Top Local Tips for Kiev

Bribery and Corruption in Ukraine Kiev? Such a beautiful city. But the people? If you want to see what people are like, how they behave, when reduced to the lowest common, most miserable and abjectly amoral state, book yourself a ticket to Kiev. My first human contact? Standing in line at the passport counter. An airport official came up to me, badge and all, and asked if I wanted to move to the head of the line. "Of course", my answer, "depending on how much it costs." "Where do you come from?" . "London" "That will be twenty British pounds. Just twenty pounds" "No, I don't think so. I will just wait in line" "Only twenty pounds, mister, nothing at all for you" he pleaded. The guy standing just in front of me turned round and looked painfully embarrassed. Welcome to the Ukraine, the country where we are ready to sell our grandmothers for a few bucks! And our souls for a few bucks more! (assuming there are any takers; I think even the devil might think the merchandise a little shopworn!) Then to a taxi. Horrible. First the furious raggle of hustlers looking to find customers for their taxi clients. The outrageous demands for fares. The attempts to grab the luggage. And then the stupid process of negotiation until I got a reasonable price. Of course, when we arrived in town, the taxi driver said he had no change. So I sent him off and still he couldn't find any change. In the end, he drove off, pocketing an extra measly one dollar for all the efforts to rip me off. Another great welcome to Kiev!