on the subject of airports..
 

.... for flights inside the Schengen area, is there now a some kind of
agreement that you don't need a passport or an official ID card?
I've noticed recently that on internal flights in Germany I never
needed to show anything other than a boarding card, but I hate dragging
my passport around for no good reason, and I'd hate to be refused
boarding just because I didn't have it with me.

on the subject of airports..
 

On 10.09.2013 12:32, Martin wrote:
On Tue, 10 Sep 2013 12:24:13 +0200, Tom P wrote:

... for flights inside the Schengen area, is there now a some kind of
agreement that you don't need a passport or an official ID card?
I've noticed recently that on internal flights in Germany I never
needed to show anything other than a boarding card, but I hate dragging
my passport around for no good reason, and I'd hate to be refused
boarding just because I didn't have it with me.

In the Netherlands it is obligatory to carry valid ID at all times.

True in theory in Germany, but it's not as if you are going to get
arrested on the street.

on the subject of airports..
 

Am Tue, 10 Sep 2013 13:27:55 +0200 schrieb Tom P:

On 10.09.2013 12:32, Martin wrote:
On Tue, 10 Sep 2013 12:24:13 +0200, Tom P wrote:

... for flights inside the Schengen area, is there now a some kind of
agreement that you don't need a passport or an official ID card?
I've noticed recently that on internal flights in Germany I never
needed to show anything other than a boarding card, but I hate dragging
my passport around for no good reason, and I'd hate to be refused
boarding just because I didn't have it with me.

In the Netherlands it is obligatory to carry valid ID at all times.

True in theory in Germany, but it's not as if you are going to get
arrested on the street.

Not true like this. You need to be able to show it when checked, but you
don't have to carry it with you. It's perfectly legal to keep it in the
safe of your hotel-room (or at your home, when you live in Germany), and if
you should get asked for it, you go to your room and get it.

Then again, I live in Germany for over 40 years and have never been asked
my ID-card randomly on the street. At least not when you're walking around,
it's different if you drive your car, then they can (and will) check car
papers, ID and driver's licence.

As for the flights - it depends on the airline. Some airlines won't let you
board a plane without a proper ID, even when you stay within schengen-area.
So I would always carry one.

Reagrds,

Frank

on the subject of airports..
 

Frank Hucklenbroich:

Am Tue, 10 Sep 2013 13:27:55 +0200 schrieb Tom P:

On 10.09.2013 12:32, Martin wrote:

In the Netherlands it is obligatory to carry valid ID at all
times.

True in theory in Germany, but...

You need to be able to show it when checked, but
you don't have to carry it with you.


Reading up on this, I noticed two rules, confirmed by several websites:
1. In the Netherlands, dutch inhabitants need to carry an ID
2. In Germany, germans need to posess, not carry, an ID

What's the rule for residents of dutch nationality in Germany?
I can't seem to find anything on that.

on the subject of airports..
 

Am 10.09.2013 14:06, schrieb Erick T. Barkhuis:
Reading up on this, I noticed two rules, confirmed by several websites:
1. In the Netherlands, dutch inhabitants need to carry an ID
2. In Germany, germans need to posess, not carry, an ID

What's the rule for residents of dutch nationality in Germany?
I can't seem to find anything on that.

Pretty much the same as for germans, it seems:

"Bürger der Europäischen Union einschließlich des Europäischen
Wirtschaftsraums müssen nach § 8 des Freizügigkeitsgesetzes/EU bei der
Einreise in die Bundesrepublik einen Pass oder anerkannten Passersatz
mitführen und während ihres Aufenthaltes besitzen.

Für alle anderen Ausländer, die in die Bundesrepublik einreisen oder
sich im Bundesgebiet aufhalten, besteht nach § 3 des Aufenthaltsgesetzes
eine Passpflicht."

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ausweispflicht
http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/fr..._2004/__8.html

So you need to posess an ID and prove ID if asked by authorities.
No need to carry, but being hold for hours by police for identity
verification isn't much fun either.

