Have you ever been robbed?

Warning - Long text ahead!

Me, I got robbed thrice. On 7 February 1999 a couple of armed young men (presumably in their early 20s) literally danced in front of my car. They did it in jest before getting into it as they pointed down to the guns they toted half absconded beneath their white T-shirts. They told me where to go as they sat in the back seat. I hadn't driven around the quarter than they decided to park on the southside of Guararapes shopping mall. They made me get out of the car and into the shopping mall as they wanted money drawn from an ATM using my credit/debt card. Not content with what they had gotten, they made me drive yet to another local shopping mall (Shopping Center Recife) as they "sensed" I might have some more money they could lay their hands on. I knew by the bulge of the guns they toted they had .38-caliber hand guns and wouldn't hesitate to use them on me if I failed to do as told.

To make a long story short, when they felt they had enough money from me they made me get out of they car at some lonely, distant point on BR-101 South expressway in Jaboatão dos Guararapes (a nearby town). They stole my car and drove away in it up the expressway. To make this story even shorter, I reported my car stolen but the police recovered it three days later.

Two years later I'd get robbed again. This time at a traffic jam in Recife. As my car idled, two kid thieves approached from behind at a blind spot where I could not see them on my rearview mirror. They used a couple of broken bottle pieces of glass as weapons to coerce me into giving them what valuables I had. (They actually leveled the pieces to my bare neck). "Give me all you have. NOW!" This they told me yet they did not seem nervous at all. I handed a small sack containing store-bought candies and three R$10 bills over to them. I also lost a golden watch to them. Feeling satisfied with what I had handed to them, they calmly walked away through the maze of idling cars over to the other side of the avenue.

A third (and last) time had me on a vicinal, non-busy street. I just couldn't back up and get out of there as this guy quickly approached, banged the locked window of my car with his fists and demanded, "Me dá o celular!" (Gimme your cell phone!) I handed it to him. I also handed a couple of R$ to him. Content with what he had gotten, he walked away leaving me alone.

The End.

No, I haven't. Actually, I've managed to get away every time they tried. How? I realized it before they got to me.

Regards,

No, I haven't been robbed!
I hope never to be robbed!
I'm living in one calm city, but it is begginig to be violent!
God protect us!

In my post, "They used a couple of broken bottle pieces of glass" should have read "... used shards of green bottle glass..."

Of course, my post may contain other errors, in which case please point them out to me. Thank you.

Yes, I have been robbed once and another robber tried:

I (innocent) was listening to music with my cell phone on my ear, right after that, I heard footsteps behind me and immediately put my phone into my backpack. So, a boy (younger than me) showed up in front of me and "asked for" my cell phone and started to search it in my pockets! Then I started to make him questions, like: Why are you doing this? It's a bad thing to do! Why are you robbing? Do you wanna live in the streets and keep robbing? Don't do that! Please! lol And so a man saw us and yelled, so the boy disappeared!

Other one: I was with my sister, going back from the supermarket and eating Nescau, and suddenly two men showed up in front of us, pointing a golden gun at us, and "asked for" my sister's cell phone, so I gave it to them. My sister (stupidly) asked them if they could give her back the chip! And they gave it to her! And then, my sister saw that my cell phone was with me! And mine was a big brick, and hers was a better one! And she started cursing me!

lol

Just one more error in my post.

"... they had .38-caliber hand guns and wouldn't hesitate to use them on me if I failed to do as told" should have read "... had ... guns, which they wouldn't hesitate to use on me..."

I know of one more dreadful crime tale. As my nephew attempted to park in a dark street he happened to spot on his rearview mirror a couple of dark-skinned guys fast approaching from behind on both sides of his car. With half of his car almost in the parking space he quickly revved up and drove away in time. He left two mouth-gaping bandits wondering how he managed to slip away so quickly.

