Would You Ever Walk Down The Street

[Mr Lee]

I ask this question to put it in proper prospective for some who do not seem to understand how rich many Filipinos think we are, and maybe we actually are because of having opportunities that many in the Philippines never seem to get. So to those people who seem to think it is OK to not keep a low profile in the Philippines, would you ever walk down a street where you come, or came from, with a clear briefcase full of lots of cash money? I would say the answer would be no, since you would know you might be putting yourself at risk of being robbed and quite possibly killed in the process, so the average person makes how much where you come from? say maybe 30k, 40k, 50k, 60k etc, and you would never walk down the street with that briefcase with say 20k or its equivalent in medium size bills, so using that frame work, what does the average poor Filipino live on, well they say in the news the equivalent of one dollar a day, so that at present is about 43 pesos, or roughly p15695 a year if they work everyday, so I wonder how many of us think about that when we decide to wear expensive jewelry or whip out a large roll of cash. :AddEmoticons04230:

[Jake]

I ask this question to put it in proper prospective for some who do not seem to understand how rich many Filipinos think we are, and maybe we actually are because of having opportunities that many in the Philippines never seem to get. So to those people who seem to think it is OK to not keep a low profile in the Philippines, would you ever walk down a street where you come, or came from, with a clear briefcase full of lots of cash money? I would say the answer would be no, since you would know you might be putting yourself at risk of being robbed and quite possibly killed in the process, so the average person makes how much where you come from? say maybe 30k, 40k, 50k, 60k etc, and you would never walk down the street with that briefcase with say 20k or its equivalent in medium size bills, so using that frame work, what does the average poor Filipino live on, well they say in the news the equivalent of one dollar a day, so that at present is about 43 pesos, or roughly p15695 a year if they work everyday, so I wonder how many of us think about that when we decide to wear expensive jewelry or whip out a large roll of cash. :AddEmoticons04230:

It is obvious to the casual observer that flashing cash, jewelry or projecting "my chit don't stink" attitude will sooner or later get you victimized whenever you go. This precaution should apply to girlfriends, spouses andchildren who think they are untouchable. Of course they are people who will continue to ignore our warningsand remain "street dumb". With Kuya Lee's observation and suggestions, we should all remain vigilant in our homes and the streets. Theyoften times work in teams -- one for distraction or lookout. Personally, I usually wear my military ball cap with dark sunglasses to hide my eye movement without turning my head. Leaving the bank with large sums of cash(your monthly withdrawal) can easily be detected by the bad guys if you continue to maintain a routine, monthafter month. It's a target enriched environment as poverty and corruption feeds each other. Respectfully -- Jake

[ekimswish]

Actually, while I agree that it's dangerous, I think the Filipino poor deserve a lot of credit here for the restraint they continually apply to not robbing us every time we're there. Drunk, white, youth often will jump someone just for the fun of it. On average, the poor neighborhoods in the West are more prone to violence. Flipping the topic around, how likely do you think it is that you would be jumped in the Philippines walking down the street clearly without any money compared to in the West? My memories of growing up are that until you got a license and a car, putting your feet on the pavement put you at risk, and I was jumped a bunch of times. When I was driving, and my friends and I were drinking too much and looking for trouble, they (I excuse myself from this since I had no idea what was going to happen) randomly beat strangers or vandalized property. I think poor Filipinos are too busy trying to survive, even with whatever crap job is available, to care about being stupid in the street 'for the fun of it.' Welfare enables a lot of folk to sit around, drink, and consider how much they hate people who have more, and at night, maybe go do something about it. If you consider that we habitually have one month to a year's worth of their salary in our pockets, minus the SUV's and handguns of the local elite, it's a surprise we're not robbed every day, and in this, the Filipinos deserve a TON of credit.

[Jake]

Actually, while I agree that it's dangerous, I think the Filipino poor deserve a lot of credit here for the restraint they continually apply to not robbing us every time we're there. Drunk, white, youth often will jump someone just for the fun of it. On average, the poor neighborhoods in the West are more prone to violence. Flipping the topic around, how likely do you think it is that you would be jumped in the Philippines walking down the street clearly without any money compared to in the West? My memories of growing up are that until you got a license and a car, putting your feet on the pavement put you at risk, and I was jumped a bunch of times. When I was driving, and my friends and I were drinking too much and looking for trouble, they (I excuse myself from this since I had no idea what was going to happen) randomly beat strangers or vandalized property. I think poor Filipinos are too busy trying to survive, even with whatever crap job is available, to care about being stupid in the street 'for the fun of it.' Welfare enables a lot of folk to sit around, drink, and consider how much they hate people who have more, and at night, maybe go do something about it. If you consider that we habitually have one month to a year's worth of their salary in our pockets, minus the SUV's and handguns of the local elite, it's a surprise we're not robbed every day, and in this, the Filipinos deserve a TON of credit.

Well said Mike! Generally speaking the Filipino striving to support his family does not gang bangjust for the hell of it. I would have more fear driving or walking any streets in Los Angeles, CA.Jake