Josef

on the subject of airports..
 

Josef Kleber:

Am 10.09.2013 14:06, schrieb Erick T. Barkhuis:
Reading up on this, I noticed two rules, confirmed by several
websites: 1. In the Netherlands, dutch inhabitants need to carry
an ID 2. In Germany, germans need to posess, not carry, an ID

What's the rule for residents of dutch nationality in Germany?

[...]
Pretty much the same as for germans, it seems:
[...]
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ausweispflicht
http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/fr..._2004/__8.html

So you need to posess an ID and prove ID if asked by authorities.

Thanks for this, Josef.

No need to carry, but being hold for hours by police for identity
verification isn't much fun either.

Being held by police doesn't make it any easier to go and get the
passport from the drawer at home, either.

on the subject of airports..
 

Am 10 Sep 2013 12:06:37 GMT schrieb Erick T. Barkhuis:

Frank Hucklenbroich:

Am Tue, 10 Sep 2013 13:27:55 +0200 schrieb Tom P:

On 10.09.2013 12:32, Martin wrote:

In the Netherlands it is obligatory to carry valid ID at all
times.

True in theory in Germany, but...

You need to be able to show it when checked, but
you don't have to carry it with you.


Reading up on this, I noticed two rules, confirmed by several websites:
1. In the Netherlands, dutch inhabitants need to carry an ID
2. In Germany, germans need to posess, not carry, an ID

What's the rule for residents of dutch nationality in Germany?
I can't seem to find anything on that.

The same as for Germans - when you are asked for an ID, you have to be in
possesion of one, and be able to show it, but don't need to carry it.
In practise it can mean that the police can come with you to your
house/hotel-room/flat, and let you get the ID-card.

Or maybe they will just check by radio, if you permanently live in Germany
you have to register (no matter what nationality you have), so they'll ask
you your date of birth, name and adress, and can verify this by radio on
the spot. Thats what they do at traffic-checks if you forgotten your
papers. No big deal, though you can get a fine for driving without papers,
something like 5 EUR or so.
But if you travel to other cities, it seems a good idea to have the ID with
you. Claiming that your ID is in your flat in Berlin while you are in
Munich could get you in some kind of trouble, if you have no other papers
to identify you (drivers licence, passport or something like that). In the
worst case you can end up at the police station while they are trying to
verify your data, which can take some time.

Regards,

Frank

on the subject of airports..
 

Am 10 Sep 2013 13:41:29 GMT schrieb Erick T. Barkhuis:

Josef Kleber:
No need to carry, but being hold for hours by police for identity
verification isn't much fun either.

Being held by police doesn't make it any easier to go and get the
passport from the drawer at home, either.

If your home is near where they check you (same city), they'll simply take
you to your home and there you show the papers.

If they catch you in Hamburg with your ID in Berlin, they can hold you
until they get someone in Berlin confirming your identity. And that can
take a bit of time.

Regards,

Frank

on the subject of airports..
 

Frank Hucklenbroich:

If they catch you in Hamburg with your ID in Berlin, they can hold you
until they get someone in Berlin confirming your identity. And that
can take a bit of time.

Sounds like fun. They might even speed up thing by using some
waterboarding.
http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/2013-09-10/

on the subject of airports..
 

Am 10.09.2013 15:41, schrieb Erick T. Barkhuis:
Josef Kleber:
No need to carry, but being hold for hours by police for identity
verification isn't much fun either.

Being held by police doesn't make it any easier to go and get the
passport from the drawer at home, either.

No problem. If you say them your ID is at home, they will taxi you home! ;-)
A while ago, i saw a TV report about traffic controls. One of the
drivers weren't able to provide an ID. So police asked for his personal
data and checked these with the Einwohnermeldeamt. Furthermore they
called his fazher/mother and asked for a description1 :-)

Josef

on the subject of airports..
 

