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Dealing with crime while travelling…
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A couple of weeks ago, Aiden went to Girona in Spain for what was supposed to be a quiet weekend with his girlfriend. Unfortunately, he ended up spending most of his time in and around the hospital, police stations and the courthouse. This is not a pretty travel story, as you can tell, but it is one filled with important lessons we can all learn. Especially around safety abroad and how to navigate foreign systems when times are tough...
It all happened during a nightly walk back from the picturesque old town. It could've happened to any of us. A guy tried to grab their phone, followed them down the street... and a few minutes later they were wrestling in the middle of the road while waiting for the police to arrive. Things got considerably stranger from there, as the police took them to hospital, to the police station, and then to a courtroom after a few miserable hours of sleep. Somewhere between the police station, the courtroom and trying to figure out what the fuck was actually going on, Aiden started thinking about how he takes safety in Europe for granted. Falling crime rates don't mean nobody's going to try and nick your phone. And being an experienced traveller doesn't make you bulletproof either. So he wrote about what happened, what he learned, and what he'd do differently. And, you know, the rather unexpected lessons around travel insurance, losing your phone and getting dragged into a foreign legal system. Real, raw, and honest, in classic Broke Backpacker fashion.
PS - if you've got any similar stories from your travels, do share them by replying to this email. Would love to read them. Travel far. Spend less. Live more. |
The Broke Backpacker
Unlock the world without breaking the bank. Join 30,000+ adventurers every week, uncovering the best budget travel hacks and sauciest travel tales.
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