{"id":11342,"date":"2026-01-10T20:03:31","date_gmt":"2026-01-10T18:03:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/?p=11342"},"modified":"2026-01-11T02:36:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-11T00:36:13","slug":"aproape-jefuita-la-londra","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/2026\/01\/aproape-jefuita-la-londra\/","title":{"rendered":"(Almost) Robbed in London!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I travel alone a lot, very much so! I\u2019m not afraid to wander around on my own, but I consider myself cautious: I don\u2019t venture into sketchy areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve always praised London for the fact that I\u2019ve consistently felt safe here. I\u2019m talking about tourist areas, of course, not God-knows-what rough neighborhoods. I\u2019ve seen surveillance cameras everywhere, police presence, no people trying to hassle you, so I\u2019ve always felt fine here \u2013 unlike Paris, for example, where I\u2019ve often felt a sense of insecurity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

LONDON<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Two years ago, for the first time in London I witnessed a cyclist snatching a passerby\u2019s phone right out of their hand, in broad daylight, on the famous shopping street Oxford Street. The victim started shouting, but who on earth would think to \u201ctrip\u201d a guy on a bike who was pedaling away like his life depended on it?! For me, it was something new and, I admit, it planted a seed of fear. Since then, I\u2019ve been more careful with my phone and my camera. Since then, I\u2019ve also started seeing all kinds of hooded cyclists on Instagram, grabbing phones from pedestrians in London. I don\u2019t like this! Because I\u2019m starting not to feel about this place the way I used to in previous years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SMARTPHONE ACCESSORIES \u2013 LONG LIVE THEM!<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Purely for convenience, I\u2019ve been carrying my phone on a crossbody strap for years. It keeps both my hands free \u2013 and more than once, it\u2019s saved my phone from smashing onto the asphalt when I caught it at the very last second.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Hong Kong<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In parts of Asia, I discovered that this whole smartphone accessories thing is a real industry!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
phone straps<\/em><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In Hong Kong, what I liked the most was how colorful and cheerful people make their phones \u2013 from cases you wouldn\u2019t even imagine, to colorful straps, little toys, or even special mini pouches for phones. I got myself some too \u2013 I mean, I couldn\u2019t possibly miss the chance to fool around a bit, but also not the chance to buy a strap that cost about six times less than one bought in Italy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alright, now let\u2019s get back to today\u2019s London.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve just happily made it through New Year\u2019s Eve, where I did NOT see the famous fireworks \ud83d\ude42 \u2013 an experience you can read about here<\/a> \u2013 and I\u2019m excited to be heading to a neighborhood I\u2019ve only been to once before, many years ago. A neighborhood I\u2019d learned back then was the<\/em> place to be, ultra-cool \u2013 Shoreditch<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This time, I didn\u2019t plan to return for a walk, but because I\u2019d booked a lunch reservation to eat a\u2026 schnitzel \ud83d\ude42 (My God, and it all started from a post that, in my case, not only caught my eye, but also tickled my taste buds!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s true, we\u2019re talking about a schnitzel the size of a house, which went viral\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A schnitzel made from various animals and \u201caccessorized\u201d with all kinds of extras.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLet me try it too\u201d, I told myself, time to shake up my routine and my neighborhood choices a bit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I get off the tube in Shoreditch, excited to wander new streets. I check the location on my phone so I don\u2019t wander aimlessly. Naturally, I keep my phone in my hand, following the route on Google Maps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The strap attached to it gets in my way, so I wrap it around my hand, so it doesn\u2019t dangle like a lemur\u2019s tail. I do this in winter, when I\u2019m wearing a thick jacket and it\u2019s not really practical to wear the phone around my neck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I remember that I still haven\u2019t replaced this attachment, which has become pretty worn out from all the friction, even though I\u2019ve bought several replacements from Chinese shops, some of them even metal. What\u2019s left of it now is just a little piece of fabric, from what was once a solid, sturdy plastic accessory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m almost at the restaurant now, just a few more minutes and I\u2019ll be there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I turn onto a street lined with houses. It\u2019s cute, quiet. There\u2019s no one on the sidewalks, no cars passing by, no one walking their dog, not to mention tourists\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then\u2026 BAM<\/strong>, someone snatches my phone out of my hand!!!!!!!!!