[SuchFriendsAreDangerous]

Originally Posted by SYRFox

HARDER

maybe you should link up with this dude:

Originally Posted by Johnny "Magic Fingers"

Yeah - no shit.

I wasn't planning to go out tonight, but my friend rang and wanted to catch-up. We met up near Flinders St. Station (our main train station here in Melbourne) and went across the road to check out some art installation festival. My friend asked if I had rolled a joint and luckily for him, I had.

We walked across to this park and found a dark, secluded spot to smoke the thing. We had just finished it when this group of about 8-9 wired-up teens show up and ask for some dope. We tell them that we've just finished it and don't have any more so they ask for ciggies. My mate gave them a couple and we start to walk off but they're following us asking for a light. One of them started pushing me and that's when it hit that we were in trouble.

We both turned to run and my friend got away but I ran straight into a park bench where three of them surrounded me and pinned me down on the bench. One of them had me in a choke hold while the other two start demanding my wallet and going through my pockets while laying a few punches and kicks on me here and there. They got my wallet, crappy mobile phone and my cigarettes before one of them tells me that:

"Don't you think of going to the cops, coz I'll find you. Don't fuck with us - we're like fucking marines.."

They let me go at that point and I ran like hell towards a main road. That was the end of it and I made it to safety - without any money, ID, phone (or fags) - and then I realised I'd left my bag behind which had a fairly funky digital camera in it.

Long story short - I went to the cop shop and reported it. My mate turned up later but he was okay and my bag turned up as well (minus the funky camera).

So I'm back home now. I feel calm but anxious. It's weird being just another statistic in the big city....

or maybe