Crushing poverty and generations of genocidal warfare sure can bring out the worst in people, especially when they've been a meal away from the grave a few times. Mikes tips are good common sense whether you live in Laguna Beach, Ford Heights or Cité Soleil. The element is ever present. Meteorites = money and everyone on the planet knows that now. Bill
---------------------------------------- > Date: Mon, 10 Oct 2011 21:58:36 -0700 > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected]; [email protected] > Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] FWD: Kenya robbery notes - from Michael Farmer > > Hi Mike and List, > > I'm an old dog of nearly eight decades and I've seen the lust for objects of > value get a score of people the shit beat out themselves and worse, in the > case of a few women. There isn't a rock circling the heavens that if it were > to fall would tempt me enough to go into a country where I ran the risk of > losing a handful of brains for my shoes. > > I reccommend that Listees tempted to chase meteorites in third world > countries following Mike's primer on how not to lose your property, but not > necessarily keep the banditos from being so pissed at your attempts to thwart > them that they behead you, take up another pursuit. > > Be careful folks. A good analogy would be. How long do you think you'd get > away with traipsing around one of our American inner cities letting everyone > know you would like to pay big cash for empty 40's? > > Glad you survived Mike, > > Count Deiro > IMCA 3536 > > > > -----Original Message----- > >From: Art <[email protected]> > >Sent: Oct 10, 2011 8:17 PM > >To: Meteorite List <[email protected]> > >Subject: [meteorite-list] FWD: Kenya robbery notes - from Michael Farmer > > > >----- Forwarded Message ----- > >From: Michael Farmer <[email protected]> > >To: "[email protected]" > ><[email protected]> > >Sent: Monday, October 10, 2011 3:08 PM > >Subject: Kenya robbery notes > > > >I am overwhealmed with the public and private support I have recieved > >by email and phone since returning home from Kenya. > >I am glad to let everyone know that I am OK, scared, a little jumpy > >perhaps, not interested in any risky adventures for a while. > >The robbery was planned from the start, clearly the lure of more > >meteorites was used to get me back to Kenya, and upon further > >contemplation, I am pretty sure that Greg Hupe and I likely escaped > >another robbery attempt, we were also lured far out into the bush by a > >guy on a motorcycle, and before we arrived at the "house where a stone > >landed", I got mad and decided that we were outside the strewnfield > >and told my driver to turn around, which he did without question. > >Stanley, the guy who worked for me and who set up the meeting that led > >to the robbery was in the car at that time, he said nothing about > >turning around and never mentioned that stone again. I suspect we were > >being led to an ambush at that time and by luck evaded the robbery. > >This time they led me toward the strewnfield, I could see Mwana Wikio > >village and the greenhouses at Kenya Cuttings, so I thought nothing of > >where we were going until it was too late. I think he learned that I > >would not likely allow being led so far away from the known area. > >I do not hate the people of Kenya, it is a wonderful country and > >amazing people, but violence is very common there and I got a taste of > >it up close and personal. I have been resting since returning home, > >trying to sleep, a little sick. Insurance will cover some of my > >material losses, the rest gets chalked up to cheap experience and > >serious future planning with meteorite chases. I advise everyone that > >to get too comfortable anywhere in the world is a mistake you can't > >afford to make. Danger is always there ready to snatch those who are > >off their guard. Remember that if they really have a stone to sell, > >they WILL come to you to sell it. If they demand you come to them, > >WALK AWAY, ALWAYS set the meeting on your terms in a very public > >place. Had I done that, they could never have carried out the attack. > > > >I suggest you also do the following anytime you are in the third > >world, I have already used this tactic to deter kidnapping or robbery > >and will go further from now on. > > > >#1, ALWAYS take a photo of the car you are hiring and the driver > >before you leave, even the drivers ID, if they are legit, they will > >not complain about the security procedure, send it to someone back > >home by text or email, this shows the driver that you have already > >given their name and photo and car description/plate to family or > >friends, a must to locate you should you dissapear. This will deter > >the driver from setting you up as the police have a firm place to > >start and a prime suspect should something happen to you. > > > >#2. from now on I will take a photo of anyone