Anxious After Nearly Getting Mugged:
It wasn't a full on attack but I had my phone stolen a few nights ago and it's shaken me up really.
I'd gone to Dublin for two nights with one of my friends after we've both been through a bit of a rough patch these past few months, my anxiety and anxious situations getting me down and other, similar things for him. But whilst twe were here, he'd met these lads in the hostel he was stopping in and decided to go on a night out for our final night. We went to one bar that was full of people in which I'm not a fan of crowded enclosed spaces but I went in and enjoyed a drink with them, before they visited another bar that was even worse, so I decided to just sit outside.
I was watching this homeless man at the other side of the road. There was just something about him that I felt sorry for. He was an old man and had a dog, and it was kind of annoying seeing people on a night out, walk past him with money dripping out of their pockets and just looking down their noses at him. I'm normally the same but this time I threw him a bit of change, he thanked me and I saw him put it to his heart as I walked back. I was fascinated by it. Every time somebody gave him money he'd do that or kiss it. It made me feel quite warm inside knowing this guy was so grateful.
But all of a sudden, he got up and walked around the corner with his dog. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but my friend inside the bar had messaged me asking if I was alright, so I just replied saying I was but I was thinking of heading back to my hotel. But after that, all of a sudden this guy races past me, snatches my phone out of my hand and ran down the street. I just froze. At first I thought it was my friend messing around but then I realised it wasn't. One of the bouncers chased after him but didn't catch up. The police were soon there and took my information and filed it. but I knew nothing would come of it.
It's just wound me up really and shook me up. I realised the day after that it seems weird how the homeless man disappeared into the same direction that the thief came from. But also makes me wonder if I was a target, and if I'd perhaps had my phone in my pocket then I could have been beaten or even stabbed and it scares me. I had a wallet full of cash too that had my ID and debit cards in too, thankfully I kept hold of that, but it scares me how easily they could have got hold of them.
Where I live at home is fairly rough but never have I had anything like that actually happen, and it also just shakes me up and makes me fearful of being in public a little bit now..
Just reading that gave me anxiety, I've been suffering from it almost my whole life. Last year, I went to a place called Charlotte, and almost everything that gives me bad anxiety happened. It was storming really bad, We were in a horrible place (to me anyways, as I've grown up in a retirement community). My friend and I had broken down in the middle of town, a homeless guy guided us to the nearest gas station, he took us down a bunch of allies too, a bunch of men were staring at me, making comments, etc, and then we finally got back to our car and put water in it and tried to get back to our hotel, but wound up catching on fire on the side of the highway. We then had to sit in the back of a cop car and they had to take us back. We had no money, no vehicle, everything burned up. I kept thinking the homeless guy leading us, was leading us into a trap. He even tried to steal from the gas station we were at, we had to buy him beer, which he drank out in public. It was terrifying. Even the cops told us we weren't in a great place and were surprised nothing happened to us. Needless to say, at least we got back home alive. Dirty and exhausted, but alive. We were 3 hours away from home. I still have anxiety about traveling more than 30min away because of it. Which is sad, because traveling was one of my passions. Thank you for sharing your story! It really hit me hard and I totally understand your anxiety.
I'm so sorry to hear that! That must have been traumatic for you! I'm probably not going to be able to trust homeless people now. I never have done before. I live in Leeds in the UK and the city isn't really a big one, but it has a large community and is quite a popular place, but there is quite a high population of homeless people in the city center. You can't turn a corner without somebody begging you for money, and I have always ignored them yet I feel bad, but you never know really.
But when I was in Dublin, we walked past a homeless person on a bridge where I pulled my phone out to take a photo of the bridge and water all lit up at night, but as I pulled my phone out, a coin flipped out too, right in front of the homeless person and I just picked it back up and put it in my pocket. I felt awful about doing that, it was like I was rubbing it in their face and everything but I was sticking to stories I'd heard in the past about how most homeless people are faking it and have big posh cars parked around the corner..
That is why, when I was later sat outside the bar further away, that I was feeling sorry for this other homeless man. He was an old man and had a dog. There was just something about him that made me feel for him so I threw him a few coins and watching him put it to his heart made me feel all warm and cozy inside. Like I'd helped. And then later he got up to walk his dog around the corner, the same corner the thief came from. And I never even linked the two together until it was too late, but it's looking likely that after helping the guy, he possibly arranged and helped with the whole attack.
See I'm quite similar to you really. I've grown up in kind of a retirement environment. I live in a small village kind of in a little bit of countryside, but also in between two major UK cities, Leeds and Bradford. These cities can be known for crime and even numerous times over the years we've been victim to people breaking into our car. But just never have I known anyone run past me and snatch my phone. I've never really had that fear of wondering "What if?" What if I'd have put my phone in my pocket and the homeless man tipped the guy off? I could have been punched or stabbed , or even shot..and had my wallet and phone both stolen. My family have all said that at least it's just a phone that can at least be replaces easily..but for me it's sticking in my head now.
I know there's many worse situations out there than just this, such as yours for example. but thank you for sharing it, made me feel a bit less alone :P
You're reasoning that it could have been worse. I do the same thing with my situation, all the what if's, etc. It's terrifying. What if that homeless guy did lead us into a trap? What if I hadnt freaked out, would we have not caught on fire? The whole point of the trip was because it was my birthday soon and my partner wanted to do something special for me. We lost so much and it made me feel so guilty. We lost our vehicle, our money, my anxiety got worse. It was pretty painful. But after a lot of work, we are getting back onto our feet. I've gotten help for my anxiety. Your story truly helps me. I will always have the what if's, but I can't change what happened. It happened and I can either dwell or become stronger. So far I am doing both:p
I'm really happy to hear that you got through it and that sharing my story made you feel better too. I always do tell people that the past is the past an learn from it to move on forwards. Yet I can't always seem to get that through to myself hahaha
