| "We've been robbed," I told Ana. "All of it." I grabbed | | | | and push me into the right place on the bus.He begged |
| the thief, who was no longer acting drunk at all. It was | | | | to be let go, and we knew we couldn't get the money |
| a lesson in travel safety.It started when both my wife | | | | back. Nonetheless, we had the officer take him to the |
| and I had a strong feeling we shouldn't get on that bus | | | | police station on his motorcycle while we followed in a |
| in Cuenca. Neither of us said anything, because a taxi | | | | taxi, paying with a twenty from under the sole of my |
| was two dollars, and the bus cost only twenty-five | | | | shoe. Filing a complaint at least meant he would spend |
| cents. It seems a bit TOO frugal now.Ana found a | | | | the night in jail, and though he would be released in the |
| seat, but there was no seat for me. I was packed in | | | | morning for a lack of evidence, his finger prints are on |
| with the other commuters standing up. I noticed the | | | | file now.Travel Safety LessonsMost likely, a money |
| drunk pushing his way through the crowd, randomly | | | | belt probably would have prevented the robbery. |
| going this way and that, and I knew somethimg was | | | | Closing pockets help too, although I had a wallet stolen |
| up. I instinctively reached into my pockets to check on | | | | from a zipered pocket once, and I didn't notice until |
| my money. I had just visited the ATM. The $170 in my | | | | forty minutes later. Fortunately it was a decoy-wallet, |
| pocket was the most cash we had carried during the | | | | put there for just such an occasion - another little |
| entire trip. Still there. The old guy pushed against me | | | | travel safety trick.Other travel safety tricks? Put your |
| like he was trying to find a place to stand comfortably. | | | | money in at least three different places, like under the |
| I checked my again.Five minutes later some space | | | | sole of your shoe, in a pocket you pin inside your |
| opened up near Ana, and I moved over to her. When I | | | | clothes, and in your shaving kit. Carry two credit or |
| reached into my pocket again, it was empty, and the | | | | debit cards in separate and secure places. Carry a list |
| other pocket was empty too. I never felt a thing. I told | | | | of "lost or stolen" phone numbers in another place. In |
| Ana, and saw that the old drunk was still on the | | | | areas with much crime, leave expensive watches and |
| bus.We got off at the next stop, dragging the thief with | | | | jewelry behind.Learn a few tricks and you can travel |
| us. An officer appeared, and a crowd formed. The | | | | more safely. Our experience also shows the |
| thief was sober now, pulling his pockets out and | | | | importance of learning to trust your intuition. That was |
| insisting again that he was inocent. Search him, he said, | | | | our lesson in travel safety.Steve Gillman hit the road at |
| and I did, but I understood now that his associate was | | | | sixteen, and traveled the U.S. and Mexico alone at 17. |
| long gone with the money, probably off the bus at a | | | | Now 40, he travels with his wife Ana, whom he met in |
| previous stop. His role had just been to distract me | | | | Ecuador. |