Hello Steemit community
A quick update on the situation since my last post.
14.08.18
One of the worst days of travelling history.
The result was tears on the street.
======
At the hostel, where I had the laptop stolen, I suspected an inside job.
Nonetheless. I waited for the manager to supposedly check the cctv.
I'm a defeatist and pessimist when it comes to fighting for myself .
I should've demanded more effort.
I didn't.
I regret it.
Just like the 100 euros in Germany. I should of raised my voice and created a commotion.
I didn't.
I regret it.
After a few hours, changing passwords, writing my previous post and going through my memories over and over, I found myself watching over at a commotion taking place between another guest and the reception staff.
Now this man had his 800 pound bike locked to the CCTV protected bike rack stolen overnight. He had called the police and returned to give a piece of his mind to the staff who was someone who lacked empathy and poor customer service skills.
I grabbed the man before he left just outside. In the rain we had an exchange.
I found out about the details and shared mine. We pieced together other evidences.
The morning, a lady in the bunk below me mentioned something about losing something but had to check out.
A guy walking past us heard this and mentioned his charger being stolen from his room.
A conspiracy was unfolding.
An inside job?
I soon moved on to lodge a complaint with the Park's police.
They told me I should go to the metro police to file an investigation.
Sure. I proceeded to the Kensington police.
On the way I decided to grab some food as to not punish myself further. (Which I am in a habit of doing)
I went to the hot food section in a supermarket and decided to buy 5 Samosa's.
It was cold.
It's ok. There is a microwave right?
"Sorry, we don't have one."
It's ok. I'll ask the police whilst I'm filing a report.
After 15 mins waiting.
"Sorry guys, I've been trying to access the system multiple times and can't get in. You'd better lodge a report online or go to Notting Hill police."
I sit at the bus stop and eat my cold Samosa.
A smile on my face.
Why is my life such a joke?
God why are you doing this to me?
Have I not tried hard to live the way you wanted me to? I was bitter and upset. A sovereign God I believed in had consistently allowed misfortune to come upon my life.
I arrived at Notting Hill police.
There was 1 officer taking a report with another lady.
1 man waited in front of me.
3 booths. 1 officer.
1 hour passed.
There were officers coming in and out, grabbing food, coffee, and not batting an eyelid at us.
3 of us lining up now.
My mum sends me a fury of messages telling me what to be careful of. Nothing I already didn't know.
Always a child in my mother's eyes.
"Check your bank account" she nagged.
Ok. Fine. I will.
As I put in my login details. My mind is elsewhere... that is... until I saw the numbers.
$2956.39
At the beginning of this trip I had $11000 budgeted. (June-November)
I had spent till around $7000 the last time I checked.
What. The. F**k?
I repeated.
And again.
Over and over. I let the lady next to me know.
I see transactions over and over 10200INR withdrawn from ATMs in different locations.
INR. I googled. Indian Rupees.
What the actual f**kkkk?!??!
My heart started racing again.
Breathing became shallow again.
I started to sweat again.
My eyes darted back and forth.
How.
What?
?????????????!??!??!?!?!??????????!??????
I stood up. I squatted. I was frantic.
Was this related to the laptop?
No. The timestamp dates back to the 12th.
They had been withdrawing since the 12th.
F*king shts.
Every expelative I knew was rolling off my tongue.
I thought hard about how.
The 2 times I used the ATM in London?
I needed to call my bank.
I found the number and called.
"Sorry you have insufficient credit"
What? I've made 1 phone call on this UK sim... to my previous hostel to enquire about the laptop.
Panic.
I circled the police waiting room like a madman.
I stopped an officer walking out and asked for a phone to use citing my situation.
"Sorry, unfortunately we cannot provide you with a phone to use."
"What? Why? Then what can I do?"
"I'm afraid we don't have one to make foreign calls for you. You're going to have to go somewhere else."
I had no words. Just a confused and helpless look on my face.
"Wh- H- Wha- ..."
We exchanged eye contact for a good 5 seconds.
I am an Australian citizen in the motherland the UK, in a police station talking to a police officer and he could not even provide me a phone.
What the f**k do the police do here?
It was over me.
I called my mum via watsapp and told her to call the bank to call me.
(I had previously had problems with the bank 1 month ago in Estonia when the bank froze my account when I tried to buy a new phone because my phone died suddenly and we did this)
The man in front of me finally finished.
I go inside the room. Explained my situation, now 2 different issues.
She suggested I sort out the bank issue first.
"Okay. Can I use a phone?" pointing to the police phone
"Sorry we don't make calls overseas. But there is a library nearby you can call for 10pence."
