I was hoping to have a recap of my day at the St. Patrick’s day parade and bar hopping with green beer afterwards. Unfortunately, my iPhone was stolen so I have no pictures and am in a pretty foul mood. Let’s start from the beginning:
My friends and I bought tickets to a block party at an Irish bar downtown. In years past, my St. Patrick’s day celebrations have started at around 8 A.M with breakfast, mimosas, and beer. This year, though, I slept in until about 10:30 and didn’t make it downtown until about 1:00 in the afternoon. We missed the parade, but were having a good time at the bar. At one place, my friend and I were sitting at the bar and I had my phone right next to me on the counter. We were talking with the guys standing next to us when a girl bumped into me and said hello. Thinking nothing of it, I said hello and went back to my conversation. I then reached for my phone not even 30 seconds later and it was gone. I was LIVID. How dare she? I felt violated. It all happened so quickly and this was towards the beginning of the day so I had only had two drinks! I guess she just saw my phone on the counter and that I was talking to my friends and jumped at the opportunity. Fuck her.
Afterwards, we walked to the AT&T store so I could fill out a claim. Then I ate a hot dog and fries outside of the store while I was willing my phone to detonate right in that bitch’s hands.
Whenever I am telling others about my future or previous trips, they usually ask me if I felt safe. And the answer is always yes. I always tell them that the worst things that have happened to me have happened in the United States. And what happened yesterday is the perfect example. I went to Cairo alone, couchsurfed in London and Bangkok by myself with male hosts, and partied on a crowded Thai beach on a night where it was probably rife with pickpocketers, and my first time being robbed and taken advantage of was here in Denver, Colorado. In the good ol’ US of A. It’s been said by many, many solo female travelers before me, but it really is so true that you run the same risk for something dangerous happening to you abroad as you do in almost any city in your home country.
Another thing that got under my skin about this robbery is that this girl in no way, shape, or form NEEDED my phone. If this had happened in Ho Chi Minh City, where petty theft is common, I am nearly positive that the perpetrator would have sold my phone to get money to do something for his/her family, like buy food, pay rent, etc. The fact that this girl was in a bar with a cover charge, celebrating St. Patrick’s day, buying drinks, and dressed well shows me that she is privileged enough to not need the money she will get for my phone for anything essential like food, water, or shelter.
Did you go to any St. Patrick’s day celebrations this weekend?
*Even though I am beyond annoyed and frustrated by what happened, I am very thankful that it was only my phone that was stolen, and that I was not hurt in any way. I am also thankful that I had insurance, and a new phone will be shipped to me sometime this week.
WTF. That SUCKS. Especially on a day when you’re trying to just have a good time. This is just typical. I got my phone stolen in a bar in Chapel Hill a while back, and I tell people the exact same thing about travel. It can happen at home – sitting still won’t protect you. (And when I walk home alone in the dark in Raleigh, I get my pepper spray out.)
Sooo typical. According to the find my iPhone app, she lives in a suburb about an hour outside of Denver, so she probably just came into the city to rob people all day long. Sitting still won’t protect you at all these days, especially if you live in the U.S.!