Almost sent to the Gulag! — 10 months ago
Back in 1987, I spent a week and half in the USSR. Part of our trip included the ballet. We ended up in a long line for the coat check and people were handing over money so I assumed there was a fee to check items. I held out my hand with random Russian coins in it, and the coat checker took my coat and money, but then he handed me a pair of binoculars.
I was in the 12th row, and since one of my classmates had a balcony seat, I gave her the binoculars.
Well, she returned them to the coat check people after the ballet was over and I returned empty handed. This created quite the ruckus, and if you can picture a young American girl getting pummeled verbally by an old Russian woman, that was me.
I was literally on the floor in tears because she was screaming at me. The tour guide finally made it to the area and found out why she was flipping out. I had not returned with the binoculars and they were therefore stolen by this piss ant of an American.
All in all, that was really the only bad thing that ever happened on my trip. Russia was a magical place for me and I’ll never forget it. Especially the toilet paper.
