I just got home from a two-week trip to Peru. In my many trips to South America in the last two decades I’ve learned a lot about crime and criminals. This knowledge can be summed up pretty easily. Everything you need to know about keeping safe comes down to recognizing toads and papaya.
I was reminded of this fact when I saw this article in my news feed when I got home.
Teen who stole $60K in armed home robbery gets deferred judgment
Read the article. A teenage kid displayed pictures with a big wad of cash (belonging to his mother) on social media. Multiple armed robbers showed up on his front porch, pushed their way inside the house, and then stole the money.
What does that have to do with toads and papaya?
I spend a lot of time in South America. Each country down there has its own cute or funny sayings. They are called dichos in Spanish. These dichos are usually witty statements that offer life advice. I’ve grown fond of learning some of the dichos from the countries I visit.
In Peru there is a saying; “Hay sapos.” Literally it means “There are toads.”
The “toads” my Peruvian friends are talking about are informants…people who silently observe your activity and provide that information to others. There are always “toads” watching your every move.
Peruvians use “hay sapos” as a verbal caution to people handling money in public. There are always “toads” watching for easy victims. You may not see the sapos, but rest assured that they will be present. Exercise caution. The toads may not rob you, but they will certainly provide your information to someone who will for a little bit of cash.
If the kid in the link above had recognized that there are always “toads” watching, he probably wouldn’t have carelessly flashed a huge wad of money on social media.
A second pertinent dicho comes from Colombia.
The locals there have a descriptive term for people who do things which make it easy for a criminal to victimize them. Colombians call it “dar papaya.”
The term literally means “to give papaya.” In other words, you are acting so vulnerable it’s like giving the criminal a sweet treat. It’s the Colombian equivalent of the term “like taking candy from a baby.” You are making it exceptionally easy for a criminal to target you when you “dar papaya.”
That’s what the kid did when he flashed his mom’s cash on social media. The sapos saw his post and informed the robbers. The robbers thought he was an easy target. He gave them some papaya. They took it and ran.
The next time you post on social media, think about the toads. Don’t give them any papaya.