Scam in Colaba Area- 2

Vibhu Jindal

Now this is for Male Foreign tourists in Colaba area.

I have noticed recently that near the reataurent Leopold in Colaba....
there stands a bunch of young indian girls and a shabby looking man is usually standing with them....
for several days i couldnt figure out what they used to do standing there.
Then on a sunday afternoon, while walking on the same lane i saw one of these girls following some old foreign guy.....he was trying to avoid them but they kept on pursuing him....along with her that shabby looking guy was tagging along....she kept on saying to that old foreigner in crooked english "I go with you only Rs. 500.." the guy behind her kept on saying "good, good, u find her good"
.......the poor old guy finally lost his cool and pleaded in loud voice to be left alone.......on seeing that guy blowing off ........these girl and the tout dissapeared.
I needn't specify what the girl and her tout were offering to that old traveller..
have seen these ppl go after a no. of male tourists in that area.....
they specifically target foreigners as indians will not entertain them.
Surprisingly they arent afraid of the police or public stares ....and operate openly...
Beware of them as one can get into trouble if he deals with them...
if they try to talk to u be very very stern and noisey with them and if needed be aggressive to them to make ur message clear that you are not interested.

jivan

These kind of rackets are far too open to be shocked Vibhu. I've seen quite a few of these on my travels even as an Indian. Goa was infamous for quite a long time for paedophilia but 've seen young boys/girls selling themselves(flesh trade) in the short time I was there. I remember a particular case/incident well this must be around far side of the beach in arambol or somewhere there there were a group of nepali boys & girls who had come from Nepal. As they were of the same age we got talking, the boys said that somebody had told them that in india,goa there's lot of money & they landed here & now they can't go back. Can I help them in some way. If I want I could have some good fun time with their sister (which was shocking) & then slowly eased away from the conversation.
Another incident was in some other beach when a kid (hardly 10 yrs. old I think) propositioned me if I want/need girls to have a good time. In both the instances I was travelling alone & was left wondering that does travelling single denote I'm desperate or something?

jivan

Another one just remembered which happened sometime back. On an evening, while walking down F.C. Rd. (a popular college-hangout area) a girl, apparently in good clothes & seemingly from a good family was coming towards me & hesitated. Seeing that she's seemingly in some predicament the chivalry in me (sometimes) got & asked her what was the issue. She gave a story pointing to a kinetic that seemingly the petrol in her kinetic has run out as well as her phone being run out could I give her some money. She also asked my address (mind u she was a nice beautiful looking girl/women/babe) thankfully gave her a fictious address. Few days later in Camp, saw her at the same game again hassling some poor soul like me. Although not being a violent person at all, suprised myself with the rage & told her to f**k off in not so many words. Thankfully didn't use any choice words. So this happens everywhere

Vibhu Jindal

Jivan, i also have stayed at F.C. Road for two months......never experienced this incident, have heard some other area called B****** Peth is famous for this kind of hankey panky business.
I found Pune to be one of the most decent Indian city from this point of view.

And yes being single male in India means that " you are deperate for sex, in whatever form". Now everyday on my way to office from Churchgate station to Fort, a no. of Lewd magazine sellers and Vedio CD & DVD sellers have aproached me and propositioned to sell me Porn stuff....

How the hell do they know that i need one??

Especially if you leave ur office after 7 pm or 8 pm when the streets are pretty deserted near the fountain then a no, of times these CD sellers have approached near me while i was walking and tried to whisper "saab , saab, triple X maal hai, double bhi , chahiye kya".....

well what in the name of heaven made them think that i need that stuff so often??
still am unable to find the answer.

aholic_2907

bang opposite tht restaurant is the colaba police station.

jivan

vibhu, welcome to the site, about myself, Indian, male & single. I've been to B****** **** the place u mentioned u'll find quite an opposite post from me harrassment in this case, they're more often than not the victims of a system rather than the culprits, it's the system around which needs to be somehow cleansed the only question is how?

Vibhu Jindal

am not blaming anybody Jeevan....
indeed life has forces one to do many things that one does not want to but still if one can discourage them from doing what we consider wrong then their prospective targets have to be warned

jivan

point taken. Came across another one, women claiming themselves to be kashmiris, showing photos of refugee camps & asking money for assistance.
In this case/incident don't know what to do? Although did politely turned them down but wondered if they were true then what drove them to this extent & could any change 've helped them or is this their way of life now?

sirensongs

Wow, even the young ladies are getting into it. Her request for your address should have been a tip off (what on earth could she need that for? - Indians of all stripes are always eager for this, and I never give it, saying "well I am travelling").

In the US it is a fairly common scam - for a couple to appear "stranded" at a petrol station asking customers for some money "just for gas to get home" and so on. One of the oldest in the book is a big-city US scam, in NYC and the like, in which the scammer approaches someone who looks new in town (they look for the wide eyes and innocence) in tears, claiming he has just been robbed and only needs bus fare to go home to his grandma in New Jersey, and so on.

__________________
"Why do people go to India to find themselves? India is where you go to lose yourself."
Feringhee: The India Diaries

jivan

The idea purpotedly being she would wire (money-order) me the money. There is also the other side which also does happen & had happened to me twice. The nearest one which happened just a few months back. This was again evening & I had gone to take a stroll in the nearby park. While returning home, there was this crazy-looking woman without chappals on a kinetic coming down looking somewhat bewildered. Again, on a hunch asked her what were the issue. Although she didn't tell me her issue but said their is no petrol in her bike & she needs to get somewhere soon. I didn't know whether this was a scam or not & the lady in question was around late 40's so gave her whatever money I had in my pocket (the princely sum of Rs. 50/-). She asked for my address & something prompted me to give the real one. I didn't mention anything about this at the house thinking that I would look like a fool falling for an age-old scam. Few days later the lady knocked at my door (when I wasn't there) came to know later as an eminent doctor in the city, paid her dues & asked to be called whenever any issue came up. Everybody was happy & got loads of ice-cream to enjoy