Excuse me?? The police cannot help me but the library can. What the f**k do the police do?
"Ok. Where is the library?", I replied still composed.
She points on the screen at this library on Google maps.
I look at the screen and pointed out the words "closed"
"Oh it's closed on Wednesdays. Well there is another library..."
Incompetence.
I thought in my head.
"Okay...okay"
I left the police station to look for this library.
My mum replied. The bank was going to call.
They called.
She explains the situation.
I must go to the nearest ATM and withdraw as much money as I can before she deletes the card from the system.
Ok.
I ask the locals for the nearest ATM and the operator said she would stay on the line.
I reached the nearest ATM outside Tesco.
"OUT OF ORDER"
Unfazed by my bad luck I asked the guard where the next ATM was.
"10 minutes walk to the next station"
Ok. Just 10 more minutes. I let the operator know.
10 mins later I reach the station. I see 2 dodgy looking ATMs, I don't trust them anymore. I need a bank.
"Around the corner there are many", the transit officer replied.
I asked a shop owner and she didn't know where the nearest bank was. ???
Another 200m down the street I finally find a bank.
500 pounds I withdrew. My limit. I wasn't even going to use the pounds but I needed money to be able to exchange to euros later to survive.
She deleted my card from the system.
We hung up.
Ok. Back to the police station.
I was now in Shepherd's Bush.
I wander into the police station.
No queues. Good.
Still took about 15 mins before I could talk.
Upon taking the report, the officer was constantly distracted by other people coming in.
"You're going to have to wait, I'm helping this man here first", he told about 5 people whilst getting details of their problems.
There was only 1 officer here too.
"Where is the hostel?"
"Staysafe Holland Park, Kensington"
"What is the postcode?"
?? You're 2 suburbs away... You're asking the tourist?
"Ok... I'll Google map it"
I show him on the phone.
"Here is the address."
"What is the postcode?"
?? Can you not read??!?
"Uh I don't know how to read this address, I'm not from here... is it this? These letters?"
Using his 2 fingers typing he attempted to find the suburb. I judged.
"It's not here. I can't find it"
I was losing it.
"Can you call them?"
"Umm ok. But I can't call on my phone..."
"Here. Use this. "
"?? Me call?"
Couldn't he call?!? He is the one typing it in the system.....I didn't understand his logic.
He gave me a pen and pad.
I asked the hostel for the address. They gave me the same answer as Google maps. I hung up.
We spent 15 mins getting the address.
Incompetence.
The whole time filing the report I was without hope. Even the officer was reassuring me that the team probably WILL drop the case because they're too busy and I wasn't important enough.
Great. Why am I even here. Right.
To get the insurance claim document.
I get my case number because UK MET police do not write reports for victims.
I leave the police station.
The time was now past 6pm.
The debacle took me over 8 hours.
8 hours of hopelessness and disappointment.
How could it be?
I've travelled to "dangerous" countries for alone before...Russia, scam prevalent Thailand, Hungary, Czech, Italy, Philippines to the poverty islands to visit my sponsor child...
Yet... it was the UK, Australia's closest ally and mother country.
A country I did not intend visiting but because a few friends were congregating here i decided to pop by.
This was where I would be simultaneously stabbed in the back twice.
Language isn't even an issue, nor culture...
Yet the authorities were useless to provide help.
No compassion.
No proper training.
Not enough resources.
Not competent.
======
I looked into the sky.
The sun.
The clouds.
A heavy sigh.
I'd been strong.
I'd taken each misfortune as it came and it didn't affect me because I was already expecting to be disappointed.
My pessimism towards my life.
My bad luck.
God's trials to make me stronger.
Blah blah blah
I was tired.
A friend of mine called me.
"Wayne....are you okay?"
No.
I was not.
Hearing a friendly voice. Someone on my side, not out to get my money or hurt me.
I squatted by the underground entrance and tears started to flow.
It's been God knows how many years since I've cried in public...a child perhaps...
=====
That night another friend reached out whom I had not spoken to in 5 years. Now married and living in London, she invited me to their flat and I shared a homecooked meal with them.
The kindness touched my heart.
I smiled.
A smile to end the chapter.
A smile of thankfulness.
========
The next day I visit the the UK branch of HSBC and they couldn't help me. So I visited the Australian High Commission and the consular gave me the proper guidance the police should have done.
I now have my card directed to the Netherlands, to a friends place.
My next destination.
It's been 3 days.
No contact from the hostel.
None from the police.
No hope in them.
But plenty from friends reaching out.
Some I've only met once or spoken to a few times.
Those are the ones that matter.
I will carry a smile today.
A smile of gratitude.