Considering flying home flat broke!

[LatinSwede]

Just an idea to stick it to the "freindly" Airport Militsya.  I discussed it with my fiance, and she seems to agree.  When it's time to line up, and go through those doors, there will be no cash at all on our persons.  What remaining unspent Dollars, and Hrvna I got left will be handed over to her mother.  This will help her family, while she's here getting adjusted.  As well, it will discourage any militzya trying to extract "taxes" before we leave.  I just want to see the look o their faces if/when they tell us to open our wallets, and not a kopek to spare.  Then it's off to check in, and the waiting hall.  We won't starve, because meals will be on all of our flights.  So, does this sound like a weird idea or what? 

[Manny]

I have never experienced being "taxed" when leaving the FSU, which country have you had this experience in please?

[BC]

Last time I was asked by the customs guy how much currency I was taking out of RU, I answered honestly.. "two euro".  He looked at me funny, I shrugged and that was that.

[PeeWee]

Just an idea to stick it to the "freindly" Airport Militsya.  I discussed it with my fiance, and she seems to agree.  When it's time to line up, and go through those doors, there will be no cash at all on our persons.  What remaining unspent Dollars, and Hrvna I got left will be handed over to her mother.  This will help her family, while she's here getting adjusted.  As well, it will discourage any militzya trying to extract "taxes" before we leave.  I just want to see the look o their faces if/when they tell us to open our wallets, and not a kopek to spare.  Then it's off to check in, and the waiting hall.  We won't starve, because meals will be on all of our flights.  So, does this sound like a weird idea or what? 

Sounds strange but what about $20.00. What if the airport Militsya think it odd that you are showing no cash, grow suspecious, and then ask you to remove your pants and shoes while they don a pair of latex golves? After they have asked you to open your wallet their next request will be, "Bend and open butt cheeks." Your intention was to stick it to them when it turn they stick it to you, so to speak.

Peewee

[55North]

I don't really understand the original post.  If you're carrying Hryvna, it must be Ukraine.  If Kiev, I can assure you that no one's going to shake you down for cash.  It's a joy to travel through.   There is a regulation against exporting Hryvna, though I believe that is changing soon.  I was once asked if I had any H on me which I didn't (having given what was left to my better half).  It's no use anywhere else as not convertible.  No one expressed any interest in the GBP, USD + Euros I was carrying.  It is not their style now.

[Manny]

I don't really understand the original post.  If you're carrying Hryvna, it must be Ukraine.

Thats what I thought. Thats why I asked which country. Even in Russia, sometimes they make you fill in the form on arrival to ask how much currency you are carrying, (I have never been checked however even when carrying amounts that would be questioned in the US)  but never on leaving have I had it from Samara or Moscow.

And a cautionary tale, one time when leaving Samara I gave all my spare Roubles to my lady saying "I dont need them this visit, the plane leaves in 30 mins" - She had gone in the taxi, and the plane was delayed because of snow & fog for 3 hours, exchange office was closed, (even the Duty Free is always closed/empty in Samara) I managed to seek out an American in the lounge and change some USD I just happened to have (in case of emergency) for Roubles so I could get a coffee! And to top that the heating had broken and it was -16c outside!

If you were that American (as he was visiting a girl I gleaned) who changed a bit of money at Samara Airport for a Brit in November 05 then Thanks! 

[LatinSwede]

Well it is Odessa, Ukraine.  My last visit I wasn't even asked to open my luggage.  However, I still don't trust the Ukrainski Milistya.  The first time in Odessa Ukraine, back in '02, I dropped my passport, and had to go back and get it.  After I found it, the driver told me to give the officer $5.  If I didn't he could give me a hard time, when it was time to leave.  That's the worst of it.  I haven't been stopped in the street at all.  It like they pass me by like I don't exist, not to say it won't happen.

Every time I've been to Odessa, the police woman asked if I got presents.  I didn't have any reciepts, and got waived through.  I've never carried jewelry, but were getting our wedding bands in her country.  I'll have to declare them when we leave.