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I don\u2019t know where he came from, I don\u2019t know when, I didn\u2019t hear him \u2013 he simply came up from behind me on a bike and grabbed it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ONLY it didn\u2019t work<\/strong>, so he takes off!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m still holding my phone, it didn\u2019t even leave the palm of my hand! Basically, the strap attached to the phone through that tiny crappy piece, plus my hand gripping the phone pretty tightly, led to the failure of this robbery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIdiot!!!\u201d I realize I\u2019m yelling at him. Seriously?!? \ud83d\ude42 Not even an \u201cf&@%k you!\u201d or at least something about his mother, Romanian-style. Nothing, man! That\u2019s all I could manage, that\u2019s all I yelled\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m not shocked at all, and I\u2019m surprised myself that I don\u2019t even stop \u2013 I just keep walking, following my route, as if a car had driven through a puddle next to me and splashed the tip of my boots a little. I don\u2019t understand how on earth I\u2019m reacting like this. Maybe because that moron failed and I still have my phone?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I get to the restaurant and what do you think I do? I don\u2019t go in, instead, I \u201clie in wait\u201d for another 10 minutes or so, just in case the thief shows up again. I remembered he wasn\u2019t dressed head-to-toe in black, like many I\u2019ve seen online, but was wearing a light-colored knitted winter hat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, me being completely off my rocker \u2013 what the hell would I have done if I\u2019d actually seen him ride by on his bike?! Especially since I don\u2019t even know how to fight. If only I did, I could\u2019ve at least landed a couple of punches to his face and a kick to some sensitive areas, cause a proper scene in the neighborhood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
This is how these people might look, but the guy in the photo is just a regular, decent citizen \u2013 I photographed him purely as an example.<\/em><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

You can imagine that, in the hours that followed, my brain started processing\u2026 And I realized that, given how much random stuff I film on the streets all the time, this<\/em> was the exact moment when I didn\u2019t have the reflex to hit record, especially since I already had my phone in my hand! It drives me crazy!!! (Although, honestly, I\u2019m not sure what good it would\u2019ve done\u2026)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After this experience, I would kindly like to request lessons in swearing \u2013 in Romanian and English, at the very least. I\u2019d say French too, but in Paris I was robbed in the metro by some\u2026 Romanians. You can read that story here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I travel alone a lot, very much so! I\u2019m not afraid to wander around on my own, but I consider myself cautious: I don\u2019t venture into sketchy areas. I\u2019ve always praised London for the fact that I\u2019ve consistently felt safe here. I\u2019m talking about tourist areas, of course, not God-knows-what rough neighborhoods. I\u2019ve seen surveillance cameras everywhere, police presence, no people trying to hassle you, so I\u2019ve always felt fine here \u2013 unlike Paris, for example, where I\u2019ve often felt a sense of insecurity. LONDON Two years ago, for the first time in London I witnessed a cyclist snatching a passerby\u2019s phone right out of their hand, in broad daylight, on the famous shopping street Oxford Street. The victim started shouting, but who on earth would think to \u201ctrip\u201d a guy on a bike who was pedaling away like his life depended on it?! For me, it was something new and, I admit, it planted a seed of fear. Since then, I\u2019ve been more careful with my phone and my camera. Since then, I\u2019ve also started seeing all kinds of hooded cyclists on Instagram, grabbing phones from pedestrians in London. I don\u2019t like this! Because I\u2019m starting not to feel about this place the way I used to in previous years. SMARTPHONE ACCESSORIES \u2013 LONG LIVE THEM! Purely for convenience, I\u2019ve been carrying my phone on a crossbody strap for years. It keeps both my hands free \u2013 and more than once, it\u2019s saved my phone from smashing onto the asphalt when I caught it at the very last second. In parts of Asia, I discovered that this whole smartphone accessories thing is a real industry! In Hong Kong, what I liked the most was how colorful and cheerful people make their phones \u2013 from cases you wouldn\u2019t even imagine, to colorful straps, little toys, or even special mini pouches for phones. I got myself some too \u2013 I mean, I couldn\u2019t possibly miss the chance to fool around a bit, but also not the chance to buy a strap that cost about six times less than one bought in Italy. Alright, now let\u2019s get back to today\u2019s London. I\u2019ve just happily made it through New Year\u2019s Eve, where I did NOT see the famous fireworks \ud83d\ude42 \u2013 an experience you can read about here \u2013 and I\u2019m excited to be heading to a neighborhood I\u2019ve only been to once before, many years ago. A neighborhood I\u2019d learned back then was the place to be, ultra-cool \u2013 Shoreditch. This time, I didn\u2019t plan to return for a walk, but because I\u2019d booked a lunch reservation to eat a\u2026 schnitzel \ud83d\ude42 (My God, and it all started from a post that, in my case, not only caught my eye, but also tickled my taste buds!) It\u2019s true, we\u2019re talking about a schnitzel the size of a house, which went viral\u2026 A schnitzel made from various animals and \u201caccessorized\u201d with all kinds of extras. \u201cLet me try it too\u201d, I told myself, time to shake up my routine and my neighborhood choices a bit. I get off the tube in Shoreditch, excited to wander new streets. I check the location on my phone so I don\u2019t wander aimlessly. Naturally, I keep my phone in my hand, following the route on Google Maps. The strap attached to it gets in my way, so I wrap it around my hand, so it doesn\u2019t dangle like a lemur\u2019s tail. I do this in winter, when I\u2019m wearing a thick jacket and it\u2019s not really practical to wear the phone around my neck. I remember that I still haven\u2019t replaced this attachment, which has become pretty worn out from all the friction, even though I\u2019ve bought several replacements from Chinese shops, some of them even metal. What\u2019s left of it now is just a little piece of fabric, from what was once a solid, sturdy plastic accessory. I\u2019m almost at the restaurant now, just a few more minutes and I\u2019ll be there. I turn onto a street lined with houses. It\u2019s cute, quiet. There\u2019s no one on the sidewalks, no cars passing by, no one walking their dog, not to mention tourists\u2026 And then\u2026 BAM, someone snatches my phone out of my hand!!!!!!!!! I don\u2019t know where he came from, I don\u2019t know when, I didn\u2019t hear him \u2013 he simply came up from behind me on a bike and grabbed it! ONLY it didn\u2019t work, so he takes off! I\u2019m still holding my phone, it didn\u2019t even leave the palm of my hand! Basically, the strap attached to the phone through that tiny crappy piece, plus my hand gripping the phone pretty tightly, led to the failure of this robbery. \u201cIdiot!!!\u201d I realize I\u2019m yelling at him. Seriously?!? \ud83d\ude42 Not even an \u201cf&@%k you!\u201d or at least something about his mother, Romanian-style. Nothing, man! That\u2019s all I could manage, that\u2019s all I yelled\u2026 I\u2019m not shocked at all, and I\u2019m surprised myself that I don\u2019t even stop \u2013 I just keep walking, following my route, as if a car had driven through a puddle next to me and splashed the tip of my boots a little. I don\u2019t understand how on earth I\u2019m reacting like this. Maybe because that moron failed and I still have my phone? I get to the restaurant and what do you think I do? I don\u2019t go in, instead, I \u201clie in wait\u201d for another 10 minutes or so, just in case the thief shows up again. I remembered he wasn\u2019t dressed head-to-toe in black, like many I\u2019ve seen online, but was wearing a light-colored knitted winter hat. Well, me being completely off my rocker \u2013 what the hell would I have done if I\u2019d actually seen him ride by on his bike?! Especially since I don\u2019t even know how to fight. If only I did, I could\u2019ve at least landed a couple of punches to his face and a kick to some sensitive areas, cause a proper scene in the neighborhood. You can imagine that, in the hours that followed, my brain started processing\u2026 And I realized that, given how much random stuff I film on the streets all the time, this was the exact moment when I didn\u2019t have the reflex to hit record, especially since I already had my phone in my hand! It drives me crazy!!! (Although, honestly, I\u2019m not sure what good it would\u2019ve done\u2026) After this experience, I would kindly like to request lessons in swearing \u2013 in Romanian and English, at the very least. I\u2019d say French too, but in Paris I was robbed in the metro by some\u2026 Romanians. You can read that story here.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11344,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,5],"tags":[27,26,1086,1137,1136,2023,2022,2021,23,20,1274,1089],"class_list":["post-11342","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-calatorii","category-viata-asa-cum-e","tag-calator-singur","tag-calatorii","tag-furt","tag-london","tag-londra","tag-phone-theft","tag-robbery","tag-shoreditch","tag-solotravel","tag-travel","tag-travel-blog","tag-travelling","main-post"],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"2.12.2","language":"en","enabled_languages":["ro","en"],"languages":{"ro":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11342"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11342"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11342\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11364,"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11342\/revisions\/11364"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11344"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11342"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11342"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11342"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}