Josef Kleber:

[...]
Furthermore they called his father/mother and asked for a
description1 :-)

In my case, that would require at least some spiritual effort, aber I
can see the picture now.
Thanks.

on the subject of airports..
 

Am 10.09.2013 17:57, schrieb Martin:
On 10 Sep 2013 12:06:37 GMT, "Erick T. Barkhuis"
2. In Germany, germans need to posess, not carry, an ID

What's the rule for residents of dutch nationality in Germany?
I can't seem to find anything on that.

If you are British in Germany
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/germany
"Carry your passport with you at all times. German police have the
right to ask to see identification."

I assume the same applies if you are Dutch.

The same even applies if you are german! ;-) But, with the police having
the right to see an ID does not mean you have to carry an ID.
Furthermore, the police needs a reason for asking for your ID.

So the british government gives a good advice to avoid trouble. In the
context of a law seminar, it's wrong!

Josef

on the subject of airports..
 

Am 10.09.2013 18:43, schrieb Martin:
On Tue, 10 Sep 2013 18:27:07 +0200, Josef Kleber
wrote:

Am 10.09.2013 17:57, schrieb Martin:
On 10 Sep 2013 12:06:37 GMT, "Erick T. Barkhuis"
2. In Germany, germans need to posess, not carry, an ID

What's the rule for residents of dutch nationality in Germany?
I can't seem to find anything on that.

If you are British in Germany
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/germany
"Carry your passport with you at all times. German police have the
right to ask to see identification."

I assume the same applies if you are Dutch.

The same even applies if you are german! ;-) But, with the police having
the right to see an ID does not mean you have to carry an ID.
Furthermore, the police needs a reason for asking for your ID.

So the british government gives a good advice to avoid trouble. In the
context of a law seminar, it's wrong!

Assuming the police have a reason to ask for ID the British government
is right.

"Carry your passport with you at all times." is wrong. That's a good
advice for practical reasons, but no arrest, no ticket, no nothing if
your passport is in the hotel safe. Just carry to avoid inconvenience or
enjoy german police hospitality! ;-)

Josef

on the subject of airports..
 

On 10.09.2013 15:41, Erick T. Barkhuis wrote:
Josef Kleber:

Am 10.09.2013 14:06, schrieb Erick T. Barkhuis:
Reading up on this, I noticed two rules, confirmed by several
websites: 1. In the Netherlands, dutch inhabitants need to carry
an ID 2. In Germany, germans need to posess, not carry, an ID

What's the rule for residents of dutch nationality in Germany?

[...]
Pretty much the same as for germans, it seems:
[...]
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ausweispflicht
http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/fr..._2004/__8.html

So you need to posess an ID and prove ID if asked by authorities.

Thanks for this, Josef.

No need to carry, but being hold for hours by police for identity
verification isn't much fun either.

Being held by police doesn't make it any easier to go and get the
passport from the drawer at home, either.



which reminds me of what happened to me some years back. I leave the
house one morning, walk over to the car in the driveway and this police
car suddenly drives up and surrounds me.. I can't quite describe exactly
how one police car can surround you, but they did it. Out jumps a young
police officer and a young police officerette. Is this my car, he wants
to know. It's the moment I've been waiting for all my life. No, it's a
company car, I quip. Let's see your ID. I just walked out of the house
to get some stuff out of the car, it's at home. Where's that. This is my
house. Prove it. This is the house door key, this is the car key, this
one opens the letterbox, this one opens the garage. Silence. Well, we've
had a phone call, and someone reported a suspicious person round here
wearing a green jacket and brown trousers. I look at the police officer
in his German police uniform and then at the officerette, who is now
struggling not to burst out laughing. The officer looks slightly
sheepish. I nodded, thanked him profusely for the information and the
diligence of the police force, and promised I'd keep an eye open for
anyone matching the description. They climb back into the car, the
officerette still struggling with a giggling fit, and the officer
manages to reverse out without hitting anything.

on the subject of airports..
 