The way things are going now, We'll likely be leaving Odessa together in mid fall.  My lady will likely have a special bag of drinks and snacks incase we're delayed.

[Michelangelo]

You guys of today are lucky.  In my original trips to Ukraine about 3 years ago, you had to have a visa and there were strick restrictions about taking Hryvna out of the country.  I knew this, and gave all my Hryvna to the girl I was with before going through security.

When asked how much cash i had, I told the agent $500.  She looked in my wallet, and counted it.  It was correct.

But I had brought too much cash with me and still had over $1000 with me as i was leaving and had not declared it coming in.

I had stuck some of the extra money in a bag, well concealed.  The other i had hid in my underwear!

She pulled me out of line and took me to a holding area.  For more than 45 minutes she searched my bag, tossing everything out!  She found the liner where I had another $300 bucks stashed.   I was still ok--she had accounted for $800.

Then she asked me to take my coat off, and searched it.  Then she asked me to turn my pants pockets inside out, which I did.

Now almost an hour had passed and my flight was 30 minutes from taking off!

And can you believe it?  She patted me down and lingered on my crouch!  She smiled and my heart stopped!  She reached in, pinched me playfully there, and pulled out 3 one hundred dollar bills!

She lectured me for 15 minutes and told me I was bad and had broken the rules. Then she said "what are we going to do about this?," as she eyed the 100 dollar bills....

I said "so I'm a hundred dollars over?"  "Da," she said.

Should I miss my flight, or fight this?  I was in the wrong, so....

I tossed one of the hundreds in the trash at the end of the examination table.

"I'm ok now, right?"

"Da."  

I glanced back as I turned the corner to see her discretely pull the bill out of the trash.

I made my flight with minutes to spare....

The good old days  

______________________________

[PeeWee]

You guys of today are lucky.  In my original trips to Ukraine about 3 years ago, you had to have a visa and there were strick restrictions about taking Hryvna out of the country.  I knew this, and gave all my Hryvna to the girl I was with before going through security.

When asked how much cash i had, I told the agent $500.  She looked in my wallet, and counted it.  It was correct.

But I had brought too much cash with me and still had over $1000 with me as i was leaving and had not declared it coming in.

I had stuck some of the extra money in a bag, well concealed.  The other i had hid in my underwear!

She pulled me out of line and took me to a holding area.  For more than 45 minutes she searched my bag, tossing everything out!  She found the liner where I had another $300 bucks stashed.   I was still ok--she had accounted for $800.

Then she asked me to take my coat off, and searched it.  Then she asked me to turn my pants pockets inside out, which I did.

Now almost an hour had passed and my flight was 30 minutes from taking off!

And can you believe it?  She patted me down and lingered on my crouch!  She smiled and my heart stopped!  She reached in, pinched me playfully there, and pulled out 3 one hundred dollar bills!

She lectured me for 15 minutes and told me I was bad and had broken the rules. Then she said "what are we going to do about this?," as she eyed the 100 dollar bills....

I said "so I'm a hundred dollars over?"  "Da," she said.

Should I miss my flight, or fight this?  I was in the wrong, so....

I tossed one of the hundreds in the trash at the end of the examination table.

"I'm ok now, right?"

"Da."  

I glanced back as I turned the corner to see her discretely pull the bill out of the trash.

I made my flight with minutes to spare....

The good old days  

______________________________

So in effect you paid a woman $100.00 bones to grope your yamsack for one minute?

Peewee

[Manny]

I hope she was hot for that price and you got her number?

Times change - I read many horror stories (not to mention the Frankfurt-Samara tales on Volgagirl site) and had no problems at all! I have never had a serious problem in Lithuania, Latvia or Estonia (Pre EU) or Russia itself, a bit of manners, a smile and a smattering of Russian (hey, heres a foreigner who makes an effort) and you get "have a nice journey" or "welcome to Russia"

My lady is poised at the Airport each time on my arrival clutching paperwork and allsorts expecting problems, I have never had a problem yet. And at Samara I see a few US & Canadian citizens coming in and they are equally welcomed!

