Help!!! I got mugged!

Ever heard of the news lately? Almost every day, they have a new victim. Couple of weeks ago, a call center female supervisor was killed inside a cab. She was on her way to work at 2am shift. Few days ago, another lady was shot on the head and is now at the state of coma.

It’s time for our government to dismiss other political non-sense issues and really do something about these. Anyway, that is not my subject in this blog.

I’ve thought spreading the “news” will help a lot of people - not to scare them but to give them awareness, facts, tips and how-to’s.

I am always thankful that I am still alive…

Just like counseling, I would say it’s easier to take it from those who had the experience rather than those who have no clue. But I surely appreciate those who gave me encouraging words during my tough moments.

Anyone can be a victim. You can’t say it won’t happen to you because you don’t look like a possible prospect – rich-looking, “weak”, celebrity, businessman or politician, etc.

Who’s the muggers’ target and where?- Anyone especially female call center workers or those with unusual work schedule – night, graveyard shift or early morning shift. Obviously, because it’s dark and there are few people around and no policemen (Does their presence matter here anyway?). It happens everywhere but is rampant here in Metro Manila area.

What should I do?1. Avoid walking alone along a free way or clear street if you can.
2. IF you have no choice because of your unusual work schedule, check the following practical tips:
-Use bags that will easily tear off or avoid using fancy bags.
-Don’t place your valuables (cellphones, IDs, cards) inside your bag. Put them in your pocket instead.
-Keep a low key and avoid dressing up so as not to attract muggers. No jewelry. Wear rubber shoes when going to work. My pair of rubber shoes really did the job in protecting my feet. If you have dress code at work, better bring your office uniform and shoes then get changed when you arrive in your office.
3. When riding a cab, immediately get the plate number and send it to someone you know. Also lock all the doors. My usual practice now when riding a cab after work is to ask the guard to get the plate number for me.
4. Find a place or apartment that ensures security and safety.
5. Avoid sleeping when riding a cab or a bus. Be vigilant.

What do I do during the mugging incident?
· When a gun or a knife is pointed at you, don’t think twice but immediately hand over your bag or cellphone. Giving it away is the best way to deal with this. Never fight back even if you are a renowned black-belter martial artist or an Olympian taekwondo medalist. I learned that most self-defense experts get killed in their attempt to fight muggers contrary to what we watch on action movies… pretty much like how actors are shown doing stunts without getting bruises.
· Drive-by bag snatchings will not give you a chance to think as this is done very quickly and takes few seconds only. Dragging is part of the muggers’ “trip” or fun. If you have a very durable bag that does not easily tear off then release your hold as soon as you realized what’s going on. But this is a rare case. Normally, it is human’s instinct to hold on to your bag as you try to figure out what’s going on...unless you are trained or you get used to the experience. People who think you are too stupid to hold on have no clue. They have not experienced it and they got no idea about what is really going on during the incident. They don’t understand basic human psychology and the meaning of velocity and motion. I guess they needed to get a taste of it in order to understand. Try to experiment -surprise and grab your friend’s bag or wait ‘til someone does it to you. Let’s check your response and you’ll understand what I’m talking about.

What to do if you are a victim?The incident definitely affects not just physical but the emotional aspect. Here’s a list of what has to be done:

Physical
Immediately seek medical attention. Have X-ray & anti-tetanus shots. Cleanse your wounds regularly (once or twice a day). Hot compress is good for bruises. Stay at home and have bed rest. Expose or uncover your wounds but protect them from insects. White fluid & red blood oozing out from your wounds will cause the gauze to stick to them and will be harder and painful to remove when you need to cleanse them.

Emotional
Expect emotional depression, fear and anger as you feel cheated and violated. Prayers work wonders. We needed time to be alone but make sure we are surrounded by our loved ones most of the time. During my distress, what kept me strong was the thought of Christ’s suffering on the cross. What I was going through was nothing compared to His sufferings. That also helped me hope and think that the pain was temporary and I would be well soon.

What to do if your family member or friend is a victim.Listen and be sensitive. You can ask what happened but if the victim is having a hard time talking, just keep quiet. She may be in a stage of shock. If she’s too emotional and crying, don’t be loud and avoid cracking jokes unless she initiated. In my case, it’s embarrassing for me to cry in front of people. So I tried to fight my emotions. That explains why I did not cry that day and the jokes helped. Find a way how to get in touch with the victim by getting her new number if any. Send her SMS message, call her or pay her a visit if it’s okay with her. Sympathize; let her feel that you feel what she feels. Words of encouragement and assurance of prayers are recommended instead of telling them what she should have done. Chances are, you don’t know any better. Be sensitive as the victim is very prone to depression during these moments.

