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I kicked one and spared another (because she was a girl) a couple years ago, only to have them come back and looked for me with machetes.  It really pissed me off...

Anyways, I straightened that out and will do it again, a lot harder and far less mercy this time around, if I run into one.

Howie

Never stop on the road, unless, you did plan. Whatever is the reason ... and for sure never in crowd

I used to stay in some hotel at Pham Ngu Lao area over 2 months last year.During my stay there were 8 - 9 oversea tourist customers were snatched and ran away by motorbike robbers. All of them lost their money, cell phone and someone lost passport too.The police could not arrested them. Not only for the tourist or expat , as i would be informed by the local friend ,the snatch robber also do for local people. so, for the lady please be careful for your valuable stuff when you walk along the road.

I think this is an important topic and I want to share my experience, especially for those of you who are new to VN and not aware of this threat.

”The most common modus operandi is for criminals to utilize motorbikes during their assaults. Thieves employ two people on a motorcycle with the passenger snatching the victim's cellular phone, camera, necklace, bags, etc. often while traveling at the same speed as, or swerving in and out of, traffic. This method can be especially dangerous to victims when the straps of the bag are over the shoulder or around the neck, as the victim can be pulled down or dragged by the strap until it breaks”
Source:


I and my wife got purse snatched while driving, doing maybe 30km/h in full traffic (Q.11,HCMC) and we didnÂ’t give off a specifically good target, just the fact that IÂ’m a foreigner was probably enough for them to give it a try. Like a miracle nothing happened to us except the loss of some cash and an old phone.

My advice: don’t make yourself a target, don’t let your guard down, better always be on “high alert modus” when out on the street and don’t think you’re safe, that is a false sense of security even if VN is a safe country in general.

If youÂ’re ever in such a situation or become witness to it, try to memorize the number plate, maybe youÂ’re lucky and there is a tiny chance that it leads to the thieves. Everything else is totally hopeless once theyÂ’re gone.

The most terrible motorbike born robbery IÂ’ve ever seen was when six guys on three bikes took out an old lady riding a bicycle. Two bikes pulled up from left to distract her, another one came from the right, snatched her gold necklace and took off. Simultaneously the bike to the left pushed a stick through the spikes of the front wheel causing her to somersault up into the air and crash face forward down to the ground. The poor lady was badly wounded and covered with blood, absolutely shocking!

I also fully agree with l3ully. Especially as a foreigner, NEVER EVER stop if youÂ’re not involved and avoid such crowds.

@wild1, great job!

Here some clips I found,

Purse snatching in Saigon

Purse snatcher mob justice in China:


Wish you all a safe ride!

Wow, some videos! Yes,
I used to drink at a friends bar in Nha Trang until 2 or 3 in the morning. We used to sit outside taking the cool night air philosophizing. On three times when I was there young couples would run up in total distress after being robbed by up to 12 people on 6 motorbikes. I was told that the women on the back were prostitutes and they would rob the women while the men would go for the guys.
Their modus operandi was to pick backpackers who were drunk from 12 onward and drive their motorbikes round them thereby encircling them, then threaten them and take everything.
The thing is they did use to get everything! Most of the backpackers were extremely paranoid about getting stuff robbed from their hotel rooms ( well who can blame them? after more than 30 yrs travelling in over 20 countries with nothing getting robbed, the management in my hotel in Quang Ngai, first on the right after the bridge on Quang Trung the main road coming into town from the north, used a key to break into my room and steal my iphone, shocking behavior!)
So, they tended to carry their passports, money, cameras, laptops with them.
One girl, Australian I think, fought the prozies off and chased them down the road and got her stuff back. Yeh for her! She was still really distraught after it all.
As I said it happened 3 times when I was sitting there and that was in 2 weeks 1 1/2 years ago.
I had to leave cause I used to see them trying it and I rode my motorbike, an old Minsk, at them. If I stayed i'd be dead by now, seriously.
It gets my juices all worked up lol
Cheers
John

Yes, similar happens all over and very often in this country.

My advice is, do not stop on such places, mind your won business and move on. This is mob justice which can easy turn your direction or suddently be dispursed.

Never stop, if you not have planned to do so, whatever happens on the street.