Thread: What's the point of the Russian Tourist Invitation ?

Originally Posted by tdk2fe

I only have one thing to say about American police: Black man in L.A.

tdk

OJ?

Nah. I guess I was just thinking about how a lot of people seem to gripe about getting "randomly stopped" in Russia, but then I realize that it happens all the time in America. The only difference is that in America not many people walk, they all drive. And I know I've been pulled over for no other reason than I was driving a sports car late at night. So, of course, I forgot to use a blinker or something, and when I get pulled over the cops search my car, check my registration and ID, etc... This has happened to a lot of my friends, too. Do the police ask for bribes? No, I save those for my lawyer...

tdk

You don't think Russian drivers get stopped for no reason too? Oh and not only at night, but during the middle of the day for just routine collecting of money. Now before Scorpio disagrees, let me just say I witnessed it first hand several times when my landlord drove us to the grocery store.

Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

You don't think Russian drivers get stopped for no reason too? Oh and not only at night, but during the middle of the day for just routine collecting of money. Now before Scorpio disagrees, let me just say I witnessed it first hand several times when my landlord drove us to the grocery store.

I think TDK DOES acknowledge that...

[quote=Dobry]Scorpio,

Fact of the matter is that I

Scorpio,

Your meanings are much clearer now. Thanks and understood.

The tone of your earlier posts sounded contradictory against me, implying that I was not telling the truth, and that such militzia actions NEVER happen. It was not clear that you meant the "exception" and "not the rule".

On the flip side, I did not mean to give the idea that all militzia take bribes, or that it is the "rule", but only that it does happen and has happened to others also.

Actually, the very first time it happened was the second night of my first stay in Moscow, many years ago. I had been at the Bolshoi opera with my friends Evgeny and Diana. They wanted to introduce me to Krasnaya Ploshad...it was around midnight. I was absolutely stunned by it, which kindled my love for Moscow. As we were walking, I was speaking to both of them in English, and a militzia heard us. He immediately yelled and stopped the 3 of us, demanding documents. Evgeny whispered to me to keep my mouth shut, let him do all the talking. My documents were definitely in order, and properly registered, but the officer began to say that they weren

I think I posted this somewhere else.

But they used to think that the people of Europe (white people) originated in the caucuses.

Now they don't think this is true, but that is why we have the term "Caucasian" in English.

I've never had problems with the police in Russia. I posted this somewhere else, but I was stopped three times in a course of a year. All three times can be attributed to "suspicious" behaviour.

But I know of fellow foreigners who got their stuff stolen from the police... That's all I wanted to say. My advice is to dress conservatively, don't speak english if you don't have to and DON'T GET DRUNK AND RUN NAKED DOWN THE STREET. The last part being particularily important.

Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

...DON'T GET DRUNK AND RUN NAKED DOWN THE STREET. The last part being particularily important.

HAHA! Good advice Vinnie.

My biggest problem is that I

dude, you don't look THAT different from Russians.

(I think he does though) and I have a question then - yes it's obvious that foreigners look differently and can be easily recognized - then can you say the same obout Russians? Say, could you note the difference seeing the Russian in the street?

The thing is this: You go to Russia, yes you can tell who is a slavic or not, but whether he is Russian or not you cannot tell. There are many jews living in Russia who have lived in Russia all their life. They are Russians, right? Same with Germans!

I can tell sometimes when a Russian is walking down the street in Sacramento, CA. But only if he is ethnically slavic...

Originally Posted by Leof

(I think he does though) and I have a question then - yes it's obvious that foreigners look differently and can be easily recognized - then can you say the same obout Russians? Say, could you note the difference seeing the Russian in the street?

Sometimes I

[quote=Dobry]My biggest problem is that I

yes! and then I begin to think that some half-evident features which marks us do really exist! I wonder what are the most "talking" features.

[quote=Dobry]
Weird thing though...I

Hense as a Russian person I'd guess that Dobry is an American and then a Frenchman if I'd encounter him in the street.

I think those candles have a big influence on how people think he looks in that particular image...

I do think he looks Spanish though, considering the natives mistook him also.

LOL. We've gone from "let's talk about dobry" to "let's ethinically place dobry!"

I've been reading this thread with some interest as tourism is the major 'industry' where I live...We're HAPPY to rent a motel room and hit you with a 9.5% room tax so the streets get plowed in the winter, and ask for $10 so you can visit one of our beaches for 1 day. I just paid $25 so I can go all year. I pay a 'resident rate' for my town boat slip and boat mooring, a non-resident pays like 5 times as much. I don't pay for museums because I volunteer at two. I don't stand in line at restaurants, I know the owners. I get free trips on the tourist boat, train, whale watch, ferry to the islands etc because I give them ALOT of business. Can you say kick-back? I also pay as much as everyone else where I am not known. I never over-charge someone because they are an out of town rube. My job is to make people happy on their vacation so they come back and spend more money and tell their friends how much fun they had spending money. Cops don't hassle foreigners here, just idiots.
I can spot a Russian at the beach, they change into their swimwear in public, I won't even discuss the Speedo 'man-panties'.
I guess that a pair of LL Bean Duck Boots, Levis, Red Sox shirt with a Los Angeles Police Department baseball hat is asking for trouble in Red Square if I happen to take a photograph....... Sad.