Tom P.:
which reminds me of what happened to me some years back. I leave the
house one morning, walk over to the car in the driveway and this police
car suddenly drives up and surrounds me...

Okay, now I have to repost this story as told by the late Graeme Thomas,
who posted it in 2004 in another newsgroup. Since it involves passports,
it's even on-topic for the thread:

| I suspect that my worst entanglement with authority happened in France,
| about 15 years ago. I was again travelling with my brother, who is my
| identical twin. The French border guard, noting that our passports were
| almost identical, came to the conclusion that at least one of them was a
| forgery. He summoned a junior guard, and instructed her to keep us
| under armed guard while he phoned in the arrest of these criminals.
|
| The guard lowered her gun as soon as her boss left us, and, laughing,
| advised us not to worry. "He's always doing something like this," she
| said.[1] A couple of minutes later he came slinking back to us,
| returned our passports, and said "You're twins, huh?"[2] The woman
| almost ROFLed.
...
| [1] The conversation was in French.
| [2] In English.

--
Mark Brader "I don't see much sense in that."
Toronto "No, there isn't. But there was *going* to be
when I began it. It's just that something
happened to it on the way." --A.A. Milne

My text in this article is in the public domain.

on the subject of airports..
 

Am Tue, 10 Sep 2013 18:43:32 +0200 schrieb Martin:

On Tue, 10 Sep 2013 18:27:07 +0200, Josef Kleber
wrote:

So the british government gives a good advice to avoid trouble. In the
context of a law seminar, it's wrong!

Assuming the police have a reason to ask for ID the British government
is right. Even if the police do not have a reason to ask for ID they
will usually think of one.

What risk is bigger, having your pocket with the passport picked or being
asked for the passport by the police while it's safely in the safe at the
hotel room? If someone steals your passport it means definetely more
trouble than being taken to your room by the police. And chances are much
bigger (my wife got her wallet with ID picked once in a shop here in
Cologne, and my son got his walled with ID stolen on a train in England -
things like that happen quite often).

So if you stay at a hotel and you go out for a meal or a drink I would
strongly advice you keep the passport at the safe at your room. As I said,
chances are absolutely low that someone wants to see your papers (unless
you take part in some political demostration or end up in a fight at the
pub).

Regards,

Frank

on the subject of airports..
 

Frank Hucklenbroich:
What risk is bigger, having your pocket with the passport picked or being
asked for the passport by the police while it's safely in the safe at the
hotel room?

Having the passport slip out of your pocket accidentally.
--
Mark Brader, Toronto | "No weapons of any kind are allowed on
| White Sands Missile Range" -- U.S. Army

on the subject of airports..
 

On 11.09.2013 09:00, Martin wrote:
On Wed, 11 Sep 2013 00:44:37 +0200, Tom P wrote:

On 10.09.2013 15:41, Erick T. Barkhuis wrote:
Josef Kleber:

Am 10.09.2013 14:06, schrieb Erick T. Barkhuis:
Reading up on this, I noticed two rules, confirmed by several
websites: 1. In the Netherlands, dutch inhabitants need to carry
an ID 2. In Germany, germans need to posess, not carry, an ID

What's the rule for residents of dutch nationality in Germany?

[...]
Pretty much the same as for germans, it seems:
[...]
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ausweispflicht
http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/fr..._2004/__8.html

So you need to posess an ID and prove ID if asked by authorities.

Thanks for this, Josef.

No need to carry, but being hold for hours by police for identity
verification isn't much fun either.

