Back on line after a brief sabbatical, thanks for all the
messages of concern.
Truth is in all the years I have been living, travelling and
working in the FSU the only time I have ever felt threatened was when I
returned to the UK and went out for a beer on a Saturday night.
The world in general has risks and so long as you take
sensible precautions like wearing a seatbelt and not looking too much like a
tourist then you’ll be fine.
The problem with UK market towns on a Saturday night is the
threat of booze fuelled random violence is impossible to predict and can come
out of anywhere.
As can muggings.
I had to return to the UK recently and needed internet
access so I popped along to Vodafone and was diligently supplied with SIM cards
for phone and iPad and put on the best and most expensive tariff to give me unfettered
access to the web.
Problem was that after two weeks I had used up all my
allowance even though I was doing next to nothing other than checking
emails.
I had everything switched off so
couldn’t understand why I was bleeding data from my allowance so I popped back
to Vodafone to see Darren who couldn’t understand it either.
Long and short of it was after two weeks and six trips back
to see Darren and his colleagues, Vodafone fleeced me two hundred and twenty
quid for reading emails twice a day.
Quick google (from a café) and it turns out the internet is full of stories from customers who have been mugged by the tax dodging phone company.
I have since disposed of all my Vodafone SIM cards, vowed never to use the company again and awarded them top place in my list of least favourite companies’ right above Gold
Car.
It’s good to be back.