Post: #1

So this guy went missing a few days ago and was found (today I think) frozen dead in a forested area. Apparently he and his brother and a girl were picked up from a popular weekday late night bar by a gipsy (unofficial, unmarked) cab driver. The driver offered them beers to celebrate his "birthday" which were drugged and caused the two brothers to pass out (the girl with them didn't accept the drink). They were then robbed and tossed out into the snow well north of Moscow above the "ring road". The girl saved one guy but the other one died (likely of hypothermia).

Hits really close to home...I didn't know the guy, but I suspect we had mutual friends. I have also lived near where he was found and have been to the club where he was picked up by the robbers.

This is the biggest risk in Moscow - foreign "gipsy" cab drivers. I had a few minor complications with these gipsy drivers in my early days in Moscow. One grabbed all the cash out of my hand as I was preparing to pay him (wasn't a lot, but it was an eye opening moment nonetheless). I had a friend who was robbed by them several times and I refused to take these cars after I lived there a while and learned about the dangers associated with them. Gipsy cab drivers are typically from the stan countries (I think the one in this case was from Azerbaijan).

Reminder to stay vigilant and look out for each other.

https://themoscowtimes.com/news/help-mis...rson-56569

https://themoscowtimes.com/news/body-of-...scow-56570

http://www.mk.ru/incident/2016/12/18/otr...-roda.html

http://www.mk.ru/incident/2016/12/18/ust...taksi.html

Post: #2

According to the articles, it says the bar from which they got picked up was Crazy Daisy. The same place a forum member here was assaulted.

Glad to read police apprehended the suspects.

Post: #3

Quote:This is the biggest risk in Moscow - foreign "gipsy" cab drivers.

How can you tell which Taxi's are driven by "gipsy's". Are their cabs different colors? Different style of cars? Do they tend to wear certain type of clothing? etc...

Post: #4

(12-19-2016 03:16 AM)Cool Runnings Wrote:  

Quote:This is the biggest risk in Moscow - foreign "gipsy" cab drivers.

How can you tell which Taxi's are driven by "gipsy's". Are their cabs different colors? Different style of cars? Do they tend to wear certain type of clothing? etc...

They'll likely be in some shitbox that's unmarked and they'll be eager to give you a ride for a few bucks less than the official ones.

Best bet is to use the yandex taxi app, uber, gett taxi, or similar. Order the taxi ahead of time and confirm the plate number before you get in.

Post: #5

(12-19-2016 03:16 AM)Cool Runnings Wrote:  

Quote:This is the biggest risk in Moscow - foreign "gipsy" cab drivers.

How can you tell which Taxi's are driven by "gipsy's". Are their cabs different colors? Different style of cars? Do they tend to wear certain type of clothing? etc...

They drive some old tanked out car that belongs from the Soviet Union era. I always thought most of the drivers were Afghans or Tajiks. I would suggest just using Uber in Moscow or the yellow cabs if you are willing to spend the money.

Sad story, the weather in Moscow can be very dangerous. The suburbs are essentially dead at night, so you can be walking for miles and you will not see any traffic. . Not failing to mention there is ice everywhere that is extremely dangerous. I will forever have back pains from slipping on some ice over there. Horrible experience.

Although the fella was spiked or drunk, it is quite common for Brits to end up putting themselves in risky situations when traveling overseas. Back in the U.K, we don't have extreme weather, so we are never taught to take precautions. Same applies to crime and how to avoid being a victim of it. A lot of Brits aren't really at much threat back home, besides drunks on a night out and the local chavs calling them names.

Post: #6

(12-19-2016 05:38 AM)Constitution45 Wrote:  

(12-19-2016 03:16 AM)Cool Runnings Wrote:  

Quote:This is the biggest risk in Moscow - foreign "gipsy" cab drivers.

How can you tell which Taxi's are driven by "gipsy's". Are their cabs different colors? Different style of cars? Do they tend to wear certain type of clothing? etc...

Sad story, the weather in Moscow can be very dangerous. The suburbs are essentially dead at night, so you can be walking for miles and you will not see any traffic. .

1) I've read about the death of blues legend Robert Johnson who may have been poisoned. One of his friends who survived him claimed to have told him "Never drink from a bottle you didn't open. "

2) I had a friend in med school in Ukraine, the number of people coming in to her hospital with broken elbows etc was huge in the winter.

The sidewalks are covered in heavy, thick ice; it snows on top of it and looks like there is some traction. There isn't. I would never go to Eastern Europe without beta coward slip-and-shatter-an-arm protection, strap on mini-crampons.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Shoes/Snow-an...B0049NCMYQ

Post: #7

This really hits home. A couple of weeks ago something similar could have happened to me.

As I arrived in Moscow I was thinking about taking the train and metro to get to my place. It was on the other end of Moscow and I had no idea how to use public transportation, and didn't really want to.

So I talked to one of the guys in the airport holding a "Taxi" sign. Well, seems official enough.

He was friendly, spoke english well and said the price would be 5000 Rubel. I think thats too much, even for a 1h drive. I could have haggled, but my mind wasn't really in that eastern european gear yet.

So the brought me to a cab that looked pretty regular and kept the money. Which is weird, usually you pay the taxi driver. So I asked tonge in cheek if I have to pay the driver, too. He seemed a bit insulted by my implication.

Anyways, the cab driver was a sketchy chechen who couldnt speak english. I really though I made the wrong decision. He stopped on the way and met some sketchy friends, a lot of friendly "blyads" were exchanged. Wasn't really helping calming down my suspicions. All the stories I read were going through my mind. Nobody knows where I am right now. But if im getting robbed in some back alley in Moscow at least Im prepared and will deal with it.

Well, nothing happened, everyone was happy afterwards and the whole story was pointless. But Im not doing it the same way, thats for sure...

Post: #8

Some years back, a friend of mine was over in Germany, and got into a properly licensed cab on a rank, driven by a Turk. He sat in the front, as he normally does. As the cab was about to pull off, three other Turkish men got into the rear of the cab.

"Who are they?"

"They are my friends!"

"Fine, hope they pay, because I'm not!"

With that, my friend got out the cab, and waited for another.

Post: #9

Why is this in the Travel section?

Post: #10

(12-19-2016 10:29 AM)rudebwoy Wrote:  Why is this in the Travel section?

Because some of us travel to Moscow and other Russian cities in search of Slavic sluts (or maybe even for other reasons) and this tragic story serves as a needed warning to the membership to pay attention to the environment there.

Why do you ask? Did this *trigger* you in some way?

Post: #11

That's unfortunate to hear.

I've been ripped off by 'unofficial' taxi's in EE a couple of times.. I'm more aware and vigilant now and usually if I can, avoid using taxi's all together.

I was once dropped off in the middle of Serbia in December by a taxi driver because it was the end of his 'region' (I got it from the border of Romania because I had just missed the last train to Belgrade) and that worried me a bit because it was 10pm in the middle of winter but thankfully I was able to find a bus.