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wow, glad you are ok. could you please elaborate? Do you live in the States? Would you mind talking about why you were kidnapped and what preventative measures

wow, glad you are ok. could you please elaborate? Do you live in the States? Would you mind talking about why you were kidnapped and what preventative measures you will take going forward? I am involved in cryptocurrency and worry about this quite a bit but luckily I live where citizens can concealed carry so that at gives me a fighting chance.

nerdponx 9y ago
Not the same poster but I was robbed last year (but not kidnapped...) and something similar happened. They told me to unlock the phone, then kept me there while they ran a factory reset on it. They had zero interest in my personal data -- they just wanted to sell the phone.
- will_brown 9y ago
  My kidnapper used my phone to find an ATM/my bank (maybe other reasons too), and you couldn't make this up but Apple Maps gave him a bank location like 20 miles away and I got my phone back by telling the frustrated attacker I would find a closer bank, it was shortly after getting my phone that I made my escape.
- deleted 9y ago
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will_brown 9y ago
I live in Miami, FL (multiple time murder capital of the world) but was on my way to a family timeshare/small beach town. This occurred in broad daylight at a gas station and perhaps ironically ended in Fort Pierce, FL (8th safest city in the US, according to one publication) after being forced to drive the attacker at gunpoint. After plenty of time to contemplate what action I would take (sorry can not discuss my mental state further) I ultimately opened my driver door and jumped/fell out while my car was in gear. The attacker managed to get into the driver seat and flee. Good news, my wi-fi only iPad was in the car and I got a location the next morning, unfortunately I had to drive into a housing projects and verify both my car and gunman before police went out and made the arrest. Another irony is the police wouldn't get a warrant to get my iPad from the (last) known location or even search for the gun (defendant didn't have it on him at time of the arrest). Truely the most horrific thing was actually the first sergeant on the scene responding to my 911 call and the first words out of his mouth were "cut the crap." Luckily the entire department was outfitted with body cams in June due to prior police misconduct and recommendations from a grand jury, again 8th safest city in the US. I have already made my public record request for the video. I'm not into guns, nor will I turn to one now, but that may change. It's possible a gun would have only got me shot or in hindsight worse with the police response (not all the responding officers responded similarly). I guess I'm considering a dashcam for my car, I'm not sure that would have helped prevent anything, but it's possible it may have deterred the attacker.
- ryanwaggoner 9y ago
  I don't want to detract from your story, but just want to point out that you may be misremembering what you've read about Miami. It was dangerous in the 80s, but is pretty safe today. And while it may have been the murder capitol of the US decades ago, I seriously doubt it was ever the murder capitol of the world. I think the takeaway is that even safe locations require personal vigilance.
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- anony9656789234 9y ago
  I'd also like to not detract from your story but i'd like to weigh in on people's perspective of Miami. As @ryanwaggoner put it, Miami was most likely the murder capital of the world by certain studies and reports but this has changed so much since the 80's/early 90's. I speak from experience as a Miami resident for over 28 years. I have lived in the most atrocious neighborhoods growing up and attended some notorious schools. Nowadays, these neighborhoods have changed dramatically for the better, although some areas still remain unsafe to roam (sometimes but not entire of Liberty City, Overtown, Carol City) - but by all means Miami has improved so much. Never did I experience what you went thru and I feel sorry you experienced it and that it makes you feel unsafe - I do wish this never happens again to you nor anyone else. Just so you know, I am from the worlds' 3rd murder capital of the world, San Pedro Sula (Honduras), and I would happily live in any part of Miami you put me in (no matter the stories anyone hears) than rather go back to my native city/country from which I have a very high chance of being killed any day.
  - will_brown 9y ago
    I think my statement was clearly a historical point about the city, look at my verbiage. Also, I was born and raised in Miami and have lived here longer than you, including the years Miami was murder capital of the US, yes I wrongly said the world. The idea of Miami being safe is relative, even today, because it still has the highest murder rate in Florida. Moreover, most killings in Miami are not random like the kidnapping that occurred to me, no matter where I go or have ever went in Miami I have always felt safe because even in the worst neighborhoods no one wants a random murder which will bring police unlike say a car burglary because that's bad for business. So for example last night by myself I drove through overtown (one of the neighborhoods you mention as still bad) on my way to wynwood, and I couldn't have felt safer because people either look at me like a potential customer or undercover cop (only because I don't look like the typical wynwood hipster). That said, nothing like this has ever happened to me in Miami and that is the irony/point, because this occurred to me in a small relatively safe beach town/resort area outside of Miami ultimately ending in the 8th safest city in the US. Edit: to put things in perspective, in cocaine cowboys you will see a shooting on the open streets in the middle of the day, that was on 168th I was born on colonial drive/160th street, and also the Dadeland shooting in the middle of the day again about 2 miles from my current house, but to your point today Dadeland is safe and the busiest mall by foot traffic in the US (or it was a few years back).

