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ronin1
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Posted: Sunday November 19th, 2006 04:40 am |
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Trouble at The Theater…
I have a similar topic in the ‘Traveling’ forum. I thought that it would be good to post this here where the word can get out to others.
One winter evening in Russia, My Fiancé, interpreter and I decided to go to the local movie theater. It was not far from my flat and agency office, so I arranged to meet my Fiancé and interpreter at the office. The air was cold and dry and it hadn’t snowed for several days so we decided to walk to the City Club for dinner before going to the show.
The club had just finished being remodeled and everything was fresh and new. Reminded me of the States. Well, we had a good time and a good meal. I paid our dues and then we headed down toward the banks of the Volga where the theater was located.
Our walks are always a joy as we learn more about each other and have a laugh or two. We walked arm-in-arm as couples in love do. Beside us, my interpreter was in tow as we scuffled our way down the dark icy sidewalks.
When we arrived at the theater, it was very crowded. It was the first week of a popular long awaited movie. Once inside we waited in line to check-in our coats. Yes, it is customary to hand over your coats and things before going into the theater room. It was as tight as sardines in a can. There was light pushing and shoving all around. Talk about personal space, there was none to be had. The background din of all those Russians speaking in close quarters made it difficult for us to converse. Being over 6 feet tall didn’t help either so I had to raise my volume and notch or two.
After getting our coat chits, we were ushered to our seated and enjoyed viewing the featured film. All good things come to an end so we were back in line at the front of the coatroom to collect our belongings.
As we were donning our coats I noticed a change in my interpreter. She was no longer focused on the translating our conversation. She was looking off into the distance as if pondering in deep thought. I asked her what wrong. She snapped out from her trans and told me she will call for a taxi to pick us up at the theater. I told her that it is a wonderful night and that I wanted to walk. She told me to casually turn around. Off to my right about 10 yards out, I noticed a group of young men/boys that where trying to look inconspicuous. I immediately knew what was going on and concurred with my interpreter’s wishes.
On the taxi ride to the office, my interpreter told me that these were the same men/boys that were ahead of us when we were checking-in our coats. They must have heard me speaking English and marked me as a potential target.
Moral of the story is two fold. One, take care of your interpreter and she will take care of you. Two, keep a low profile when out in public. You never know who is watching… or in this case, listening.
Ronin
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honestman
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| Joined: | Saturday September 30th, 2006 |
| Location: | Exeter, United Kingdom |
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Posted: Monday November 20th, 2006 08:14 pm |
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Interesting point Ronin. On my first visit, when I was with my lady, she was very protective and would, IMO be overprotective at times. Whenever we were together she would avoid any possible confrontations with RM when we were outnumbered. We did not have an interpreter like you did but nonetheless caution was very much part of the day. In your case, it must have been a bit like having an arrow above your head saying "WM = money". It was so easy to forget for my safety when I was with my lady. However the fact is, she becomes vulnerable too. (I would, and will always protect her in any situation) One day, on the way out of the apartment, I picked up the wrong wallet and in the middle of the city centre I realised I had alot of money on my person. When I equated it to wages for RM/RW then I realised that I realised that I was walking around with a years worth of their wages!! Would I walk around in my homeland with a years wages? Caution to all and it is easy to see why WM can be a valuable catch. The next time I go, I will be a little more "streetwise" in Russia!
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TrevorM
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| Joined: | Sunday May 28th, 2006 |
| Location: | Winchester, United Kingdom |
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Posted: Tuesday November 21st, 2006 01:56 pm |
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Two golden rules:-
1. Try not to stand out from the crowd.
Most RM wear dark colours, mostly black and dark blue, so avoid wearing bright clothes. The best casual things to wear outside of winter are a black leather jacket and blue or black jeans with a suitably dark shirt. Rucksacks and waterproof jackets are a real giveaway. If you are going out for the evening (restaurant, theatre, etc.) dress smartly in a suit and tie. Russians always dress up to go out.
Having said that, dressing like a tourist is OK in the tourist areas of Saint-Petersburg and Moscow, just beware of pickpockets. Outside of the tourist areas, it's definitely a no-no.
As Ronin says, don't talk loudly in a non-russian language. If there is a lot of noise so that you would normally raise your voice, try and wait until it is quieter before continuing a conversation.
2. Don't get distracted and let your guard drop.
This really applies to any city in the world, but when you've got your best girl by your side and everything is wonderful, it is easy to get distracted and not notice what is going on around you.
The metro stations in the tourist areas of Moscow and Saint-Petersburg are favourite hunting grounds of pickpocket gangs. They surround you just as a train arrives, crowd you into the train while attempting to lift any valuables and then reverse back on to the platform just before the doors close, leaving you to ride off into the distance minus camera, wallet, etc. When using the metro in these places, don't rush to get the train as you arrive on the platform, rather take your time to walk along the platform and pick your spot to stand away from any crowds.
This all sounds a bit dramatic but is really just common-sense and applies to most cities in the world. The difference with Russia is that basic criminality can be augmented with a bit of racism and general resentment of foreigners.
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dwfunk
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| Joined: | Tuesday March 21st, 2006 |
| Location: | Houston, Texas USA |
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Posted: Thursday November 23rd, 2006 12:31 am |
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Since a lot of us DO stand out, you can reduce your venerability by knowing where you are going and what you are doing. In other words, do some double checking before you head out, make sure of directions, etc. When you appear to be confident, appear to know where you are going, you don't appear helpless, and thence vulnerable.
Big and scary helps some!  Secret Agent Man
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David & Natalia
Republic of Texas/ Moscow, Russia
УЛ. КОНЕНКОВА
16th World Spacemodeling Championships
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ronin1
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Posted: Sunday December 3rd, 2006 08:01 pm |
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I have heard this advice to avoid a confrontation. It is something to keep in your arsenal of defenses, however its effectiveness my not be all that good. Keep a wad of low value paper rubles in your pocket. When confronted, throw this disposable bankroll away from you and then proceed quickly in the opposite direction. Unfortunately since they have probably figured that you are a foreigner, they will not ask you for your money in your native tongue (street gangs don’t employ interpreters as a general rule). In other words, you may not have enough time to know there is a confrontation to be able to take this action. It’s difficult to throw a roll of bills when you’ve been blind-sided by a tire iron.
Ronin
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