[Scott1]

Hi

I am visiting Odessa, Ukraine and love the place, the people, the food. My sister also lives in the Ukraine

...But for those who say there is not a huge police corruption - you have just been very lucky and have not got picked on for some reason, maybe you are with people or look like a Ukranian

I've had problems twice in 5 days as an Englishman travelling alone! But I agree that it should not put people off - don't let these scumbags ruin it and let's do our best to comklain to embassies and highlight the problem to help the citizens of Odessa, they need a policeforce who they can trust to help them.

Whilst I hope to come back to Odessa as a teacher I cannot say that the corruption hasn't left me with an uneasy feeling that I have to keep looking over my shoulder. It is probably just aswell that I cannot speak good Russian as next time a policeman tries to arrest me I will tell him exactly what I think of him but I'm not sure what the consequences would be if he understood...

The problems I had started immediately when I got to Odessa passport office they said that my Visa was not acceptable (which it was), that I needed further documents and that I would have to get another one. Despite arguing I had to pay the Visa fee again which was only possible due to help from the tourist rep who had come to meet me. The Odessan passport control were quite happy for me to be left to try and find my own way back through the ferry port from which I had come, I may have had to wait outside for days to wait for a ferry.

Well after this initial problem I tried to forget and was charmed by Odessa and its people...

Unfortunately the problems did not end there. A few days later I was in a bar and a guy started chatting to me and at 1st he was just being friendly, I couldn't understand what he was saying but when I went to leave he became aggressive and said he was police/interpol which was confirmed by the staff who looked nervous. This man threatened me by saying he had a gun and would be arresting me. He gave me a vodka which people in the bar whispered me not to drink and he then tried to restrain me from leaving. He also tried to press something in my hand which appeared to be drugs of some kind. I was only able to escape when staff ordered a taxi and distracted him long enough to let me escape.

I am hoping to learn the best way to deal with this situation as I didn't have much to threaten him with - he held all the cards but if anyone has any advice then please tell. I would also like to help stop this corruption but I have read that this also could have consequences

Scott (from England)