Laws '07
From Macska Travel Co.
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[edit] Update 2009
Everywhere we went, including China and Russia, street merchants were very kind and honest with us. No police officers ever demanded a bribe. We'll probably look into any unique laws we might encounter countries this summer, but I think that for the most part, there'll be nothing unexpected.
[edit] Overview
As you know, Kat and I are both big fans of The System. For all countries save Russia, we've heard of no crazy laws that we need to be aware of. Of course we'll observe all posted signs and such, but the story in Russia is slightly different.
[edit] General
Although we will be using ATM's and credit cards to take care of finances, we may need to use cash in some places also. An old scam we may run into is to give a larger-than-necessary bill and to have someone tell us that they can't give us change. For this reason only, we have been advised to always carry around some small bills and coins. Also, in case of theft or really anything else involving the law, it is very important to file a police report and to get a copy of it. The only way that we can substantiate having something stolen from us is if we can show a police report to the insurance company.
[edit] Russia
Indeed, in Soviet Russia, law passes you! Here, we are required to register our visas as soon as we arrive in a new city (technically, I think we have 3 days to do it, but that is both unsubstantiated and, again, not something I can explain to a cop in Russian if they stopped us), and to be able to present our visas, visa support, and visa registration papers on demand, which means that we have to carry them on us at all times. When we pass into Russia, we are supposed to get an immigration card that we have to have filled-out in each new place that we go to, and likewise be able to present this on demand. Honestly, I imagine Russia to be some place where police officers randomly stop people on the street and demand their "papers" just to hassle them or something. I don't know why they would do this....
