Bike Jacking... 'Yo Give Me That Whip You Fool'

Wise words.

Before I left London, I was robbed by a group of four knife-wielding lads and I ended up reasoning with them that they could take my iPod and money, but I was keeping my wallet and housekeys, as I wanted my Travelcard and to be able to get into my home. We argued a bit over my mobile (I told them that I would simply blacklist the handset once I got home, so I didn't see any point in them stealing it) before I gave up trying to keep that. It was all surreally businesslike.

However, by contrast, a single lad tried to rob me with a knife a few months later (I still have a small scar on my left cheek after he cut me) and I just kicked him really hard in the nuts and did a runner. On reflection, I was very very lucky to escape that situation alive and I wouldn't recommend trying that course of action.

At the end of the day, it's just stuff - which can be replaced; there's no way back from being face down in a pool of your own blood underneath some dirty railway bridge off Mare Street.

I've yet to feel even slightly threatened in California, not even in Oakland (4th Most dangerous City in the US last year, apparently).

could this post be any more smug?