A cyclist waits to cross traffic behind two taxis in Medellin in this photo from March 7, 2018. In countries like Colombia, it is a good idea to have a hotel doorman hail a reliable taxi.
On the evening of Friday, Sept. 25, American tourist John Mariani left his hotel in Medellin, Colombia, and jumped into a taxi. The 65-year-old New Yorker was staying at one of the many high-class hotels in Medellin's upscale El Poblado neighborhood . But shortly after leaving the hotel, the taxi picked up a tail and was followed by a car and a motorcycle. The drivers of the trailing vehicles reportedly forced the taxi to stop and confronted the driver and Mariani at gunpoint, demanding their wallets and personal belongings. When Mariani refused the gunmen's demands to relinquish his belongings, he was shot dead. Mariani's tragic death provides a number of security lessons for other travelers.
