Among the many dangers in the city of Melbourne, such as being attacked and robbed by young men of “African appearance” there is now a new danger for people travelling by tram.

A person on a tram can now be robbed of a mobile phone simply by having it  grabbed from an unsuspecting user.  The violent thief then jumps from the tram at the next stop and disappears at the station with the stolen phone, leaving the victim traumatised.

This has already happened a few times on Melbourne trams. Apparently, the thieves have been tall African men who are causing much angst in our city.  There have also been three Bulgarians who have been charged for stealing from tram travellers.  And so I am compelled to warn visitors to Melbourne to be very vigilant and hold on to their phones.

It saddens me to declare this warning but Melbourne has become an extremely dangerous place for good people. There are home invasions with serious violence against the inhabitants. Cars are stolen and hijacked.

Women certainly have to think twice before venturing out on their own at night.

So much for  “the most livable city in the world”.

p.s    According to the Salvation Army and the Lord Mayor of Melbourne an added problem is the huge number of beggars in the city who become violent when someone refuses to donate to them.  This is quite frightening and must be off-putting to anyone visiting certain streets downtown.