No More Metro Kissing Guys . . .

[Dan]

Better watch your P's and Q's in Moscow from now on.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/11/07/offbeat.kissing.ban.reut/index.html

[wsbill]

... in response to No More Metro Kissing Guys . . ., posted by Dan on Nov 7, 2003

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3252315.stm

Read that last paragraph.

[wsbill]

... in response to No More Metro Kissing Guys . . ., posted by Dan on Nov 7, 2003

Tell them, in America we just have our kids watch TV to learn about sex.

[TwoBitBandit]

... in response to No More Metro Kissing Guys . . ., posted by Dan on Nov 7, 2003

When I was on the Moscow metro one day, two guys got in a fight.  I don't know what it was about; my Russian isn't good enough.  Actually, it was more like one guy attacking and the other guy trying to get away.

When the metro stopped, about ten militsa (police) were already standing right at the door on the platform and arrested both guys.

I was amazed by their efficiency; they must have some sort of closed-circuit TV on the metro.  I think it was the only display of organized government I saw the whole time I was in Russia.

Reading this story about kissing... I just had a daydream of leaning over to kiss some girl on the metro and then having a dozen militsa waiting to arrest me at the next stop.

So, I don't think I have an interest in stepping over the line of this new law!

Speaking of the Moscow metro, what do all those old women sitting at the end of each escalator do???  They just seem to sit there all day long.  And why are all the pictures of the "metro women" on the walls of metro stations smiling 21-year-olds, but all the actual "metro women" sixty-somethings?  Let's have some truth in adversiting, for Christs' sake!

[tbirdjoy]

... in response to Watch what you do on the Moscow metro, posted by TwoBitBandit on Nov 7, 2003

I'm sure you've seen how steep and long those escalators are in Moscow (They're evening longer in St. Petersburg do to the orignal swamps they had to dig deeper to get below the water table)anyway those old women at the end of the escalators are there to press the emergency stop button in case of an emergency someone has while riding up or down.

Mark

[CFonde]

... in response to Re: Watch what you do on the Moscow metr..., posted by tbirdjoy on Nov 7, 2003

I'm sure the full-time wages for those ladies is still a mere pittance, compared to other jobs. When I was in St. Petersburg, the old babushka's were everywhere. They watch you in the Metro, they watch you on the street, and they watch you inside the Hermitage. Those in the Hermitage seem to just blend-into the background, until you get too close to, or put your hand on one of the exhibits where it doesn't belong, ...then all hell breaks loose, and they unleash the fear of God into you. LOL!

Heck, they even had an old babushka as a washroom attendant, taking your 5 rubles in the mens public restroom on Nevsky Prospekt. That was the scariest mens room I've ever relieved myself in. Antiquated fixtures so old, I bet Peter the Great probably used that facility. Filthy dirty, and no toilet, or hand towel paper in sight too. Geez, you would think if you have to pay to use the mens room, they could at least have an old babushka clean the joint, and stock it with paper every now & then.

~ Chris

[wilmc]

... in response to Big Babushka is watching you!, posted by CFonde on Nov 8, 2003

A vote of thanks for the "Babushkas."  Last year, while visiting the Cathedrals in the Kremlin, the babushka's alerted my girl friend and I that Putin was showing some foreign dignitaries around and we were able to see him up close.  If the ladies had not alerted us we would have missed the experience entirely while in our touristic blissful ignorance staring at countless Icons.

I guess I am definitely getting old because I miss elevator attendents, toll collectors and the fare collectors on the London buses.  These folks gave directions, conversation, prevented vandalism and provided assistance and secured help during emergencies.  Sure they were boring, often thankless and definitely low paying jobs.
They did provide employment for the unskilled.  By my reckoning it was a heck of a lot better than no work and collecting welfare.  For many youngsters they were the first opportunity for a paying job.

I think it is better that the cranky Babushkas have their "posts" than to be out on the cold streets begging.

[TwoBitBandit]

... in response to Re: Watch what you do on the Moscow metr..., posted by tbirdjoy on Nov 7, 2003

Yes, I sort of figured that.  But it seems like a waste of a full-time person's labor.  It seems to me that if an accident were to occur on the escalator, some average Russian rider with a little common sense would just turn the switch.  Why does somebody have to just sit there all the time waiting for an emergency???

One of my impressions about Russia is that the government hires a lot of people whose apparent job is just to stand around and watch people.  I saw this at the subway, at the university, at touristy sites, government buildings, etc.

[Travis]

... in response to Re: Re: Watch what you do on the Moscow ..., posted by TwoBitBandit on Nov 8, 2003

I went to a national park in Russia once called the Caronian Spit. They had guards at the entrance armed with sub-machine guns. Seemed a bit over-kill to me. When I was in the museum in the park I took a few pictures. Next thing I knew I had some lady working there demanding 15 rubles for each picture I took. I guess she needed to pay the gaurds :-)

[wsbill]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Watch what you do on the Mos..., posted by Travis on Nov 8, 2003

People don't stand around...

but they sit on their couch - it's called welfare.

[ChrisNJ]

... in response to Re: Re: Watch what you do on the Moscow ..., posted by TwoBitBandit on Nov 8, 2003

.....One of my impressions about Russia is that the government hires a lot of people whose apparent job is just to stand around and watch people.....

It's leftover from the commie mindset.

[Jeff S]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Watch what you do on the Mos..., posted by ChrisNJ on Nov 8, 2003

The 2nd largest economy in the West and arguably the most capitalistic country in the world also has plenty of these "hang around and do nothing" people:

http://www3.tky.3web.ne.jp/~edjacob/

Go down to the "Useless People" frame link.

- Jeff

[wsbill]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Watch what you do on the Mos..., posted by ChrisNJ on Nov 8, 2003

You may think their a bunch of free trading capitalist there, but the rules have pretty much stayed in place, until the old ones die off, the new can only pretend to have real free russia.

Like how many car accidents a week deaths do they have !!
Especially if that individual never owned a car.

[ChrisNJ]

... in response to Re: Who ever said commisum has ended ?, posted by wsbill on Nov 8, 2003

I'm thinking I should've phrased that better.  What I meant was...Oh nevermind. lol