Booted out by the Police

Russia is a very different culture, and customer service isn't anything near the level you expect in the United States. This is an interesting experience today that involves racism, dickhead security guards, and finally police with Kalashnikov AK-47's.

A friend of mine from church is in the hospital with pancreatitis. This Sabbath afternoon, about six of us went to see him. It was a half hour walk in sub-freezing temperatures though the slush along a busy street. When we got to the shoddy-looking government hospital, we went in the entrance, and there was a small (10 foot by 20 foot) room, which has a security turnstyle that you were ushered through after informing the guards about whom you were there to visit. There was no waiting room of any sort, just the tiny security room.

First of all, these guards looked like uneducated ex-mafia thugs, perhaps they couldn't cut it in the mafia. The stereotypical jackets and Bennie-hats were worn by each.

It turned out only two visitors were allowed in the hospital at a time. While the two were in there the other 4 of us waited in this tiny waiting area. Of all of us, only I and another were white. The rest of them were Haitian or African students, as was the patient we were visiting.

After a few minutes of traffic going in and out of this waiting area, the security goons stared to get annoyed by us being there, and taking up space in this room. The soon demanded we wait out on the street. My Russian friend was none to happy about this, and she let them have it. She argued with them, telling them that it is cold outside, and that we aren't causing any trouble. She would not back down. She said, she knows her rights! Well, the big fat boss security manager came out, and she said the same to him. He backed down, and went back to his office. Through the glass I saw him pick up a phone...

Sure enough, about 10 minutes later two cops showed up, both carrying sawed-off AK-47's. My friend argued with and exhorted the cops and guards, until the police escorted us onto the street. My friend yelled something about the "Moscow Times" hearing about this. This is a well-known muckraking English newspaper published here, and online.

The police and guards then talked for a few minutes, then one of the policemen came out and talked with my friend, and basically said you're right. My friends were told to come back into the waiting area at that time. So, my feisty friend won, and the cops basically said that they were just there to do their job, and make sure that there was no problem. He said we can wait, as long as there was no trouble. But, it is an example of Russia's problem with racism and poor service. Those AK-47's sure were snazzy looking though.