3 ms·
"police grab you and demand a bribe unless you want a higher made-up charge. The littering or jaywalking is just an excuse to shake you down. Or the fines and j
by kushti 10y ago
"police grab you and demand a bribe unless you want a higher made-up charge. The littering or jaywalking is just an excuse to shake you down. Or the fines and jailing are real and if a Westerner was on the receiving end of a week in jail or even physical punishment like caning for spitting out gum, they'd be incensed." - I'm wondering when and where did you find that in Russia? Been caught few times by police for doing bad things on streets (and had many friends in "obschaga" with similar experience), I can't confirm this was true even in early 00s.
- gcb0 10y agoi always had your experience (not being harassed) at another not-first-world country. and was always hearing comments like the above yours and distrusting them. until my significant other got shaken down by the police there three times in the last three times we were there. so now i realized my first experience was skewed because I'm not the demographic that is the target of all that. now i know better: your isolated anecdotal experience should never be the only argument for a political discussion.
- kushti 10y agoI would like to say the same about your anecdotal experience and utterly primitive "first-world/not" crazy talks.