AN AMERICAN tourist claimed he was ripped off to the tune
of
HUF 67,600 ($268) at a bar of Váci utca.
The story of David Knight, an American in his early 30s,
adds to the countless tales of tourists who have fallen prey to disreputable
establishments along District V's attractive walking street.
One consolation is that the number of such reports to the US Embassy in Budapest is
declining. "We have not heard of as many incidents over the last year when compared
to the number of complaints we previously received," said embassy spokesman Edward
Kemp.
Knight had spent the last four months travelling around Europe, and said his run-in at the
Piccolo Drink Bar, Párizsi udvar 2, "provided me with the true experience and fear
of being a foreigner".
Knight said that on November 24, after leaving an Internet café, two women approached him.
"I had read at the hostel to beware of men offering bars with attractive women, and
attractive women hitting on foreigners," Knight said.
Knight described the two women as moderately good looking but not beautiful: "If
these women had been prostitutes they would not have been able to make a living."
After talking to the women, Knight walked with them to Piccolo for a drink. "We
ordered a round and swapped stories about Central Europe. It was similar to many other
nights I have spent in Europe. We ordered another round with fruit."
He then asked for the bill, which he said was Ft 67,600. "I was able to cover Ft
25,000 ($99) in cash, but promptly told the two women what their respective share amounted
to. One had Ft 6,000 ($24) and the other no money."
Knight said he had to leave his expensive camera equipment at the bar while he went to an
ATM for money. "I told the waiter I could get the money, but I knew the bar was
setting me up. I asked him to open his jacket in order to see that he had no weapons and
would not rob me. He took great offense at this request."
The Budapest Sun repeatedly tried to contact Piccolo Drink Bar to speak to the management
but the staff did not respond to our telephone calls.
The US Embassy published a list in March of 12 places to avoid, more than half of which
were on or near Váci utca, including the Piccolo Drink Bar.
For your information we started a legal battle against this phenomenon.
related links:
Clubs in Budapest
Stories of ripping off, Budapest -1
Stories of ripping off, Budapest -1
Dangers, Warnings and Annoyances, Budapest Hungary
Ladies' scam
Ladies' scam #2
Place, location, map of the bar that rips off tourists
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