A horrible nightmare… but thank God I am alive!

I walked on that same road this morning to see if I can face my fear… Yes, I was able to without rapid heartbeats. But all the memories came back no matter how hard I resisted. I must admit I began to feel weak as if I was going to faint. I’ve been struggling with fear every time I go outside alone especially when I see red cars passing by. Sad thing is there are no instances each day when I don’t get to see red cars and they are everywhere, they are all around me. This has been going on for weeks now since that incident happened.

Yes, I was mugged. Almost 3 weeks ago, around 3:40AM, I was on my way to work when a red car passed by and was going on the same direction. I was walking alone as I usually do for months now and it was not very dark as there were street lights around when the car suddenly made a U-turn just before reaching the guard house at the entrance of the “city”. It made its way on the center of the road and suddenly went to my direction. Without changing its speed, a hand came out of the car window and snatched my shoulder bag. It was so swift that I could not even let go of my bag so I was dragged off along the road which was not so smooth. With my eyes open, I could see what was going on as I was being dragged along. I was able to release my hold when my bag tore off. I could see that strong hand holding my bag up in the air with pride. I did not see the car plate if there was any as I was lying on the road.
I managed to get up quickly and ran towards the group of vendors on the other side of the road who were preparing their stuff. I asked if they got the plate number. The car ran too fast that the vendors were clueless as they did not even know what had happened. They said they just saw me lying on the road not knowing the reason (Could you imagine what they were thinking? – maybe they thought I was just sleepy or drunk!). I thought it was just a bad dream until I began to feel the pain on my arms, knees and tummy side. I did not shout, shake, cry or feel my heart beating fast. I was still normal. I saw my wounds bleeding and thoughts were rushing in my mind. One was, I needed to get to the office as quickly as I can as I no longer have my company ID and proximity, otherwise I’ll be late and my supervisor won’t be convinced that I really made it on time. Could you imagine I was still thinking about my work! Not to mention, I’ve been maintaining my perfect attendance record since January of 2008 – no absences, leaves or tardiness! Second thought was, I needed to run away and take the hidden short cuts to get to the office else the robbers might think of coming back and kill me. They can afford to have a very nice car, they can afford carrying guns for their self-defense considering the kind of “job” that they have! Another thought was – I needed to get to the clinic in the office for first aid. I could feel the wounds bleeding and stinging. Yes, I managed to run and put my jacket on to hide my wounds still thanking God because I am alive and whole. Before, I just get to watch similar incidents on TV. I could not believe it happened to me! But thank God I am alive! I was not kidnapped, raped, shot, stabbed or killed (take note for those who heard a different story), which actually happens in this city and reported on the news. It could have been worse so I should still be thankful. While running, I’ve also thought of Angelina Jolie in her latest movie that I watched – Wanted. I wondered why movie actors and actresses don’t get bruises and wounds from doing stunts like what I got! :-)

Anyway, so I was given first aid and the news spread quickly in the office and in my neighborhood. It did not feel good that I became instantly popular (also thought of putting my name on the Walk of Fame here in Eastwood City). I did not cry but could still smile, laugh and crack jokes but I knew it will surely sink in once I’m alone. So I thought I should be with my family immediately. True enough, it did occur to me when I was in the hospital when the nurses were trying to peel away the dirty gauze from my skin to cleanse the wounds. And it occurred again the next day when I was home and I began to feel the pain that was getting worse every minute. I could hardly move. I knew exactly now how it feels to be disabled, invalid and inutile and I did not like it. I could not get up from bed by myself or even lift a glass of water. Every part of my body was painful. Insects were following my wounds despite constant cleansing. I could not help but cry because of the physical and emotional pain. I felt I was violated and disrespected. I was disabled yet I knew it was only temporary. It was painful but I never questioned God why it happened to me because it can happen to anyone no matter how careful we are. Thank God it did not happen to any family member or friends.

Now I’m slowly recovering from both physical and emotional scars. After that horrible experience, I still thank God for everything especially my life with Him, my family and friends. I still believe that because of Him, life is beautiful and that will never change.