Shanghai-ed….keep an eye on your six
I travel and live in different parts of the world (lucky me), I want the world to be safe, inviting, and my happy place. In return I will be the best person I can be to my hosts.
Here is a story about what can happen to anyone anywhere at anytime.
Think about what you would do.
We are in Shanghai; we just asked two police where the bus stop was to get to the Bund. Across the street, down a little way, standing with know less than 30 people waiting for the bus to show up. We are in the front row, Joy on one side, a pretty girl and her boy friend on my right. The girl screams, I had noticed a man behind us put his hand up her dress. The boy friend looks at me and I give a nod that the guy behind me did it.
The boy friend did nothing.
In a blink of an eye, the guy jumps on my back (I guess he did not like the fact I ratted him out). I swung around and got him off me. He goes down into a Kung Fu stance and is yelling something at me, Joy is yelling back
(I have no idea what they are saying).
Now here is the split second decision we all have to make, Fight or Flight. I can assure you he was not expecting this; I stepped into his kung-fu stance and put him down.
The element of surprise was on my side.
A taxi pulled up, not sure if he was there to rescue us, but we jumped in and drove away, Kung-Fu still lying on the sidewalk. So I find out what all the yelling was, the guy was telling me that foreigners can’t touch him (he will have to rethink that one) and Joy was telling him to Run, I guess she knew what was going to happen.
So, I travel around town, around the world watching my Six. I never sit with my back to a door. I dress like most people will not even notice me. I do not own a smart phone; (I would probably walk into to many light poles). I keep my head up and make eye contact with people (usually with a smile or hello). And if by chance I am at some third world airport, I look to make sure my Angel is on my shoulder.
