good talk

I got a ton of Hits, recently, from Russia, I guess due to my reference to St. Pete.  While there, I was surprised at the large number of Russians who spoke English.  My first day, after the Hermitage, I went to a restaurant, entering, 2 guys tried to pickpocket-me, one did a ruse while the other went for my pocket, which had a couple of Hermitage tickets and a couple of cheap-pens in it, the touch of a blacksmith, if these 2 are going to avoid starving, they'll have to come-up with another line of work.  Then, to get-back to my hotel, the very-nice 3-Star, Aglaya, 5 miles away, I took a taxi, and the driver tried to charge me 75 U.S., in Rubles, he was all-upset when he got much-less.  My 2nd day, I took a taxi from the Hermitage, and he also wanted to charge-me 75 U.S. for the same 5-mile ride, when he didn't get-it, he followed me inside the Aglaya, to the office, and the very-professional blonde-girl, only "21" (goes to University majoring in "Tourism") told him, in Russian, that what he asked-for was unreasonable, and that he wouldn't be getting nearly that much (while I was at the Aglaya, a maid threw-away a paper-bag that I had on a chair, that had things I needed in-it, and I made more of a ruckus about-it than I should have, I apologize).  On his way out, he said to me ...You're a bastard..., I replied, go .., so, at least it ended pleasantly