"See my friend over there?"
We don't look. This is a well-known pick-pocketing technique; instead we fix our gaze in the direction we're walking. Just another guy pestering tourists for money.
"Don't run or he'll shoot."
Or not. I freeze and look at Matt, unsure whether we should give the guy everything we've got, ignore him or make a run for it.
"Give me your phones and money."
I don't know what I'd have done if I'd been on my own. Panic. Given him my phone and money, probably. Luckily I had my very own 6'5" bodyguard who firmly repeated as long as the guy persisted that we didn't have anything on us (while I set about hiding my handbag as best I could) and carried on walking. Eventually - the whole thing probably lasted less than a minute but it felt like an age - our would-be mugger gave up, let out an unsettling laugh and sloped off in the other direction. By the time we got to a safe place (good ol' KFC) I was shaking so hard I could barely pick up my phone to call a taxi. A large glass of wine back at the hostel saw to that and an hour later the matter was more or less forgotten. However, it had a lasting impact on the rest of our stay: we were more alert to potential trouble, took taxis to and from most places (public transport is ill-advised) and made a point of crossing roads to avoid locals that looked 'sus' - judgemental, yes, but it's a case of needs must. You don't want someone threatening to kill you twice.
Clearly, the asshole of our story was bluffing - his friend (potentially entirely fictional) didn't have a gun and no one planned to shoot us. Added to which, it was 3pm on a bright sunny day and we were in the middle of a large square near the castle, one of the city's tourist attractions - even if he had a weapon would he have used it so blatantly in public? When we relayed our tale to fellow hostel-ers later that day, we were advised that unless these people actually show you a weapon, you can generally assume they're bluffing. Okay - but this is much easier said than done, especially when you're a first-time victim. Even if it happened again, I'm not sure if I'd want to second guess whether the assailant had a lethal weapon.
Danger wise, that's the worst Cape Town threw at me - and it's the worst I've experienced since I set off on my travels in April. Even in this mixed race city, you still stand out as a tourist and become a potential target for crime, which includes pickpocketing, mugging, threats, aggression and unsettling persistence when asking for money. A few examples:
- Along with a group of (white) strangers, I was followed up a main road for a good five minutes by a man yelling 'Please master, spare some change' which was bizarre and unpleasant. Persistence can be unnerving in itself, even in the middle of the day when you're on a crowded street. These people don't care who's watching.
- We encountered a rather aggressive individual on our way to the Waterfront more than once who, when his request for money was denied/ignored, threatened: "Don't make me turn to crime". That ain't gonna help your case mate!
- Random people came up to us on the street or when we chose to sit outside for dinner asking whether they could have a sip of our drinks...bit weird. You also get harassed for money when dining al fresco but usually the restaurant owners/security team are on hand to fend them off.
Of everyone who caused me grief over the month I stayed in CT, just one was a white female - the rest were black males. I found the city to be very male dominated; only a handful of times did I find myself walking down a street populated mainly by women (incidentally when I felt safest). This can be quite off-putting in itself, and sadly makes you suspicious of many in the black male demographic. It's judgemental and bordering on racist perhaps; I hate 'doing a Darcy' and leaping to conclusions, but then again, isn't it better to be safe than sorry?
I said in a recent post that CT is one of my favourite cities I've had the privilege to visit on my travels so far. I stand by that, despite the difficulties we had to confront on a daily basis. City life comes with risks, no matter where you are in the world, and while those risks may be more prominent in certain places, this shouldn't put you off going (with the exception of Syria, Iraq etc, obviously). CT is a beautiful city and one that I am already keen to revisit (bearing in mind I only left 14 hours ago!). It's as much a matter of having your wits about you and doing everything you can to stay safe, even if that means self-imposing a sunset curfew or shelling out more for cabs. Safety first!