who goes with me, and > >tell them up from that in this situation that if a robbery is planned, > >their picture is already sent out so they will be caught. I could have > >done that this time, the guy who led us to the ambush location was in > >my car for 30 minutes. Again, with smart phones these days, can be > >done in a second, and a great deterrent to someone who does not want > >to be captured after such a thing, likely they would abandon the > >attemp at that point. anyone who has not upgraded to an international > >smart phone should get with the times and spend the money if you plan > >to go into dangerous places. Invest in your safety, you will never > >regret it when you need it. > > > >#3, again, NEVER let them lead you, ALWAYS maintain control of the > >situation by forcing them to meet you on your terms, in a public/safe > >secure place. If they have something to sell, they will bring it to > >you. If they choose the battlefield, time and place, you have already > >lost. > > > >#4, do not trust the police. Many of these places are known for police > >corruption. They were for sure involved in this robbery. > > > >#5, do not take anything you dont want to lose, I lost my watch, > >$2000, which should never have been taken to Kenya, a $20 Casio is on > >my shopping list for African trips from now on! The police told me > >that there is no shortage of people there who would kill you for your > >shoes, much less some nice bling. Lose it! > > > >#6, if you acquire a stone, as I had, ALWAYS secure it rapidly, have a > >place to stash it, lock it up away from you, so if robbed you dont > >lose everything. Keep copies of your passport at the hotel (I always > >do this) so if lost you can get a replacement much easier. > > > >#7, none of them other than my driver knew where I was staying in > >Nairobi, never let people in the strewnfield know where you are > >located, sure path to disaster which I already learned in Portugal in > >1999. Stay far away and never tell people where you come from or go to > >at night. Buy a local phone (I did $17.00 for a phone and ~5 cents per > >minute to make calls to the USA VS $5.00 minute for my IPHONE. Then > >you have a local number to give out so you can be contacted. > > > >#8, last but not least LOCK your phone! My IPHONE was unlocked at the > >time of the robbery, I had disabled the lock because I was taking > >photos on Safari and got tired of the lock. I did not re-engage it so > >now my phone with all kinds of data is in the hands of a criminal > >gang. While I killed the service, I can not wipe the data. My new > >phone has a program not only to track it but to kill the phone wiping > >all data remotely if stolen. You should all think about that is on > >your phone and do this now if you have a new smartphone. > > > >These are not mistakes I will likely repeat. I will still chase falls > >and hunt meteorites, but I will be far more cautious from now on. I do > >want to remind people though that in the event of such a robbery, you > >need to process the situation in a milisecond, to decide fight or > >flight, and your life depends on the right choice! I realized in an > >instant that 5 men with guns and machetes who had ambushed the car > >were too well organized and had won the fight before it had begun. > >Staying calm and relaxed and offering no resistance saved my life this > >time. Had I thought fighting would have led to a better outcome I > >would have fought. I was ready to die, a calm and feeling of absolute > >peace came over me at the time which I can only describe as spiritual. > >It was surreal, not explainable nor can I even duplicate the feeling > >that overcame me when I thought I was about to die, it was as if I > >knew it was over and I was ok with it. I was just thinking to myself > >that I was glad my wife had decided to stay at the hotel. > > > >Glad to be home and alive! > >All you collectors out there need to realize that the cost and risk of > >getting meteorites is getting higher, and you hunters need to heed my > >warning, from someone who has been there and done that before, do not > >let your guard down, that is when the lions and crocodiles strike! > > > >Michael Farmer > >______________________________________________ > >Visit the Archives at > >http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html > >Meteorite-list mailing list > >[email protected] > >http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list > > ______________________________________________ > Visit the Archives at > http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html > Meteorite-list mailing list > [email protected] > http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list > ______________________________________________ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html Meteorite-list mailing list [email protected] http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
