My friend and I are walking from the bus stop towards the main plaza in the historic town of Quito, when all of a sudden a man approaches us. “Señoritas, did you see what happened?” He points at my friend’s back. This is great. Bird droppings all over her shirt. I also notice some splashes on my arm. Luckily, the man is very helpful. He offers us tissues and tells us that there are bathrooms nearby. A second woman appears and starts to talk to Nicole. She has also heard about these toilets. The two of them lead us away from the crowds.
Hmm, no bathrooms. And, suddenly, we are all by ourselves. The man wants me to put down my bag. Why? My bag is full of bird shit too. But how is that possible, if my friend got masterly hit as well? It’s also funny how this woman wants my friend to take of her scarf. All at once, I see where this is going. This isn’t real. We are in the middle of a robbery! What to do? I can only think of one thing: take our stuff and run away. I grab my friend’s arm and shout that we have to right now. She must have realized something too because she starts to run right away too.
We made it. Back in the crowded street. Other people approach us: “Do you still have everything? No, impossible. They didn’t rob anything?” Apparently, we have been lucky. They make us talk to the police. Yes, they have heard of such set-ups before. Distraction and gaining someone’s trust are integral parts of a successful mugging. After faking to be in need of help due to illness and pretending to have found thousands of dollars, the bird shit scenario is one of the most famous ‘robbing techniques’ in Quito. I still can’t really believe what happened. “But this man was fifty and looked very decent. The woman too,” I tell the policeman. “Well, señorita, you’re in Quito now. Here, people are bad. Just don’t trust anyone.” I am angry, disappointed and still kind of scared at the same time. I am fed up with everyone; I don’t want to have to do anything with this people in my life again, including the police.