Some of you may be aware that I was recently taken for a special kind of trip here in Bogotá, Colombia. It´s called a Paseo Millonario.

This type of crime is somewhat unique to Colombia. The term itself is quintessential Colombian humor. Literal translation is “Millionaire´s Outing/Trip”. My earliest recollections of the term are from the early 1980´s. I remember that those were the years that I started to become aware of this type of crime in Colombia.

The Paseo Millonario is a crime that can be identified by several key characteristics.

1.     The crime takes place in a car, usually a taxi

2.     The crime always involves use of the pretext of the car, usually a taxi, to facilitate criminal theft

3.     The victim of the crime, in order to buy his/her freedom, is forced to give the assailants large amounts of money, suddenly and immediately

4.     The Paseo Millionario is often associated with far more serious crimes such as: kidnap, rape, murder

5.     The Paseo Millonario is also famously associated with a Colombian innovation -the use of a drug called “scopolamina”, “scopolamine”, “the zombie drug”or “the forgetting drug”. For more information on scopolamine please see: http://boingboing.net/2007/09/27/scopolamine-zombie-d.html

But what happened to me?

1.     I had left my home with my computer as well as my iPod on that particular day because I had met up with my academic supervisor that afternoon. I have recordings on my ipod that are associated with my research, so I took my iPod along. I took my computer because we were discussing a possible Ford application for a group that I am associated with. Point being: I had brought my entire Mac PowerBook along…something I never do.

2.     That same evening my friend, another Fulbrighter, was having a fundraiser for her cause, so I did something I never do in Bogotá. I went directly from a business to a social setting.  I used to do that all the time in DC, but now, in Bogotá, I almost always go right home as soon as the sun goes down. On the night in question, I went straight from UniAndes (University of Los Andes) to Centro Andino.

3.     I was leaving that location called “Centro Andino” at approximately 11:30pm – 12am at night, on Wednesday the 24th. For anyone unfamiliar, Centro Andino is a very high-end mall, shopping, and dining complex.

4.     I went to my friend´s fundraiser, and when I got tired (as I usually do, before everyone else…unless we´re dancing) I asked my friend for her permission to have her boyfriend escort me to get a cab. I said good night to my friend and her guests. Her boyfriend and I went to the official “curbside” taxi service at the mall. They offer the protection of providing taxi license plate registration, etc.

5.     The taxi driver for the official service said that the cab ride to my home would cost $15,000 COL. My friend´s boyfriend immediately objected to this price. He said it was far too high. I said I didn´t mind paying. At this point, he insisted loudly, he took the initiative to dismiss the taxi driver and physically escorted me out of the cab.

6.     My friend´s boyfriend started walking towards the street, way beyond the location of the curbside taxi service. I followed.

7.     My friend´s boyfriend hailed a cab on the street.

8.     I got in the cab that he hailed and asked my friend´s boyfriend, very clearly, to please take note of the taxi license plate number and write it down. He agreed cheerfully. Later, I found out that my friend´s boyfriend did not take note of the info, and to this day, we have absolutely no idea who the assailant was or what the taxi license plate was.

9.     I sat down in the cab and settled in for the ride.

10. The taxi driver said nothing to me.

11. I told him where I was going. He did not respond but started driving quite quickly. I remember thinking two things. First, I remember thinking if I should ask the man if he believed in Jesus Christ. The second thing I remember thinking was that I should jump out of the cab although it was moving fast. I remember noticing that the cab driver had obviously had part of his ear cut off and sewn back to his head incorrectly.

12. The cab driver turned in a direction that I knew to be incorrect. I took out my phone. The taxi driver asked me, “you´re not from here, are you?” I answered by asking him why he needed to know that. I added that I was not familiar with this part of town, and wanted to know where he was taking me, I said that I was going to call my friends…

13. He stopped the cab. It was dark, and there was no one around. A second man entered the cab.

14. I screamed. I cried. The second man hit me across the face, very hard, breaking my glasses, and he said very clearly that if I continued to scream he would “break me”.

15. I begged the two men not to rape me. I said that I understood that life is hard, and that I don´t judge. I repeated many times to them the phrase, “I understand”. I said that I work for Colombian children. I begged them to let me keep working, I begged them not to rape me, and I said that I had my eyes closed (which I did…I closed my eyes the moment I was hit and never opened them again until I was set free) I said that I could not see them, could not identify them, did not want to identify them, and again, I begged them not to rape me.  I said I would show them the most effective way to steal my money.

16. The second man then spoke. He said that I better not look at him. I agreed.

17. The second man then assured me that all they wanted was money. And that I should pay up. Quickly.

18. I took out my computer. I took out my Ipod. I took out my wallet. I handed everything to them. I asked them what else did they want and if they needed me to help them with anything.

19. They said that they wanted my passwords, pins. I gave them all to them. I did not lie. I told them the pure truth. I even told them what order they had to withdraw money. I told them which card to use first, etc. I told them exactly which pins were required for which cards, and in what order to take out my money.

20. The conversation turned very technical. I essentially taught them, very attentively, with a great deal of care, exactly how to rob me.

21. At this point, the two men began to return some of my belongings to me.

22. They returned my notebooks. My wallet with all of my identification. Half of my broken glasses. They returned my written notes, all of my academic work. I thanked them. I said that I understood, and that I was grateful to have my work back. I said that I was deeply grateful. I told them that my work is for Colombian children. I thanked them many times for returning my work to me. All of this took place in the middle of nowhere, pitch black, with my eyes completely closed.

23. We had been driving around in circles in the taxi this whole time. Now, the taxi stopped once again.

24. The second man warned me not to open my eyes. He took my arm. He opened the door of the car. He told me to get out. He did not notice my BlackBerry on the floor of the car. But I did. I picked it up. I took it with me. I still have it.

25. The second man walked with me for a few minutes then told me to open my eyes and run forward and to never look back. I asked him, “may I run now?” and he said, “yes”.

26. I ran. I ran towards lights. I never looked back.

That´s what happened. Approximately $5000 USD in belongings and cash have been counted stolen, to date.

When the crime was committed, I was about to purchase two very important research tools, which I had worked for a very, very long time to save for.

1.     A membership to the Foundation Center Directory. Cost: $1250.  I had saved enough to purchase a professional membership, please feel free to peruse this outstanding, excellent research tool. I highly recommend it.

https://fcsecure.fdncenter.org/fdo_signup_prof/register.php?setplan=start

2.     HyperResearch, top-notch qualitative data analysis tool. Cost: $375. I had saved enough to purchase a professional “bundle” package, please feel free to peruse this outstanding research software. I highly recommend it.

http://www.researchware.com/sales/pricing-ordering/hyperresearch-pricing-a-ordering.html

More information to follow. Thank you all so very much for taking a moment out of your day to read this.

Though this is not an official Fulbright website, I must also thank Fulbright Colombia. I consider myself extremely lucky to be a part of such an outstanding organization. Their quick response and thoughtful preparations directly contributed to my well-being and safety in this emergency situation.