This Is What It's Like To Get Into a Russian Apartment.


I tell you what, Russians don't mess around with security.  You'd have to be one great thief to actually manage to break into a Russian apartment.  I thought I'd take a video to show you what it's like.

Here's what I have to do:

  • Unlock the outer door with a magnetic key;
  • Pass the doorman;
  • Ride in the Tower of Terror elevator for 8 floors (my least favorite part);
  • Use another key to unlock the door to our floor;
  • Then use two keys on my industrial apartment door.


The upside is that I always feel really, really safe.


Watch for the elevator part--it's not really pitch black in there, my camera just had a hard time adjusting.  But you can see the elevator moving floors from several cracks where the light flashes through.  Doesn't inspire much confidence.


Also, sorry for my horrible Russian.  Although, whatever, you won't be able to tell how bad it is anyway.  But the doorman is really sweet, he always tries to speak to me even though I only know how to say like five things.



The video ends abruptly because I found some at home in my apartment...


DUN DUN DUN!!!

SUSPENSE!!





So...that was our cleaning lady at the very end, not someone that broke into our industrially secure apartment.  I felt kind of embarrassed because I'm sure she thought I was being some weird American, talking to myself and making a video.  Like all Americans do.

Let's go back and talk about that elevator for a bit.  Did you SEE that 2 inch gap between the door and the stairs?? Every. Single. Time. I am on that elevator I have to distract myself and try to find somewhere to look where I can't see light shining through from the floors passing (so far, I can't find anywhere).  My thoughts start to wander and I start to think about why it's creaking so much, and what would happen if it just suddenly dropped, and just how high up are we anyway?

It's pretty bad.

But I'm forcing myself to get over it, because, hey, death by elevator--there are worse ways to go.  And because I guess the rational side of me can sometimes admit that it is not that likely that it will break.



(I think hope.)