nerdponx 9y ago

Not the same poster but I was robbed last year (but not kidnapped...) and something similar happened. They told me to unlock the phone, then kept me there while they ran a factory reset on it. They had zero interest in my personal data -- they just wanted to sell the phone.

will_brown 9y ago
My kidnapper used my phone to find an ATM/my bank (maybe other reasons too), and you couldn't make this up but Apple Maps gave him a bank location like 20 miles away and I got my phone back by telling the frustrated attacker I would find a closer bank, it was shortly after getting my phone that I made my escape.
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will_brown 9y ago

I live in Miami, FL (multiple time murder capital of the world) but was on my way to a family timeshare/small beach town. This occurred in broad daylight at a gas station and perhaps ironically ended in Fort Pierce, FL (8th safest city in the US, according to one publication) after being forced to drive the attacker at gunpoint. After plenty of time to contemplate what action I would take (sorry can not discuss my mental state further) I ultimately opened my driver door and jumped/fell out while my car was in gear. The attacker managed to get into the driver seat and flee. Good news, my wi-fi only iPad was in the car and I got a location the next morning, unfortunately I had to drive into a housing projects and verify both my car and gunman before police went out and made the arrest. Another irony is the police wouldn't get a warrant to get my iPad from the (last) known location or even search for the gun (defendant didn't have it on him at time of the arrest). Truely the most horrific thing was actually the first sergeant on the scene responding to my 911 call and the first words out of his mouth were "cut the crap." Luckily the entire department was outfitted with body cams in June due to prior police misconduct and recommendations from a grand jury, again 8th safest city in the US. I have already made my public record request for the video. I'm not into guns, nor will I turn to one now, but that may change. It's possible a gun would have only got me shot or in hindsight worse with the police response (not all the responding officers responded similarly). I guess I'm considering a dashcam for my car, I'm not sure that would have helped prevent anything, but it's possible it may have deterred the attacker.

ryanwaggoner 9y ago
I don't want to detract from your story, but just want to point out that you may be misremembering what you've read about Miami. It was dangerous in the 80s, but is pretty safe today. And while it may have been the murder capitol of the US decades ago, I seriously doubt it was ever the murder capitol of the world. I think the takeaway is that even safe locations require personal vigilance.
- deleted 9y ago
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anony9656789234 9y ago
I'd also like to not detract from your story but i'd like to weigh in on people's perspective of Miami. As @ryanwaggoner put it, Miami was most likely the murder capital of the world by certain studies and reports but this has changed so much since the 80's/early 90's. I speak from experience as a Miami resident for over 28 years. I have lived in the most atrocious neighborhoods growing up and attended some notorious schools. Nowadays, these neighborhoods have changed dramatically for the better, although some areas still remain unsafe to roam (sometimes but not entire of Liberty City, Overtown, Carol City) - but by all means Miami has improved so much. Never did I experience what you went thru and I feel sorry you experienced it and that it makes you feel unsafe - I do wish this never happens again to you nor anyone else. Just so you know, I am from the worlds' 3rd murder capital of the world, San Pedro Sula (Honduras), and I would happily live in any part of Miami you put me in (no matter the stories anyone hears) than rather go back to my native city/country from which I have a very high chance of being killed any day.
- will_brown 9y ago
  I think my statement was clearly a historical point about the city, look at my verbiage. Also, I was born and raised in Miami and have lived here longer than you, including the years Miami was murder capital of the US, yes I wrongly said the world. The idea of Miami being safe is relative, even today, because it still has the highest murder rate in Florida. Moreover, most killings in Miami are not random like the kidnapping that occurred to me, no matter where I go or have ever went in Miami I have always felt safe because even in the worst neighborhoods no one wants a random murder which will bring police unlike say a car burglary because that's bad for business. So for example last night by myself I drove through overtown (one of the neighborhoods you mention as still bad) on my way to wynwood, and I couldn't have felt safer because people either look at me like a potential customer or undercover cop (only because I don't look like the typical wynwood hipster). That said, nothing like this has ever happened to me in Miami and that is the irony/point, because this occurred to me in a small relatively safe beach town/resort area outside of Miami ultimately ending in the 8th safest city in the US. Edit: to put things in perspective, in cocaine cowboys you will see a shooting on the open streets in the middle of the day, that was on 168th I was born on colonial drive/160th street, and also the Dadeland shooting in the middle of the day again about 2 miles from my current house, but to your point today Dadeland is safe and the busiest mall by foot traffic in the US (or it was a few years back).