So last night...
We decided as a group that we were going to this discoteca called Pacha right in a popular area of the city. After finishing our McDonald McFlurries around 12:30 a.m. (this is still early for people to go to clubs), we decided to make our way to the area of the discoteca.
A train was arriving just as we reached the bottom of the stairs at the station, so we all quickly made our way into the car. As the doors were about to close, a group of six people pushed their way into the car, compressing us like sardines in a can. While waiting for the train to pull out of the station, one of the men glared at me and hurried to pull his bag into his tight embrace. I was aware that this man was slightly suspicious, so I refused to reach up and hang onto the bars for standing guests. Instead, I hugged my wallet (acting as my purse for the evening) and used the people around to me to stay standing if I was about to fall.
Just as we neared the entrance to the next stop, I heard a guy to my left yell at my girlfriend and push her. She yelled back at him, but he merely mimicked her words in English, saying "fucking step on foot". Other passengers simply watched. We all rapidly exited the car at the next stop and checked our belongings. Turns out my friend had caught one of the men with his hand on her wallet and she yelled at him. He had managed to unzipper her bag from behind and slip his hand in without her noticing. What she had felt was another man touching her upper thigh, and as she turned, she caught the thief. After she caught him, another man in the group started a fight with her in order to distract her (She had not actually stepped on his foot).
Unfortunately, they had managed to swipe another one of the girl's wallets in our group. Although the flap of her purse was facing her, her bag was still low enough for them to reach in without her feeling them.
Here is what we have concluded about the way these thieves strategically accomplish these dirty acts:
1) They travel in large groups. On our train it was about six of them.
2) They wait for trains they know they can crowd so they are easily up against other passengers.
3) Obviously Americans are easy targets.
4) They divide and conquer groups they see.
5) They are very good at what they do. They know how to get in your purse and get out without you feeling it, while only grabbing your wallet and nothing else.
6) If you happen to catch them, other members of the group will attempt to start a fight with you to distract you.
7) Other people on the train will not help you. Period. No one cares if it isn't them.
8) It is not uncommon for men to push or hit women...so don't expect another man to stand up for you.
No matter how long we are here, how well I speak Spanish, or how well I dress like a Spaniard, I will still always look like an American. This is by no means a bad thing because coming here has made me realize how proud I am to live in the states, however; it does mean that I will always be a constant target and I must be more cautious than the average traveler.
Now that we know what to look for and ways to protect ourselves from it, it will be easier to prevent our things from being stolen. This doesn't mean it still won't happen unfortunately. One of our teachers explained that they even attempted to rob her, and she is a tall, rather intimidating Spanish native. They will never stop attempting to gain quick cash, so we can never truly stop guarding ourselves. This is unfortunately one of the aspects of living in a foreign country with a different way of life. We can't let our fear of it control us, but we can learn from it and start to learn how to live the way the Spanish do.
Boy does this make me miss the T!
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