Last time I hit Samara a few weeks ago there was even a women helping non Russian speakers fill in the immigration forms!?!?! - Russia is changing!

[groovlstk]

I've been shaken down three times in four trips to Ukraine, but always I obeyed the rules like a boyscout and never had to fork over anything.

First trip:
I had a single bottle of good Georgian wine in my suitcase on my way home, the customs guy insisted on searching my bag at DNK when I departed. When he turned up nothing besides clothes and a few trinkets not worth declaring, he closed my suitcase but inadvertantly left the wine bottle exposed (I'd swaddled it in clothes for protection). When I got home I discovered the bottle had broken and my wardrobe had adopted a nice purple tint. I'm saving one of the purpley shirts for the next Pink Floyd tour.

Second trip:
Upon exiting Kiev, the x-ray lady saw some suspicious items in my suitcase, so she made me open it and show her the rechargeable AA cam batteries that made her curious. She sent me on my merry way with a wave.

Third trip:
Again at Borispol I was taken aside and asked if I had any grivna. A severe woman directed me into a small room and after I emptied my pockets and showed her that my wallet contained only US dollars (I had given all my remaining G's to the woman I met before parting with her) she dismissed me. 

Since I found my girl in Russia I don't think I'll ever return to Ukraine, so these incidents are nostalgic for me

[aikorob]

Every time leaving Ukraine i have been asked how much money I am taking out. It's always less than declared coming in, so Customs official has just glanced at declared amount and waved me through.

[Wayne]

I flew into Simferopol, Ukraine in Feb 2001.  The rules were very strick then.  You had to fill out a customs form upon entering and declaring everything of value, including money, traver's checks and so on.  When leaving Ukraine, they made sure you were leaving with less than you came with.

I June, 2002 I entered Ukraine from Poland by car with two Ukrainian drivers.  I needed a visa but there was only a simple form to fill out with the address where I was staying and other simple information.  They collected the form upon leaving.

Now, I guess the requirements for Ukraine are easy.

[Ste]

I well remember entering Romania from Yugoslavia en transit to Hungary. Student days, Interraillng, all Europe's trains for 150 quid! 1985.

Anyway, we had to change something like 30 dollars a day into Lei - two days - 60 dollars. Could we spend that Lei? Could we fook, there was nothing to buy, not even food! We wandered into supermarkets all they had was manky potatoes and turnips. We really wanted juice cos it was totally hot, ended up drinking this thing that looked like juice called 'cyrop' - I know it's obvious with hindsight but you try drinking syrup! Tipping the bottle and waiting a minute and a half for something to come out. And it was horrible. And it was sticky. And attracted the entire wasp population of Brasov.

Eventually we found this horrible, grey dingy bar-type cafe and got some limonatsa, near enough to lemonade although not clear, but very, very welcome and really thirst-quenching.

So come the next day we are ready to get the train to Budapest and realise we've got about ten million Lei left and we can't take it out. So we spend it on booze. All sorts of dodgy brandies and this vile gut-rot cherry wine. Then we get told we can't take this out either so we neck it all along with several passengers on the train.

The train was shunted backwards and forwards in the middle of the night at Hegyshalom and me head was banging I can tell you......

Oh, young, free and single! And stupid!

Ste


 

 

[Manny]

If this is too off topic then mods please move it accordingly.........

