Yesterday was officially Victory Over Genocide Day. Commemorating true KR spirit, Phnom Penh citizens celebrated by sliding into a spree of thieving not rivalled since those bandits in black took over the countryside over 30 years ago.
Fellow ghetto incumbent Buddy Holly was taking a nap around suppertime. Well scrubbed Khmer youth peers through the curtain mimicking a phone call while his weaselly little pal sat on the getaway bike. After pushing Buddy's bike away from his front door weasel #1 inserts a key, fires it up and leaves in broad daylight.
An hour later next door neighbour emerges from her lair. After warning her about the state of neighbourhood security she relays her story of how someone just tried to grab her phone out of her hand out on the main street.
Two beers later news comes in about a shootout near Prey Sar prison involving three moto theives and police. The outcome was not surprising.
Yes, with 2 million visitors last year and that number expected to grow another 20% this year, we appear to be in the thick of the annual bag snatching, chain grabbing, sticky fingered marte gras that is the Cambodian tourist season.
So lock up your shit and pay attention.
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Streetwalker Annoyances
(I'm just talking about being a pedestrian in this city, so get your mind out of the gutter and get your feet into the gutter.)
Crossing the street:
You're staring at a sea of motorbikes and the random SUV island. You're waiting for the brief moment this mechanical Red Sea will part and you can finally cross. When that moment finally arrives a motorbike will zip up, block your path and ask if you need a ride. Then the wait begins again.
Look both ways before you cross the sidewalk, I mean parking lot:
If I am walking through the spot where you want to park your SUV, you're just gonna have to wait. I walked, you drove, you can spare 5 seconds, I'll even do it quickly. Just because you're King Shit on the road doesn't mean I'm going to wait there watching you try to park, back out and try again and again.
Getting cut off:
I'm getting ready to cross the street, it's obvious to anyone paying attention. The street the car's trying to cross is PACKED. Driver, it'd be one thing if I was slowing you down in any way. But, for god's sake- you don't need to come like a bat out of hell and cut me off to sit there and wait. It really is kind of a dick move.
I'm sure I'll think of more when I walk home.
Later...
(I was really hoping to see a new post on your blog, should I come back in February?)
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