HELP!!!!! I my truck got Robbed last night between 8:00pm and 9:00pm On dec 2nd. I was in Al-Khobar Saudi Arabia when this happened. Items stolen: US Passport, Arizona Drivers License, Other American IDs. Iphone 5, Ipad mini, Laptop, camera, sunglasses, computer bag, a bag of clothes.... about $3,000 worth of stuff. I spent most the night in the Police Station. The Police did not do a good CSI, I had to push them to take finger prints. Accepting the loss of my things, I just wanted a copy of the police report to take to the American Embassy. Through face book I communicated with another phone I have to friends in Arizona. They got onto the computer and on to I-Cloud to track my Phone. If was turned off. At 7am I receive a message that says the phone has been turned on, I was also sent a message at 4:30 am. With a picture of the GPS location sent to me I went back to the Police station. Now I only speak English. Pushing my way around the station I get to someone who understands me. I explain that I was just here last night, and that I have the location of my Iphone in had. Confused I further explained I have GPS tracking on the phone. I said, Let go, arrest their ASS what are you waiting for. Every minute you wasted is one more minute my stuff will be scattered and lost. They asked for current position, my friends went to bed (not disclosing names for privacy reasons, feel free to add if you want credit) so I needed a computer or I phone. I have a Samsung as my Saudi Phone so the I-cloud is not supported on the internet. Fighting my way to a computer, I pull up the location on a Find my I-Phone. I also give them Satellite View. Keep in mind everyone is intrigued that I am tracking the thief. Now knowing better views of the roads, the police determine that this is not in their jurisdiction . It is a different City (Dammam). It is not 930am and I got there at 730. Now I am sitting in the station trying to steel every bit of power for my dying Galaxy Note 3. It was determined I need to go to the Dammam Police Station. 1. WTF! I have to go, why cant they just call and send someone to get this person. 2. I have no Idea where to go. 3. I cannot leave until I get a copy of the police report for the embassy. Now they begin to write a letter to the department in Damman which I have to deliver. And a letter to the embassy. It is now 11:30am. Nothing has been done except waiting!!!!! I ask and they say , they will catch him maybe 1-2 days. I was pissed, and said you should have caught his ass 2 hours ago. Of course I was calm and did not yell but my tone was stern. I they I get a message from one of the two friends that the phone has moved. AHHHHH It is now 11:15 am. I finally get the letters, 3 of them. The man said I needed to take 1 to the immigration office, one to Dammam police and a third somewhere. Now since the immigration office was almost next door I try to drive to it. after 10 min I find it, and push my way into the managements offices showing the envelope with the letter. I find one guy and he signs the letter, now tells me to go up stairs to another guy and I need more things too. this guy went to prayer, so he probably went to lunch too. Im not waiting around when I could be finding my stuff. By the way 3 hours ago I had the location on google earth with a clear location of the house where my stuff is. I also called the embassy at 9am, I did not know what to do. So I was trying to explain the situation and this lady was no help, just tried to set an appointment for later in the day. I was like fine, assuming it being 9 am I would be done with the police by 1 or 3pm. I leave the immigration to find a parking ticket on my truck. ahhhh. I am now driving to try and meet my Saudi business associate ( was speaking with the police for me but could not come to the station. So I am frustrated beyond belief. Not because my passport, and my hard worked business documents were stolen. I was frustrated that I know where everything is and I cannot do a damn thing. So now it is like 12pm. I am starving! no food since 7:30 pm the night before I am l living off Oreos. Trying to navigate toward a place I dont know really sucked. I keep bugging my associate about where I am suppose to meet him. He was still doing business at the ministry office. I get to where I think I should be , but am not there. So I pull over to get Mcdonalds for lunch. I had to stop before I pass out from hunger. This associate said he will be there soon. I see Quiznos next door. Baja Chicken was my saving grace with a Pepsi. I sat and relaxed for 10 min charging my phone and eating. I call the associate back, oah yeah I will mention here this associate is my sponsor in Saudi and should have been with me all day to deal with this issue, not me. Now he said 10-15 min, he has no concept of urgency. like the police. I said Im not waiting and will find the police station myself. Powered with google I find a police station. I head 4 minutes to the nearest one. Oah yeah it’s almost 1 pm and I have an updated message from my friend of a new location for the phone. So I leave now to the Police station, knowing it probably was not the right one. Keep