After some e-mail exchange with a regular traveller to Russia who regularly gets in trouble…
- I’m activating the subject of safety. Opening a new category. Creating a page where I’ll gather safety hinds and advice now scattered all over. Probably it will be under my Guide to Moscow > Safety.
- Travellers! Get a local cell phone right away! Keep handy the numbers of your embassy, travel agent, driver, hotel etc. etc. handy. If the cops or anyone else – but cops stopping you for supposedly lacking documents is a classic – make an attempt to extract a bribe out of you, call your embassy first! This is what it is there for! Then call others. Call the embassy before you are in trouble and check how they are to be contacted in case of emergency.
YES, GETTING THE LOCAL PHONE AND LOOKING UP EMERGENCY NUMBERS IS SOMETHING I CAN HELP YOU WITH. WE CAN EVEN DO THAT ON YOUR WAY FROM THE AIRPORT IF YOU GET ME TO PICK YOU UP. THE PHONE ITSELF, WITH A COUPLE PRE-PAID HOURS, WILL COST YOU $50 AT MOST, WHICH IS EQUAL TO ONE SMALL BRIBE! DO THAT!!
- Cabs – Offer the amount you are ready to pay to the taxi driver. Don’t expect them to name a proper price at the end of the trip – a sure way to get ripped off. Don’t ask them “how much” as they may name a price way beyond what’s proper and reasonable. The airport ones or those in the tourist areas are particularly prone to rip everyone who appears disoriented. Ask locals for an advice how much to offer to the driver and only then come to the driver with your price.
PLEASE NOTE THAT I’M NOT ABLE TO OFFER MY SERVICES TO DORKS WHO FALL FOR THIS OLD ”YOUR DOCUMENTS ARE NOT IN ORDER” SCAM. NOT OUT OF MALICE BUT SIMPLY BECAUSE IF YOU FALL FOR CHEAP TRICKS LIKE THAT YOU ARE LIKELY TO GET IN TROUBLE WHLE YOU ARE MY CLIENT, WHICH IS A REPUTATIONAL RISK AND A BIG DOWNER FOR ME.
While at it, the vast majority of travellers here have no misadventures at all. But some just attract trouble. I’ve seen enough of these to make generalizations about the proneness to become victim on the part of travellers. These tend to be people from the military background. Or teachers. I guess because they are used to operating in a structured environment while Russia is anything but. Men in their prime by some reason get robbed more often than women, oldies, or children. In fact, I recall only one woman who had her bag grabbed. One in 17 years!
Not that I expect to be understood on that one but one misconception is that foreigners attract crime. My casual observations seems to indicate otherwise. I recall getting into a conflict with a taxi driver who didn’t know I was a Russian. He uttered “Wish you were a Russian. I’d just kill you.” I believe there are some victim-proneness studies floating around that indicate the closer the social distance between the perpetrator and the victim, the more likely the crime. Rural Russians axe-murder their neighbours. British ladies poison their noble husbands etc. etc. Crime is a social act for, damn it, and not knowing the language or otherwise not being part of the scent may work in your favour. I don’t have any stats to point to but will appreciate any quality input any of you may have on the likelihood of becoming a victim of crime against travellers.
Presenting the new de-cluttered incarnation of my old www.cheap-moscow.com site which, in turn, was an attempt to sort out the mess the original www.unclepasha.com has become after 15 years of active life. Here you will find VALUE ACCOMMODATION IN MOSCOW and comprehensive support, from pre-trip advice and assistance with visa arrangements all the way to wrapping up lose ends after you leave. 