Being held by police doesn't make it any easier to go and get the
passport from the drawer at home, either.



which reminds me of what happened to me some years back. I leave the
house one morning, walk over to the car in the driveway and this police
car suddenly drives up and surrounds me.. I can't quite describe exactly
how one police car can surround you, but they did it. Out jumps a young
police officer and a young police officerette. Is this my car, he wants
to know. It's the moment I've been waiting for all my life. No, it's a
company car, I quip. Let's see your ID. I just walked out of the house
to get some stuff out of the car, it's at home. Where's that. This is my
house. Prove it. This is the house door key, this is the car key, this
one opens the letterbox, this one opens the garage. Silence. Well, we've
had a phone call, and someone reported a suspicious person round here
wearing a green jacket and brown trousers. I look at the police officer
in his German police uniform and then at the officerette, who is now
struggling not to burst out laughing. The officer looks slightly
sheepish. I nodded, thanked him profusely for the information and the
diligence of the police force, and promised I'd keep an eye open for
anyone matching the description. They climb back into the car, the
officerette still struggling with a giggling fit, and the officer
manages to reverse out without hitting anything.


LOL

I suspect the phone call was a prankster.

on the subject of airports..
 

On Wed, 11 Sep 2013, Tom P wrote:

which reminds me of what happened to me some years back. I leave the
house one morning, walk over to the car in the driveway and this
police car...

not about airports, but still travel ... did I never tell this story ?

In the '80s I used to travel a lot Italy to Germany and vv. using night
trains (sleepers, I usually booked a T3 but was almost always alone).
Normally there were no border checks, but once in or around Basel I was
waken up by a couple of German police (and older and a younger one) who
were doing luggage inspection.

I had in my luggage a chestnut cake my mother did (you boil chestnuts,
pass them, mix with a bit of butter, cocoa or chocolate and a bit of
cognac or rhum) ... in the form of a ball of a light brown paste wrapped
in aluminium foil :-)

They wanted to know (very politely) what is was, and I said it was a
Kastanienkuche. The older one wanted to know how was it named (!) in
Italian. I said it had no specific names. He insisted on knowing a
"generic" name, so I said "dolce di castagne". Then, addressing the
younger colleague, he smiled and said "it is as I told you". Then they
wished me good night and left.

on the subject of airports..
 

On 2013-09-10 10:24:13 +0000, Tom P said:

... for flights inside the Schengen area, is there now a some kind of
agreement that you don't need a passport or an official ID card?
I've noticed recently that on internal flights in Germany I never
needed to show anything other than a boarding card, but I hate dragging
my passport around for no good reason, and I'd hate to be refused
boarding just because I didn't have it with me.

I flew from Paris to Vienna last week, and back again yesterday. In
neither direction did I have to show any evidence at any moment that I
was me. Anyone who knew my booking number could have flown. Mind you, I
wouldn't count on it, even for an internal flight.


--
athel

on the subject of airports..
 

On 11.09.2013 14:11, Martin wrote:
On Wed, 11 Sep 2013 13:59:32 +0200, Giovanni Drogo
wrote:

On Wed, 11 Sep 2013, Tom P wrote:

which reminds me of what happened to me some years back. I leave the
house one morning, walk over to the car in the driveway and this
police car...

not about airports, but still travel ... did I never tell this story ?

In the '80s I used to travel a lot Italy to Germany and vv. using night
trains (sleepers, I usually booked a T3 but was almost always alone).
Normally there were no border checks, but once in or around Basel I was
waken up by a couple of German police (and older and a younger one) who
were doing luggage inspection.

I had in my luggage a chestnut cake my mother did (you boil chestnuts,
pass them, mix with a bit of butter, cocoa or chocolate and a bit of
cognac or rhum) ... in the form of a ball of a light brown paste wrapped
in aluminium foil :-)

They wanted to know (very politely) what is was, and I said it was a
Kastanienkuche. The older one wanted to know how was it named (!) in
Italian. I said it had no specific names. He insisted on knowing a
"generic" name, so I said "dolce di castagne". Then, addressing the
younger colleague, he smiled and said "it is as I told you". Then they
wished me good night and left.

