How safe is Moscow for Americans?

[Alex Rudd]

On Sun, 28 May 2000 14:44:07 -0700 retaylor said:
>Dear Seelangers,
>
>ATM machines seem to be the best answer - Many are located at metro
>stations, and taking out money there made me nervous, but some are located
>inside banks with armed guards standing watch.  However, using an ATM
>machine in Russia can  result in lots of $$ being stolen later (probably
>bank employees "at work").  Therefore, it might be wise to open a bank
>acount specifically for the purpose of travelling to Russia - use the ATM
>machines while in Russia - and then close the account immediately upon
>returning.  Fees are something minimal like 75 cents per transaction, and
>exchange rates are optimal.
>
>Since so much of Russian life is cash-based, I often found myself carrying
>$300-500 (in rubles) when living in Russia in 1997-8 - which made me a
>little nervous, but never got me in trouble, as long as I dressed / acted
>relatively "Russian."
>
>Yours,
>Romy Taylor
>
>On Sun, 28 May 2000, Mr Carmack wrote:
>
>> > -----Original Message-----
>> > From: Slavic & East European Languages and Literature list
>> > [mailto:SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU]On Behalf Of Renee Stillings
>> > Sent: Saturday, May 27, 2000 12:47 PM
>> > To: SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU
>> > Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] How safe is Moscow for Americans?
>>
>>
>> > [SNIP} when the fact of the
>> > matter is that most Russians are quite aware that there are a lot more
>> > wealthy Russians walking around than wealthy foreigners and that many such
>> > Russians really are walking around with a wallet full of $100s (or keep
>> > 1000s stashed in a mattress) whereas smart foreigners carry very little on
>> > their person. Yes, the foreigners appear to be easy targets, but the same
>> > common sense and respect for your environment you'd use in any
>> > city all but eliminates that disadvantage.
>>
>> Okay, so I have two questions.
>>
>> (1) Since I will be a tourist (actually, a student), and will want to take
>> photos of the usual tourist attractions, how am I to avoid being singled out
>> as a foreigner (American) when I am walking around in awe, gawking at sites
>> and taking photos? Should I buy a spy camera and take pictures from my coat
>> sleeve?  :-)
>>
>> (2) I get the picture that credit cards aren't that useful in most places in
>> Moscow, and also that it is illegal to use dollars, and that most places do
>> not take traveller's checks. So, if I am not sure it is safe to store excess
>> cash in my room or dorm, what do I do with it? Should I take cash or
>> traveller's checks? Open a bank account?
>>
>> I assume the best thing to do is take AMEX traveller's checks and cash what
>> I need at their office--but then wouldn't that be an obvious place for local
>> ne'er-do-wells to prey on foreigners? And wouldn't visiting the AE Office
>> everyday get a bit tedious, not to mention making yourself a mark for anyone
>> watching the place regularly??
>>
>> (In Lithuania I stayed always with relatives. I still kept my cash always
>> with me, lots of pristine $US 10's, 5's, and 1's, zipped up in the neck of
>> my rain jacket that has an extractable hood. The total was no more than
>> $200, which was more than we needed in our two weeks in Lietuva anyway. We
>> exchanged dollars at banks, official kiosks, the back office of a store that
>> imported fruits and fruit juices, and also in a hotel lobby, whose clerks
>> salivated at the chance of getting rid of some of their roubles for US$20.
>> This was in 92 before the Lita was reintroduced.)
>>
>> Yours from Texas, where we all ride horses and wear cowboy hats, ;-)
>>
>> Alan C
>>
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Greetings,

I quoted your recent post to SEELANGS in its entirety above
to make a point.  I'd like you to be able to see how much of
the message to which you were replying you actually included
in your reply on the list.  Notice that it is a lot and more
than you really needed to establish context.

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- Alex, list owner of SEELANGS    seelangs-request at listserv.cuny.edu
....................................................................
Alex Rudd                ahrjj at cunyvm.cuny.edu            ARS KA2ZOO
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