Funny story regarding the vagaries of Russian Policing.

[Pete999]

I had been ti Helsinki on a supply run, and my Boss and hi wife had flown up to pick up their new Volvo Estate, right hand drive for him to export back to the UK when he had finished his Tour of Duty, we were scheduled to drive it back th the British embassy, taking it in turn to drive, as it was a 24 hour journey.
Anyway we cross the Russian/Finnish border, obeying all the Russian traffic laws, or so we thought, I wasn't driving, and we get pulled over by the Russian Police, matey comes over to the left hand side, and is ever so slightly taken aback at the lack of a steering wheel on that side of the car.
He eventually regains control of his senses and comes around to the drivers side, by this time Matey had been on the radio and called his mates.
Because I was the first person he had noticed, and I didn't have a diplomatic Passport, I was ever so firmly whipped off tho the local lock up accused of speeding, I couldn't speak the lingo and Matey couldn't speak English, confusion reigned, until we managed to find an interpreter by phoning the Russian Tourist Board.
Many minutes of explaining that I wasn't driving I was handed the phone, and asked what the outcome of this funny experience was, I was told that the Officer would let me go, under the caveat that I should drive more carefully in future, you couldn't make it up if you tried, I had visions of being whisked off to the Gulags for a few years, it was in the mid 1980s.

 

[Squid]

My Mum was imprisoned in Siberia at the onset of WWII not a nice place.

You want stories,

In Poland being followed/chased by a Police car me in an Orion Ghia i got to the secure parking unit had to wake the guard up who opened the gate parked car exited and on my way up the Police turned up and asked if I seen a foreign car as I was walking away............

Same as you and same Orion, parked up on the pavement outside a foreign currency exchange in Gdansk Oliwa, I go to exchange some £'s and when I walkout I see the ex being led to a Police car, it turns out the police turned up and asked her why she was parked on the verge, the conversation went,

Ex - I didn't drive
PoPo - who drove
Ex - My husband
PoPo - so you mean to the me that your husband drove and then you changed seats
Ex - if you would look closely you would be able to see on which side the steering wheel is on
PoPo - Oh please madam come with us to the squad car.............

2nd PoPo as ex was being taken to the squad car shouts out "quick we've got to go robbery in progress" and first PoPo just wags his finger and says how lucky she was.

I have some funnier stories as a mate of mine got pulled over and breathalysed all ok but his wife ----ed decided to have a chat with the Polish traffic cop and as she exited the car car she tripped and fell face forwards in to a puddle the officer just handed him his papers back and said "sir I think you should take your wife home".

 

[Gavin John Hyde]

@Pete999 Have you ever thought of putting a request in for your files held by the russians? there is a process to see what the kgb etc had on you, you would almost certainly have had a file having been a worker linked to the embassy.
Would be interesting to know how accurate there reports were and all that

 

[Pete999]

@Pete999 Have you ever thought of putting a request in for your files held by the russians? there is a process to see what the kgb etc had on you, you would almost certainly have had a file having been a worker linked to the embassy.
Would be interesting to know how accurate there reports were and all that

The KGB are no longer, in name only though, no I haven't even thought about it having dealt with Ruskie paperwork for 4 years Gavin, so no thanks.

 

[telectrix]

"My Mum was imprisoned in Siberia at the onset of WWII not a nice place."

my lady's mum was also. not sure if it was at the onset or at the end of the war. she has the Polish Siberia medal.

 

[Pete999]

"My Mum was imprisoned in Siberia at the onset of WWII not a nice place."

my lady's mum was also. not sure if it was at the onset or at the end of the war. she has the Polish Siberia medal.

Not one I would like have been awarded, Siberia, is a Bum hole

 

[telectrix]

it was awarded to Poles that went to Siberia and managed, somehow, to get back alive.

 

[Gavin John Hyde]

The KGB are no longer, in name only though, no I haven't even thought about it having dealt with Ruskie paperwork for 4 years Gavin, so no thanks.

indeed, the FSB now and a multitude of other dubious agencies...

 

[Pete999]

indeed, the FSB now and a multitude of other dubious agencies...

If you ever get the chance to visit the former Soviet Union, you can, if you are persistent arrange for a guided tour of the Lubyanka the former HQ of the KGB, it was very interesting, no photos sorry, but some good memories.

 

[telectrix]

I'd get the shakes visiting Walton prison, never mind luby wtahsit. at least at Walton they kept my bed open.

 

[Doomed]

Before the wall came down, early eighties, I got arrested in East Berlin for standing on the wrong bit of a train platform (as far as I could make out).
I couldn't speak german, the officer had no english, after 5 minutes of me being sternly talked to and me saying 'I don't speak german' increasingly loudly a civilian on the opposite platform started shouting translations, beginning with 'he is arresting you, don't resist'
Eventually somehow it was agreed to give the officer some money and he went away, never found out if it was a fine or a bribe

 

[littlespark]

I had been ti Helsinki on a supply run

That's a hell of a long way to go for the papers and breakfast pies.

 

[Squid]

"My Mum was imprisoned in Siberia at the onset of WWII not a nice place."

my lady's mum was also. not sure if it was at the onset or at the end of the war. she has the Polish Siberia medal.

My Mums dead so not much point in applying for it, I do have the Artic Star for my Father though.

Check out the Kresy Siberia forum on FB and always remember Katyn.

 

[Squid]

Before the wall came down, early eighties, I got arrested in East Berlin for standing on the wrong bit of a train platform (as far as I could make out).
I couldn't speak german, the officer had no english, after 5 minutes of me being sternly talked to and me saying 'I don't speak german' increasingly loudly a civilian on the opposite platform started shouting translations, beginning with 'he is arresting you, don't resist'
Eventually somehow it was agreed to give the officer some money and he went away, never found out if it was a fine or a bribe

Driven through many times at check point Charlie its now a petrol station, nice empty roads weird tanking up at a petrol station though in those days as the East Germans would just look at you and not say anything as they where ---- scared filling up their Trabants, buggers charged you in West German DM though........

 

[Squid]

Went through Kobałskowo and booted it in the rain was doing about 110 and saw a police radar attached by a cable on the side walk leading to a police car, as I passed all I saw in my rear view mirror was the copper jumping out of the car and gesticulating to me.