I’ll start this article out by saying I wasn’t mugged, but you’ll have to read on to learn the rest of the story.
One year, I took a friend, who is my photographer, to Paris for the holiday’s and New Year’s Eve.
I was able to get a hotel near the Eiffel Tower with a great view of it. I used credits I had earned with the Hilton because I was traveling so much and accruing miles almost every week when I was out of town.
One night, my friend and I are in our hotel room getting ready to go out and experience Paris’ nightlife, which is quite good by the way.
I was dressed and ready before my friend, so I stepped out to go to this little shop around the corner.
At the little store, I bought a small sandwich and a bottle of wine. I then walked over to the area near the Eiffel Tower. It’s definitely after dark now.
I’m dressed in all black.
I walk over to the side area, near the tower and find a bench off in the trees, in the dark and I sit to enjoy my sandwich.
As I’m sitting there, I see these three guys walking by. They are about 50 yards away from me. Suddenly, they turn and start to walk towards me in the dark area of my bench.
I sat there eating, watching them get closer. An anger was building inside me.
By the time they approached me, I was in full on rage mode.
Before they could say or do anything, I said with a deep, mean voice “Keep moving. I’m eating”.
I sounded so pissed off that it worked.
Two of the guys turned and started walking away. The third guy still stood there, cursing at me in French.
Finally, he walked off to meet his buddies.
The first thing I was going to do was crack that bottle of wine across one of their head and face area. Then I was going to turn with the broken glass in my hand and dare the other two to come near me.
In my pissed off state, I probably would have killed the first guy with that bottle of wine and I would have just walked back to my hotel room like nothing had happened.
The last thing I would want is to deal with a murder in another country.
And besides, who will miss and mourn a fucking low life like these guys.
As I said after my Amsterdam Pick Pocket story, I swear on my life that this is a true account of what happened to me one night near the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.
Lesson – Don’t go in the dark unless you’re prepared to deal with whoever thrives in that environment. Stay in lit areas, preferably around other people.
And always have a plan.
Spider Michaels
Right u r, area around eiffel can be quite notorious after dark! I have survived few walks though, but I won’t do it again