In the 1970s I was in a car that drove from Germany into Austria
without any border control. In Austria one of the other three
passengers found he had forgotten his passport in a hotel in Germany.
Returning to Germany there was a control. The driver a German gave
three passports, including his own and his driving license to the
German policeman/border guard. After scrutinising the driving licence
and the passports, he started to wave us on and then stopped us. He
told the driver that he had to wear his spectacles, when driving. The
controller turned to his young colleague and told him that it was
meticulous work like this that had got him early promotion.
first

Back in the 90s I had the illustrious job of flying to Vladivostok as
a computer specialist. At the time, Vladivostok was still a military
security area, and I needed a special permit as foreigner to enter the
city. Our customer wanted to treat us to a high quality lunch, but the
only place with any good food was the KGB headquarters. The solution was
to smuggle me into the building - we went in a large group, and I had to
"borrow" a passport from a Russian who wasn't going along. We gathered
all the passports together, the guard counted the passports, counted the
heads, and let us all in as a group. Needless to say, I had to keep my
mouth shut.

on the subject of airports..
 

Martin wrote:

On Wed, 11 Sep 2013 22:00:36 +0200, Tom P wrote:



On 11.09.2013 14:11, Martin wrote:

On Wed, 11 Sep 2013 13:59:32 +0200, Giovanni Drogo

wrote:



On Wed, 11 Sep 2013, Tom P wrote:



which reminds me of what happened to me some years back. I leave the

house one morning, walk over to the car in the driveway and this

police car...



not about airports, but still travel ... did I never tell this story ?



In the '80s I used to travel a lot Italy to Germany and vv. using night

trains (sleepers, I usually booked a T3 but was almost always alone).

Normally there were no border checks, but once in or around Basel I was

waken up by a couple of German police (and older and a younger one) who

were doing luggage inspection.



I had in my luggage a chestnut cake my mother did (you boil chestnuts,

pass them, mix with a bit of butter, cocoa or chocolate and a bit of

cognac or rhum) ... in the form of a ball of a light brown paste wrapped

in aluminium foil :-)



They wanted to know (very politely) what is was, and I said it was a

Kastanienkuche. The older one wanted to know how was it named (!) in

Italian. I said it had no specific names. He insisted on knowing a

"generic" name, so I said "dolce di castagne". Then, addressing the

younger colleague, he smiled and said "it is as I told you". Then they

wished me good night and left.



In the 1970s I was in a car that drove from Germany into Austria

without any border control. In Austria one of the other three

passengers found he had forgotten his passport in a hotel in Germany.

Returning to Germany there was a control. The driver a German gave

three passports, including his own and his driving license to the

German policeman/border guard. After scrutinising the driving licence

and the passports, he started to wave us on and then stopped us. He

told the driver that he had to wear his spectacles, when driving. The

controller turned to his young colleague and told him that it was

meticulous work like this that had got him early promotion.

first



Back in the 90s I had the illustrious job of flying to Vladivostok as

a computer specialist. At the time, Vladivostok was still a military

security area, and I needed a special permit as foreigner to enter the

city. Our customer wanted to treat us to a high quality lunch, but the

only place with any good food was the KGB headquarters. The solution was

to smuggle me into the building - we went in a large group, and I had to

"borrow" a passport from a Russian who wasn't going along. We gathered

all the passports together, the guard counted the passports, counted the

heads, and let us all in as a group. Needless to say, I had to keep my

mouth shut.



I hope the meal was good. :-)


When Khrushchev was touring San Francisco on his 1959 US tour a reporter asked, "How many subs do you have?.

"I'd tell you the strength of our submarine fleet but you would only say I was bragging. Don't worry, we now use our submarines to catch herring."

"Is your herring fleet concentrated in Vladivostok?", asked the reporter.

"Herrings are not pigs",K. replied,"You can't breed them where you want to. You have to catch them where they are...".

--
Best
Greg

on the subject of airports..
 