That reminded me of my first drive to Estonia (pre EU). UK to Holland on the ferry, 3 idiots in a Mercedes 410D van, loaded with a sofa (to sleep on en route and sell later) and loads of other rubbish to sell, through Germany & Poland without incident, then we arrived at the Lithuiania border, the border guards had never seen 3 idiots in a right hand drive van (with Gibraltar numberplates by the way) and we were informed that our vehicle insurance was not valid in Lithuiania (despite it saying "LIthuania" in big letters on it) One of us (who was fluent in German as were the border guards) decided it was worth arguing about, after a 30 minute argument he had a border guard with a gun pointing at him (meanwhile I had gone in the office and purchased Lithuania transit Insurance at $8) - so we went on, we stopped the night in Riga, Latvia, van had to be in a secure compound with armed guards, then next morning onwards -

At the border of Estonia we had to purchase more insurance, and pay the border guard a $20 "fine" because we did not have snow tyres on (it was cold, -13) We eventually arrived in Tallinn, (3 days and 1400 miles after leaving England) - we promptly sold the sofa and the other rubbish we had bought and filled the van up with new purchases, antiques, clocks, furniture, 45 gallons of diesel in a drum (well it was cheap!) crates of Vodka and many cigarettes and general swag we set off homebound (I will leave out the tale of the Russian girl Katja in Club Moscova in Tallinn)

We went without incident until Lithuania when some "bandits" tried to stop our van and run us off the road in the forests. We got away and was OK till we hit the German border (entry into the EU) Our van was puled into a compound to be emptied and searched. After a long conversation via our German speaking travelling companion, we paid the guard £80 ($150) import duty (without detailled inspection) and we were in....

Then we diverted via Luxembourg where the vans exhaust decided to misbehave, after a quick repair with gum-gum and a Saku beer can and two jubilee clips we are off again to Calais (France) to the cheap beer and wine warehouses, up to Oostend in Belgium to catch the ferry back to Hull, England, when I got home my lady then (English girl) said "only 10 days? I thought you would be a month! -

If I knew that was her opinion Iwould have spent more time with the lovely Katja in Tallinn! 

[LatinSwede]

I just rethought it.  I may just hold on to 20 Euro for good measure.

Perhaps I sound a tad dodgy, but I'd almost want a couple of those uniformed ladies I saw in Odessa to "search me". They were both blond and very lovely.  In The Netherlands I was stopped on the street a couple times by beautiful Dutch Police Women.  It's like I almost wanted to get arrested.  Maybe next time I'll get lucky.  A lovely Dutch lady in Uniform will slap handcuffs on me and say "Slechten  jongen!  Je gaat mee!"

I'm dream shopping online again for our tickets.  Sadly, I can't realy purchase them, until I get the final word she's got the visa.  One ting I'm trying to avaoid is overnight layovers in Europe.  Her passport is not as priviledged as mine I guess.  The UK might not be to bad, if we have an overnight in London.  I check the British Embassy site.  I think as long as she's got an US visa, and an onward ticket the USA, she can stay up to 2 days.  That just might work.  I love London, and it's a chance for her to see a glimpse of our father culture.  However, I'm trying to avoid an overnight layover all together.  Even if that means hopping and wating a couple times in continetal Europe.  On my last day, it's like "Yeah, I love Europe, but I need to go home now!".

[Todd]

I think this consideration would be even more important for Belarus considering that it is very difficult to get currency into the country.  If a family member needs money, they essentially have to go to a Western Union in Lithuania to get it and bring it back, which is something that would take all day.

[Wild Orchid*]

Thats what I thought. Thats why I asked which country. Even in Russia, sometimes they make you fill in the form on arrival to ask how much currency you are carrying, (I have never been checked however even when carrying amounts that would be questioned in the US)  but never on leaving have I had it from Samara or Moscow.

That is not quite correct. Customs in Russia don’t ask hoe much cash you’ve got on you, they ask you to declare if you have MORE than $3 000 (amount could be hire now). I always answer verbally that I have less than that and it is good enough for them. Once I saw Russian guy with whom we flew together from Singapore declaring some cash and presenting full brief-case of it (US$). Have no idea what sort of money he had with him. How much can you squeeze in the brief-case?

[Manny]

You can get $500k in a small briefcase no problem.