The russian system

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Our country has alot of stupid laws, if everybody followed them, the cementaries would be full

The hostel manager insured me for the third time that laws can be broken in Russia. He never in his entire life met any police in Russia who did't take bribe.

It all started when I crossed the border from Helsinki with a russian minivan only with russians. Due to some misunderstanding I didn't get a migration card at border controll, which is used by the russian goverment to keep record of where foreign people have been during their stays. If you stay in a city you stay more than three days you have to register you Visa, with the information on the migration card.

Needless to say I panicked. I have heard stories of police harass tourists who forgot to register, surely I would be shot when I don't have it. So I decided to get one.

1. Train station ticket office: I asked for it and they laughed at me and told me to go back to the border.

2. Train station duty office: A kind russian lady made calls for me, but nobody in the russian goverment want to pick up the phone.

3. Embassy: Called the swedish embassy and they told me to the Migration Board, they don't want to call because the russians don't answer the phone.

4. Hostel: The hostel manager told me that nobody has ever gotten a migration card from the migration board ever, forever ever.

5. Minivan driver: I got hold of the driver that drove me here from Helsinki. And behold - a white paper from his shiny suitcase.

6. Hostel: Zealously I got back, just to be told that I need a stamp on it. The card was useless.

That is how I spent half of my time in St. Petersburg: Chasing a small piece of paper.

And now I have to bribe some policeman at the border.

P.S.
St. Petersburg was cool.

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Comments

[Sheng]

bribe
Hoppas du möta en snäll polis när du vara gränsen.

[CASS]

hahahaha! poor u .