Thread: Are russian police really that bad?

Originally Posted by 2CREATV

I wonder, do Russian Cops wear easily visible & legible badges? Is there no way of reporting an officer's mis-actions using their identification number?
(Or is there absolutely no system in place to keep Cops in-check?)

No (it'd be against our traditions), but you can always demand that the pig nicking you introduces himself. We don't want to be involved in keeping our police in check, because that would create an idiotic system of checks on those who are there to keep those who are to keep those who are to ... keep you in check. In Russia such services are very efficient and pretty streamline. Also, our culture is not an infantilised culture of complaint where everyone's whinging and clogging up the courts.

I remember reading on a Ukrainian Visa site that explained that officers tend less bother those that originate from more-powerful countries and tend to pick more on those from the *less-powerful.

Dunno. America's a pretty powerful country, yet, as we've seen in this thread, American tourists are often targeted. (According to some posters here, whose stories I don't really believe)

Originally Posted by VendingMachine

We don't want to be involved in keeping our police in check, because that would create an idiotic system of checks on those who are there to keep those who are to keep those who are to ... keep you in check.

Well, freedom is hard, it takes a lot of courage to be free. With it comes responsibility to remain adamant about those who wish to control you and your community. There is another option, of course. You can willingly give up your freedom and hope those in power will work for you best interest. Admittedly, this is much easier on your conscience, as you never feel like you have to take responsibility for any of the problems in the world - you can wallow in fatalism. More often than not, people find that when those in power are not required by society to be accountable for their actions, that they will think first of their own interests much more than yours.

In Russia such services are very efficient and pretty streamline. Also, our culture is not an infantilized culture of complaint where everyone's whining and clogging up the courts.

I think a clogged court is probably down there with zoo maintenance as a social issue. If I were charged with a crime, I think I speak for most people when I say that a smooth functioning yet unjust court system is the last thing that I would want.

Originally Posted by VendingMachine

I don't give a toss about the general public. I abide by the law.

Не возражаю.©

Originally Posted by VendingMachine

P.S. And how come the general public expects me to bribe traffic wardens? The general public doesn't give a toss about me.

If you wanted and were able to poll randomly selected people asking them what would they expect you to do when ГАИ/ГИБДД officer stops you (or what would they do if they were you) what do you think their answers would be?

Originally Posted by Vesh

If you wanted and were able to poll randomly selected people asking them what would they expect you to do when ГАИ/ГИБДД officer stops you (or what would they do if they were you) what do you think their answers would be?

Honestly, I don't know. More importantly, though, read above - I don't give a toss what the average arsehole on the street might think. I abide by the law.

@Geoduck. It's not Russian to take the law into your own hands. We are a law-abiding nation and don't want to meddle in politics. Just learn to accept the idea of other people having different ways than you. We're a different culture, we have a different mentality. Arguments what you'd rather don't apply here. I suppose you know what's best for your country and I'm not questioning it in any way shape or form, so don't give me your crap about what's best for mine. There's no need to talk to us like your old man's bruv came from Rotterdam.

In Las Vegas, I was pulled over by the police a couple of months ago. They said my car registration was suspended and he wrote me a ticket. I went to the DMV the next day and they said my registration was suspended because of a 4-day lapse in my insurance 2 years ago and I had to pay a $250 fine. Then I had to pay ANOTHER $250 fine for the traffic ticket. I protested so they gave me a court date so I can defend my case in front of a judge. When I got to court, I told the judge that I already paid DMV $250 it was unfair to pay another fine for the traffic ticket. The just ignored everything I said and just asked "Guilty" or "Not Guilty". If I plead "Not Guilty" I must pay $1750 bail until another court date is set or I can plead guilty and pay $300 fine. I plead guilty.

I think the police/government here are more corrupt then in Russia.

(I have worse stories to tell about police and government but I dont want to bore everyone)

Originally Posted by VendingMachine

We are a law-abiding nation and don't want to meddle in politics.

What a strange thing to say. I can't even begin to fathom where you get that from. Would anything as simple as a crime statistic disprove this, or is this aversion to crime so centeral to Russian culture that it transcends statistics?
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph-T/cri ... EUR&id=ASI
http://www.nationmaster.com/country/rs/Crime

No comment on the rest, I'm sure we've been through it before.

"There’s lies, damn lies and statistics." (c) Mark Twain.
Need I say more, Geoduck? I draw my conclusions not from statistics, but from first hand experiences with the society I live in. You don't have the same background that I do so you have to rely on statistics (read "you have to eat up those damn lies like cake").

Originally Posted by VendingMachine

"There’s lies, damn lies and statistics." (c) Mark Twain.
Need I say more, Geoduck? I draw my conclusions not from statistics, but from first hand experiences with the society I live in. You don't have the same background that I do so you have to rely on statistics (read "you have to eat up those damn lies like cake").

You know its pretty funny that you base things on your first-hand experiences; you must live in a down-right classy f@#kin' neighborhood. Either that, or you should get out more. These statistics seem to validate alot of what I hear from Moscow/ St. Petersburg natives (reasons they give for justifying a change of [quality of] life & moving to the U.S.)

Originally Posted by 2CREATIV

You know its pretty funny that you base things on your first-hand experiences; you must live in a down-right classy f@#kin' neighborhood.

I certainly don't rub shoulders with working class riff-raff. Yes, I'm a rich guy and I live in a posh neighbourhood. So what? Is being rich and educated frowned upon? And I get out a lot, probly more than you.

These statistics seem to validate alot of what I hear from Moscow/ St. Petersburg natives (reasons they give for justifying a change of [quality of] life & moving to the U.S.)

Change of quality of life? From an apartment in central Moscow to a mobile home in Oklahoma? And what do you expect them to say to you - that they've been bloody born fools to have sold everything back in Russia and ended up marooned in the middle of flyover country? Not everyone has the bottle to acknowledge one's own foolishness.

Originally Posted by VendingMachine

flyover country?

I don't know what I'm asking....

oh. yeah I do... It did strike me as odd. you mean like airplanes going wherever the @@@@ they want to and such. What is an untouched sky I wonder...

Far be it from me to knock anyone's lifestyle or background - be they rich or poor. But it hardly seems you're in a position to generalize your "nation" as being "law abiding." (your neighborhood, perhaps...) And Yes, you should feel very proud to be at a certain class-level and yet remain a "law abiding" good citizen, Bravo!

Locally, New York Cops had a pretty bad reputation for themselves. There is a Racial divide in existence here that may (or may not be) prevelant in Moscow. This divide contributed to the public's conception of cops (majority of which are "white" of "targeting" minorities. (Ironically) It took a disaster like 9/11 (where hundreds of officers lost their lives) to quell the negative image of the NYPD and nowadays, they have an overly positive, and prestigious image in the eyes of New Yorkers, and most of Americans.

I believe that MOST Police officer's tend to migrate towards "financial supplementation" simply because they don't get paid enough and they have the power to take advantage of situations. (Although here, they tend to go and steal from drug-dealers & mafia, hardly ever touching tourists or foreign nationals.)

Perhaps, you can become some sort of diplomat and convince everyone else that the presumptions, assumptions, folk-lore [whatever] of the gravity of Russian criminal activities, and the "Crooked" Reputation of Russian Cops are just plain-old negative stereotypes & complete mis-conceptions...

until then my my "law-abiding" friend, please accept my thanks for doing your part in keeping Russia a nice place to visit. Reach over and pat yourself on the back for a job well-done.