2020-04-07
108
As in any big city, when in Moscow you should always be cautious and take time to observe the safety rules of an urban city. Don't carry a wallet full of cash in your back pocket, don't leave your things unattended, and don't drink in the company of strangers.
Moscow has its pickpockets (карманник) just like any other capital city. You're unlikely to have a run in with any on above-ground transport, but they do a lot of their work underground, in the subway. Hotspots («горячие точки») are the especially busy stations along the ring line – Kurskaya, Komsomolskaya, Kievskaya – as well as the stations at the ends of the lines, which are located close to shopping centers, markets and train stations like Vykhino, Teply Stan, and Yugo-Zapadnaya.
Pickpockets are especially active before and during the holidays as well as during
rush hour (час-пик).
On the streets of Moscow you may be met by groups of ― gypsies ‖ (цыгане) bothering people (usually women) offering to tell them their fortune (предсказать судьбу) or rid them of an evil eye (избавить от порчи) that has supposedly been cast on them by someone else. They are very skilled in involving passersby in conversation. However, don't talk to them even if you are just curious (любопытный). In two minutes you will be surrounded by a distracting group of people who will manage to walk off with your money, cell phone and whatever else was in your pockets or bags.
Fraud (мошенничество) involving cell phones have become more common recently. For example, a distressed man may approach you and ask to use your phone to call his ill mother since his own phone is out of battery. If you sympathize with him he will return your cell phone in a couple of minutes, but you will find that the balance on your phone is significantly lower. This is because the man has transferred your money to his phone. Don't give your phone to people you don't know if you want to avoid getting your money stolen. If you really want to help someone, dial the number and relay the information yourself.
Another type of fraud is when the victim receives a message on their cell phone such as: ―Mom, I'm in trouble, send 500 rubles to this number ASAP‖. Worried parents usually don't hesitate by calling and transfer the money immediately. If you
don't want to lose your money, try contacting other members of your family to see if there really is a problem before sending any money.
To be safe, try not to use the services of unofficial taxi drivers, especially at night. Although most of them are working honestly to put food on the table, there have been many cases when passengers get into a car and become the victim of a robbery (жертва ограбления).
Call centers
Tourists are inquisitive (любопытный) creatures who, as any guide will tell you, usually ask lots of questions. Now the answer to almost any of these questions can be obtained via (через) a simple phone call to the first information call center in Moscow (and in Russia).
The project was launched (запускать) by the Moscow Government‘s Committee for Tourism and the Hotel Business in conjunction with Telecom Express, one of Russia‘s largest outsourcing contact centers. The call center operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so you can obtain the information you need at any time. There are not very many operators — just over ten (half of them can speak English), but their number will grow as soon as the new service gains popularity. Тhe tendency is clear: initially it was receiving only 10 to 20 calls a day, but is now handling almost100 a day.
The number of tourists calling the center is split almost half and half between Russians and foreigners. The center provides the whole range of information services
necessary for a full-value holiday: information about places of interest in the capital, important tourist sites, transport routes, addresses and telephone numbers. In addition, in an emergency the operators will immediately put tourists in touch with the police, the fire or ambulance service — in general, will not leave them to cope with a problem (справляться) on their own. The call center‘s staff are mostly people with experience of working as guides or interpreters in tour companies. Telephone numbers of the Moscow tourist call center 8-800-220-00-01 8-800-220-00-02 8-495- 663-13-93
