Romania - Eastern Europe - page 481

out for periodic publications by local publishers, igloo media; their monthly
magazine igloo habitat & arhitecturâ is a chic survey of contemporary trends,
both locally and internationally; you can also visit their website, www.igloo.ro.
Police You can contact the police anywhere in Romania by dialing & 955. Be
aware that there are abundant complaints by locals about police corruption and
also a somewhat laissez-faire attitude toward certain types of crime; bribes are
often expected. Generally, the same attitude is not extended to foreigners; a
more likely problem may be an inability or unwillingness to understand English.
If you have a police-related emergency, consider also contacting your embassy.
Restrooms Your general reaction to public toilets will be “yuck”; try to avoid
these. In Bucharest, paid-for toilets in public gardens are increasingly acceptable.
Safety & Crime There is relatively little violent crime in Romania. Pickpockets
may operate in crowded areas, and tend to target the country's tourist hot
spots. When sitting in bars, cafes, and restaurants take care not to leave your
handbag on the floor or over the back of your seat; similarly, don't leave valu-
ables lying around. Campers are vulnerable. Stray dogs pose a threat
when hungry or provoked; some are infected with rabies; if bitten, seek medi-
cal assistance immediately.
Taxes & Service Charges An assortment of taxes may be added to your hotel
bill; this will be clearly advertised and more often than not is included in the
published tariff. VAT is mandatory, while there are a few state and local taxes
which may apply, depending on where in the country you are. In a few towns,
a small tax is added to the cost of museum tickets, sometimes pushing the cost
from L3 ($1.10/55p) to L3.05 ($1.10/60p), for example; while this is a minuscule
amount, it does provide headaches for whoever is trying to find change for you.
Telephones Romania's telecommunications have received a great deal of
attention in recent years and there is hardly an unconnected spot in the coun-
try. Mobile telephones have also made a considerable impact. For an interna-
tional operator, dial & 951. Public pay phones are orange and use magnetic
cards, which can be bought from post offices and some hotels; you can pur-
chase L10 ($3.60/£1.90) and L20 ($7.20/£3.85) cards. Most hotels now have
direct international dialing from your room, although this is extremely pricey;
those that have the facility usually have detailed dialing instructions in-room.
Finally, for domestic calls, you can expect to hear a bizarre range of dialing
tones, many of which sound convincingly like engaged or dead signals; often
you should just wait to hear if your call is likely to be answered.
Time Zone During winter, Romania is 7 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Standard
Time; or 2 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. During summer, daylight sav-
ing time puts Romanian clocks 1 hour forward, along with the rest of Europe.
Tipping Gratuities are neither mandatory nor expected in the majority of situa-
tions; expensive establishments are the exception. Bear in mind, though, that
many services remain inexpensive relative to the rest of Europe, and that
Romanians are paid appallingly. Consider giving a 10% tip in restaurants, and
round up the fare for taxi drivers, if you feel you've been decently treated. Be
aware of certain city taxi drivers who will just as soon assume that they can do