On 12.09.2013 04:24, Gregory Morrow wrote:
Martin wrote:

On Wed, 11 Sep 2013 22:00:36 +0200, Tom P wrote:



On 11.09.2013 14:11, Martin wrote:

On Wed, 11 Sep 2013 13:59:32 +0200, Giovanni Drogo

wrote:



On Wed, 11 Sep 2013, Tom P wrote:



which reminds me of what happened to me some years back. I leave the

house one morning, walk over to the car in the driveway and this

police car...



not about airports, but still travel ... did I never tell this story ?



In the '80s I used to travel a lot Italy to Germany and vv. using night

trains (sleepers, I usually booked a T3 but was almost always alone).

Normally there were no border checks, but once in or around Basel I was

waken up by a couple of German police (and older and a younger one) who

were doing luggage inspection.



I had in my luggage a chestnut cake my mother did (you boil chestnuts,

pass them, mix with a bit of butter, cocoa or chocolate and a bit of

cognac or rhum) ... in the form of a ball of a light brown paste wrapped

in aluminium foil :-)



They wanted to know (very politely) what is was, and I said it was a

Kastanienkuche. The older one wanted to know how was it named (!) in

Italian. I said it had no specific names. He insisted on knowing a

"generic" name, so I said "dolce di castagne". Then, addressing the

younger colleague, he smiled and said "it is as I told you". Then they

wished me good night and left.



In the 1970s I was in a car that drove from Germany into Austria

without any border control. In Austria one of the other three

passengers found he had forgotten his passport in a hotel in Germany.

Returning to Germany there was a control. The driver a German gave

three passports, including his own and his driving license to the

German policeman/border guard. After scrutinising the driving licence

and the passports, he started to wave us on and then stopped us. He

told the driver that he had to wear his spectacles, when driving. The

controller turned to his young colleague and told him that it was

meticulous work like this that had got him early promotion.

first



Back in the 90s I had the illustrious job of flying to Vladivostok as

a computer specialist. At the time, Vladivostok was still a military

security area, and I needed a special permit as foreigner to enter the

city. Our customer wanted to treat us to a high quality lunch, but the

only place with any good food was the KGB headquarters. The solution was

to smuggle me into the building - we went in a large group, and I had to

"borrow" a passport from a Russian who wasn't going along. We gathered

all the passports together, the guard counted the passports, counted the

heads, and let us all in as a group. Needless to say, I had to keep my

mouth shut.



I hope the meal was good. :-)


When Khrushchev was touring San Francisco on his 1959 US tour a reporter asked, "How many subs do you have?.

"I'd tell you the strength of our submarine fleet but you would only say I was bragging. Don't worry, we now use our submarines to catch herring."

"Is your herring fleet concentrated in Vladivostok?", asked the reporter.

"Herrings are not pigs",K. replied,"You can't breed them where you want to. You have to catch them where they are...".


There was another story about Khrushchev and Vladivostok. Back in the
50s, the comrades who worked in Eastern Siberia used to get special
benefits, more money, extra food and fuel rations because of the
allegedly appalling weather. Then Khrushchev came to Vladivostok on a
state visit. Unfortunately, they planned it badly and he arrived in
August in the middle of a heat wave. Result - end of the special benefits.
In fact, when I came back from Vladivostok the first time, I had a
sunburn - nobody wanted to believe me when I said where I'd been.

on the subject of airports..
 

If you are British in Germany
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/germany
"Carry your passport with you at all times. German police have the
right to ask to see identification."
The same even applies if you are german! ;-) But, with the police
having the right to see an ID does not mean you have to carry an
ID. Furthermore, the police needs a reason for asking for your ID.
So the british government gives a good advice to avoid trouble.
In the context of a law seminar, it's wrong!

This is the same government that advised British students who happened
to be in Kiev during the Chernobyl accident to prevent contamination
by boiling their drinking water.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
e m a i l : j a c k @ c a m p i n . m e . u k
Jack Campin, 11 Third Street, Newtongrange, Midlothian EH22 4PU, Scotland
mobile 07800 739 557 http://www.campin.me.uk Twitter: JackCampin