Russian (Political) Idol

[shikarnov 7]

Hmmm...if you can find anything, please post. My recollection is that the US pretty much bragged about "defeating" the USSR, and then quickly forgot about them, while Europe simply turned their backs.

I haven't had time to look - work has been incredibly busy. But I haven't forgotten about this thread...

[mox 298]

No worries. I'll look around too and see what I can find. It's actually a subject that interests me a lot.

[slim 1,525]

If you guys find any free money let me know.

[mox 298]

Slim I have some that I can send to you. I just need you to cover shipping and handling...

[slim 1,525]

It must be pretty heavy. (Wait a minute.... I don't want all your old pennies!)

[mox 298]

Well damn, you're no fun.

[KGSodie 0]

I have about $25 in pennies here in my desk drawer at work. Just saying.

[slim 1,525]

Have you guys seen the commercials where dude wants to buy something and it's like $20 and he says, "good... you take pennies, right?" and then he pulls out this big brown bag full of pennies. The clerks just look at him like he's on crack or something. Very funny commercial.

[mox 298]

Haven't seen the commercial, but I've been behind some idiot in the supermarket that pulls out a wad of change and winds up having to put something back because he was short a couple nickles.

[slim 1,525]

There should be a law requiring a slap to the back of the head for that guy by everyone behind him in line. And the clerk. I'm sure they'd enjoy it as well. Hell, we'd probably have an abundance of new clerk applicants just biting at the chance to slap someone. Come to think if it, if there were more "slap offenses" in the U.S., people probably wouldn't do such boneheaded things.

Supporting point - while in Russia I saw a dude getting slapped around pretty good on the bus because he didn't have a ticket. Needless to say we made it a priority to buy tickets right away from that point on. Don't know if that was the American in me coming out, maybe the Russians will put up with a slapping here and there if it saves them a few bucks, but I wasn't having any part of it just to save a few kopecks.

[mox 298]

Reminds me of when I was on the bus one time. The conductor was going around collecting the 14 ruble fee, and I had exactly 14 rubles in change, so for once I wasn't going to have to make them break a 50, which normally gets you a severe glaring at. So she comes over to me, and I pull the pre-counted change and...immediately drop most of them onto the floor of the very crowded bus. Without missing a beat I handed her a 50.

[Satellite 1]

Reminds me of when I was on the bus one time. The conductor was going around collecting the 14 ruble fee, and I had exactly 14 rubles in change, so for once I wasn't going to have to make them break a 50, which normally gets you a severe glaring at. So she comes over to me, and I pull the pre-counted change and...immediately drop most of them onto the floor of the very crowded bus. Without missing a beat I handed her a 50.

I actually managed a few free rides by pulling at 1000 ruble bill on the public transit because the ticket issuer did not have the change But boy have prices gone up, it was 3 RU in 2003 and 4 RU in 2004 for the same bus. Still better than 1.50 which would be something like 45 RU on MUNI in San Francisco.

[mox 298]

I actually managed a few free rides by pulling at 1000 ruble bill on the public transit because the ticket issuer did not have the change But boy have prices gone up, it was 3 RU in 2003 and 4 RU in 2004 for the same bus. Still better than 1.50 which would be something like 45 RU on MUNI in San Francisco.

WOW! That is some serious price hikeage. This was in St. Petersburg, maybe prices are lower elsewhere? I don't remember what I paid in Kazan.

I and many other passengers once rode free because the conductor was asleep along my entire route. I'm sure this is not uncommon.

[slim 1,525]

I actually thought the bus was free when I first got there, kind of one of those govt. promotional things to encourage public trans.... until I saw that guy getting slapped around.

The bus here (in Cincinnati) is also $1.50 and then costs more depending on which "zone" you're going to. At $3-6 a day, plus the extra hour each way, you may as well drive. And they wonder why nobody wants to take the bus.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Hmmm...if you can find anything, please post. My recollection is that the US pretty much bragged about "defeating" the USSR, and then quickly forgot about them, while Europe simply turned their backs.

I haven't had time to look - work has been incredibly busy. But I haven't forgotten about this thread...

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html...751C1A960958260

*I.M.F. Is Resuming Its Loans to Russia*

"The International Monetary Fund said today that it had approved the resumption of lending to Russia, giving the go-ahead for the release of $336 million to the financially strapped country.

The fund had withheld paying two monthly loans to Russia in October and November, largely because of dissatisfaction with the low level of Government revenues. Since then, Moscow has worked to get back into the fund's good graces through a drive to get Russian companies to pay the taxes they owe.

In a statement, a fund spokesman made note of the efforts, citing Moscow's ''improved revenue performance.''

The money is part of a $10.2 billion, three-year loan agreement reached with Russia last year."