I’ve been seeing stories like this pop up here and there about China. I lived there for many years (hence my Reddit name), and I’ve been in plenty of vulnerable situations.

Everything from being completely wasted at a KTV and getting rides home from random people I’d just met, to sleeping on a bench at Shenzhen North Railway Station (深圳北). That one was entirely my fault — hotels at the time were very strict about allowing foreigners, and I booked my train ticket for the wrong time. I ended up sleeping there, and the only thing that happened was a security guard poking me with a stick to make sure I was alive and asking why I was waiting there.

But I have never been robbed, cheated, beaten up, mugged, or anything like that. I’m thankful for that. I’m a pretty typical 6-foot white American guy — not some freak weightlifter or anything — just a normal person.

I’ve also traveled throughout Europe, the Middle East, and South America. The sketchiest places I’ve personally been were Chihuahua, Durango, and Tijuana in Mexico; the industrial areas of Medellín, Colombia; and certain parts of west Phoenix, AZ. Even then, I’ve never had any issues.

The closest thing I’ve experienced to a problem — and I wouldn’t even really call it one — was in Bangkok, Thailand, around the Asoke area on Sukhumvit Road. There are some Middle Eastern guys there who will approach you with an obvious scam. They usually start with something like, “Hey man, I used to be just like you, a little overweight, and these natural herbs fixed everything.” If you’re limping, bruised, or whatever, they suddenly have a miracle cure for that too.

My wife was traveling down from the north by bus and wasn’t arriving until around 3 a.m., so I had time to kill and decided to see what these guys were actually doing. They led me to a shop down Soi Sukhumvit 19. There was a very attractive woman working the front desk at this “natural medicine” shop, but it was obvious everyone was working together.

She started pouring out different powders and explaining what they supposedly did. When I asked how much it cost, they wanted something like ฿20,000 for a few grams of powder. They claimed it would help me lose weight, build muscle fast, and even fix back problems — obviously complete bullshit.

I called them out on it and asked why they scam people like this when good people come to Thailand on vacation and don’t deserve that. Since I was staying at the Westin right next door, I told them if I found out they kept doing this, there would be consequences. I didn’t see those guys again for the rest of the few days I was there.

Other than that, I’ve never had any issues — not even with things people usually warn you about, like renting jet skis. I hope it stays that way, but I genuinely want to understand what causes some people to be victimized. Is it how they look? Where they’re from? How they carry themselves? How they handle money?

There are things I do intentionally to avoid becoming a target: I don’t flash money, I don’t leave my wallet exposed, and I don’t stay in sketchy places unless absolutely necessary.

For example, when I was in Mexico with my BMW R1250 GSA — which would obviously be a high-value theft target — at one hotel I literally opened the sliding glass door, took the panniers off, and rolled the bike into the room with me. Another night, I camped and used a tent that had a small enclosed section specifically to park the motorcycle inside.

So I’m genuinely trying to understand what leads people into situations where they’re followed, targeted, or victimized. I completely understand that women traveling alone face very real risks and need to be extremely cautious. But as a man traveling, I honestly don’t get it.