RISK TO LIFE

The main trick of the devil is to convince us that he does not exist. I recalled this wise saying of Schopenhauer very opportunely. For the heroes of my story, the Kyiv travel company "Artex 94" (represented by its employees) and the guide Sergei Stupnikov, behave very strangely, to say the least - irresponsibly, and in my opinion very stupid and presumptuous in realistic assessments of the dangerous incident that occurred with Ukrainian tourists in trip in Italy. But first things first. The author of these lines with his wife and two more of my friends (professor of the Medical University and a psychiatrist, writer) went from August 14 to 23, 2015 from the Arteks travel company on a bus tour in part. Italy on August 20, a group of 27 people. arrived in the small town of Kaschina. At 18.00. tourists, together with the Kiev guide Stupnikov, came to the railway station to go by train to Pisa. However, the ticket offices of the stations were already closed. It is strange that the guide, who has been here, apparently missed this moment more than once. At the suggestion of S. Stupnikov, tourists at their own peril and risk went by train without tickets. Although the guide collected 5 euros per person for travel, which he never returned, but actually voluntarily-compulsorily gave them as a tip to bus drivers at the end of the tour .. We prepared to pay a fine on the train, but everything worked out. On the way back from Pisa to the hotel, the group was already traveling with tickets. However, due to the fault of the guide, we got off one stop early. But how did they get out! The station platform was micro-small. Everyone sat with S. Stupnikov in the last car, but he did not reach the platform. The train stopped for two minutes, it was already 22.00. and very dark. Everyone had to quickly fuss in a panic and jump into the darkness from a height of 1.2 meters, where tall grass grew, small stones and glass lay on the ground. But in the group there were 7 elderly people and one woman with a badly injured leg. Fortunately, everyone escaped with fear and stress. I think that the life and health of people were in danger!! It is noteworthy that neither the guide nor the employees of "Arteks" even apologized for what had happened, having lost their conscience. There were many other troubles on this trip. We concluded: we will never go anywhere with Artex again, we recommend it to others as well. And the guide Stupnikov should be fired. This is out of courtesy. Fazil Iskander has wonderful lines that will be an epilogue to this story. Thinking people, and realists, who I hope are many in the tourism industry, I hope they will understand me: "I think that real people are those who, over the years, do not lose their childish faith in rationality world, for this faith supports true passion in the struggle against madness and cruelty.

Oleksandr Borshchevsky is the editor-in-chief of the "World of Martial Arts" magazine, a member of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine.

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