At the end of each night, we would always text to let the other know we made it home safe without missing a kidney or being kidnapped. The tradition of checking in with each other continued even when my travels brought me to my next destination, Ecuador.
Matt informed me a few Sundays ago he had a date and would catch up via text after the date. I never received a text that night. OK, I thought he probably fell asleep as he starts work quite early on weekdays. He is a lead project manager for a communications company in the United States. One of the things Matt and I clicked on is he has been working remotely for 5 years, and during that time he traveled most of the planet while his company thought he was based in Seattle. Of course, from my previous life working remotely and doing the same, I totally dug his perspective on that.
As Monday came and went still with no word from him, I decided to reach out to one of our mutual friends who was also in Medellin. She returned my text quickly. She had found him unconscious in his apartment Monday morning. He was in pretty bad shape. She managed to have a doctor come to the apartment and administer an IV and look him over. Outside waiting for the drug to work, there wasn’t too much that could be done.
It took four days before Matt was able to walk without falling, and his speech was still slurred by the time I was able to speak with him on Thursday. His laptop, phone, and credit cards had all been stolen. What’s worse, they got him to unlock all his bank accounts and those were drained.
Being a solo traveler myself I had to find a way to help him. Fortunately, they had left his passport. With no phone there was no way to PayPal him money, but with his passport I would be able to Western Union him some cash to at least give him some reprieve financially as he slowly began to untangle the mess. This was a mess that that would continue to spiral in ways neither of us could even imagine.
Terrible this happened. Could happen anywhere, even in the USA. Robbery by individuals is so high now!
And the reason stealing is illegal? Government hates competition. Already they steal up to 1/3 of income from individuals through Federal, State and local taxes, then fees and levies. Money earned through planning, taking chances and sacrifices.
More like 52% when you figure sales tax, gas tax, registration fees, etc.
Plus property taxes. But don’t worry, it’s for the the government. They’re here to help us. Really. /s
Yep. It really is astonishing. Some folks like paying taxes. I’m not one of them. I’ve worked with the federal government. The amount of waste and the incompetence in their ranks is unbelievable.
Yes, I went low on the estimate because most people just discount the cost of taxation to the average Joe. There are
Many who actually aren’t taxPayers, for they receive more than they put in. But for the working and earning people the cost is enormous. A tax is a physical load and we are the donkeys carrying it. I’ve heard mules are smarter and will just stop carrying the load. We need more mules.
I actually wouldn’t mind my individual taxation (for the necessary) so much if it was used efficiently and effectively. The waste and political pocket filling, to the detriment of our entire nation, is what pisses me off. And some people keep voting for more taxation. Never ending
Steve:
Thanks for the response.
First, I like to think there are no average Joes on ExNotes (there are no average Bobbies or Mikes, either).
Second, I agree with everything you say.
Third, and I really hope I’m wrong here, I think if left unchecked the government will just take everything and give us a pittance to live on. Whenever you hear people propose a universal basic income, I think this is where we’re headed if we don’t turn the ship around.
Fourth, we don’t do politics here on ExNotes, so I’ll stop doing politics here on ExNotes.
Joe
And so we are left spiraling . I hope your friend has recovered.
But this part 2 wasn’t worth scrolling thru all these annoying ads .
Unfortunately, those annoying popups are an important part of our revenue stream.
Then might I suggest blocking them, but giving a donation instead? Motorcycle Classics is $6.99 monthly from a newstand, with 14 or 15 stories/sections in each issue. We’re getting close to twice that from Berk and Gresh, $84 a year sounds reasonable to me. Maybe round up to $100 for good measure. In fact, I’ll take some of my own medicine right now. Ads blocked, donation sent. Easy!
Thanks very much, Daniel. I and the ExNotes crew greatly appreciate it!
Thank you sir
In Colombia—and across Latin America more broadly—the greatest danger isn’t random street robbery, but rather premeditated kidnapping targeting foreign tourists.
You can be marked as a target the moment you check into a local hotel; staff members often collude with criminals, setting you up to be ambushed in a secluded area or under the cover of darkness.
You might be abducted to an unknown location, stripped of all your valuables, forced to reveal your bank card PINs, or even coerced into borrowing money from family or friends.
Ordinary tourists are often misled by travel vloggers into believing certain places are perfectly safe; in reality, Central and South America remain the regions with the world’s highest homicide and crime rates.
It is crucial to plan your itinerary carefully and avoid venturing into undeveloped tourist areas simply out of a desire for novelty.
As for the risk of being drugged—this is certainly no urban legend; I have learned of far too many genuine cases from our partners.
Sadly, true