in mind this whole time I know where this guy lives, I see his house but cannot do anything. I get to the next station, NO English ahhh. I show the letter, they determine the correct station for me. so I leave and drive some more just following my google maps. I get to the final police Station, and slowly start making something happen. It is almost 1:15 pm. I should be at the embassy right now. I call the Saudi associate to speak with the officers, I also try explaining how my GPS works. No one has a damn computer and finally someone with little English comes in. I now spill my Pepsi all over this guys office, im thinking, im way to tired right now. I go to another room trying to explain what I am doing, showing the maps my friends sent from Arizona with locations Marked. I call the Saudi once more and he explains to them I am tracking with GPS. Now they get moving. They find me an Iphone and we down load the app on it. I can pull up the location from 11:20 am. I show them maps and they mobilize with more excitement that something is actually going on. Everyone is very nice here. Now around 3:00pm the assign two cops to me. These were chosen because the spoke English, the look in one of the cops eye was like, shit I get stuck with the American. I only say that jokingly. Thinking of how many movies I have seen with that same situation. So now with Iphone in hand and the Find my I-phone app downloaded we head off. We drove into the Hood. The cops were asking few people things. We eventually arrive at the last know location of the phone from what we could tell. This area is all little shops with everything. I walk into these electronic stores asking for I Phone 5, nothing. I forgot to mention these cops are in plain clothes. Few were closed in this spot because it wasn’t quite yet 4pm. So we went for lunch. I am asking why not go to this guys house???? I have the location. As I was driving with the police, it felt like a movie. One was dressed in his white Saudi dress and the other in jeans and white collar shirt. Like detectives in our TV shows or movies but Saudi Style. This means no covert like Chris Tucker in Rush Hour. While I was sitting in the back of the unmarked car; driving through the hood of Dammam, shaking down the Indian shops asking questions I asked… Have you seen the movie bad boys? You know with Will Smith. They started singing and felt like they were all jazzed that I referred to them like that. For the next hour and a half we crawled the streets of 15th and Prince Mohammed st. No luck. I am still wondering why we haven’t gone to the house and went in guns blazing like Americans would have done at 9am. No Iphone 5’s anywhere. It was said that there is no market for the phone. Throughout this time we were monitoring Find My I phone with no new updates. We are now back at the station at 5pm. No luck, but they are going to keep trying and maybe go to the house tonight. I am so exhausted. Now I have to rebook my flight home which was the next day. Get a new passport, change all my 7 email passwords, facebook, etc…and drive home after getting a passport photo. The Start of this post began with HELP!!! This is because I need help from anyone who might have a friend or relative in Saudi that can push the police. At 12:20 am, my I phone has an updated location. It is one block down the street. This is so frustrating that I have the technology to track my stolen items but I cannot do anything about it. Those who can do something about it do not know how. I wish I had a private security force, like the Expendables to go to this guys house. If Stallone were here he would do things the old fashion way. I apologize for any grammar or spelling, it is 2:36 am and I have been typing for over 2 hours on this post. I wanted to write to CNN international to get something going, I will send this story. It really sucks to lose your phone or wallet, but everything really sucks. At least I transferred all my music to my new phone. I would be in such a different place if I did not have my music. It is hard enough recreating playlist with a new phone. Loosing 16+GB of music is worse. I am also lucky because I have all my business files backed up in AZ, and my new documents are spread throughout email. Another think my AZ driver license was out of date and my passport expires in May. So it’s not so bad overall. I also have the thought is that this person probably needs the stuff more than I do. Then again I will do everything to catch him. I know where he lives or at least has slept. I am not so much upset about my stuff, my passport, paying $300 to change my flight home; but I am really pissed that I have the location and can’t act. I am also really pissed that no I have to miss the One Day adventures Staff Christmas Party I look forward to everyone’s comments and discussions. Please make this go viral. How awesome would it be to track down your robber with the help of your friends a half way across the world using Find My IPHONE and Facebook to talk. One man and ICloud VS Saudi Police to apprehend thief.
Posted on: Wed, 04 Dec 2013 00:02:15 +0000
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