Yet in another crime case. This co-worker of mine actually fought a couple of thieves as he walked out of a local shopping mall. He had the nerve and the courage to against all odds. I mean, one of the guys he fought with actually toted a knife, which he didn't get around to using. After a brief scuffle, his assailants decided to run and run they did. That saved my co-worker's neck, his wristwatch, and his wallet.

Tell me, do we have a word or words for "saidinha de banco" assault with deadly weapons?

Márcio

Me, I got robbed thrice (three times).
"Thrice" is correct, but it is so archaic that it sounds silly.

they pointed down to the guns they toted half absconded (hidden) beneath their white T-shirts
"Absconded" means to flee, usually with valuables. Wrong verb.

I hadn't driven around the quarter (block? neighborhood?) than they decided (before they had decided)..
The word "quarter" meaning neighborhood exists, but I don't remember seeing it without reference to New Orleans in the USA or some town in France.


to park on the southside (south side)
"Southside" is used in the sense of "the southern part of the city". Otherwise, I'd suggest "south side".


They made me get out of the car and (go) into the shopping mall
Missing verb.

from an ATM using my credit/debt card.
I'd recommend "ATM card". True, it's a debit card. However, it is called an "ATM card" if you are talking about ATMs.


I knew by the bulge of the guns they toted they had .38-caliber hand guns (handguns) and wouldn't hesitate to use them on me if I failed to do as told.
I don't think you liked this sentence, but I think it's fine.


some lonely, distant point on (the) BR-101 South expressway
Missing definite article.


They used a couple of broken bottle pieces of glass (suggest saying "broken bottles as weapons") as weapons

They actually leveled the pieces to (at) my bare neck.
"At" would probably sound better.

I also lost a golden (gold) watch to them.
A "gold watch" is a gold watch. A "golden watch" looks like a gold watch, but maybe it's made of colored paper, dyed chocolate, etc. (A "golden opportunity" is not an opportunity that is made of gold, something impossible. It is an opportunity that has the appearance of gold.)


A third (and last) time had me on a vicinal,
What the hell is a "vicinal"? I had to consult a dictionary to understand the word. I assure you that I have never heard or read it before. In Spanish, it is acceptable to use obscure vocabulary to impress the reader, but in English we find it annoying.


You tend to use archaic vocabulary. This is probably from your extensive reading. The problem is that sometimes the words are out of date and sound odd. Try to use the vocabulary you find in recent novels, newspapers, conversations with natives, etc. Your English is very good. You would have no problem living in the USA or some other English language speaking country. Good job!

Thomas, thank you for going to the trouble of correcting my entire post.

About "vicinal," I think I chose the wrong word for a road/street that sees little traffic.

Márcio, how about "side street"? It is a usually quiet street that starts at a major street. Not much traffic, probably in a residential area, etc.

Marcio and Thomas,

How about alley, a narrow lane (street) often found between streets and behind buildings which is used for service.

Bill, yes, that fits the description for the type of street in which the guy robbed me. Thank you.

No, I haven't

thanks god, i never was robbed
but my father was robbed a week ago

I've been robbed a couple of times during my travels... it happens. The most scary incident was probably in Managua, the capital of Nicaragua.

When I arrived in the afternoon, people were already telling me not to walk around - not even in broad daylight.

In the evening, I wanted to go to a bar and grab a few drinks with some friends, but the hotel receptionist told us to take a taxi - even though the bar was a mere two blocks away!

So of course I wanted to be on the safe side and ended up taking a taxi to the bus station the next day - only to have the taxi driver rob me!

He pulled into a dark alley, threatened me with a knife and told me to give him all my money. Fortunately I managed to convince him that I need my backpack for my work, but it was a pretty scary experience.

Later that day I met an expat who had been in the country for a couple of years already and he said there had been 200 assaults by cab drivers on passengers in the last two weeks alone.

Managua is a scary place... I had a great time in León though.

Yes, the mother´s grocer shop was robbed only time it´s very bad.