Freight train derails near Belgrade

"According to unofficial information the most likely cause of the derailing were - likely stolen - missing parts of railroad switches"

Yes, that happens and sounds familiar. It's metal and worth to sell. Luckily, no one was killed - but that luck sometimes does not happen. Hate to do "ethnic profiling" but this activity is very typical for Rom. Sadly, they think these parts are replaceable. A few times signaling cables were stolen, causing deadly accidents.

Apropos, stolen. I realized today, there is an interesting question. Due a legal loophole it is LEGALLY ALLOWED to practically steal about $50 / ticket from North Korea if someone buys a train ticket from Mongolia to Europe. It's a legal loophole. All someone has to do is to say one phrase in Ulan Bator at the ticket office.

Never ever will traveler see anything North Korean even remotely, go there or deal with them. But he will have about very real $50 in his pocket, practically stolen straight from North Korean railway. As real is the saving, so 100% real is the damage because Koreans will be ordered to pay that amount to Russians in about a year. The traveler will be laughing.

I intentionally won't tell the technical details, they are pretty obscure. I am curious, however... who will do it and who will think it's not 100% kosher. Think hard, who dares - please answer. Just curious. The opportunity to steal $50 without breaking any law, not even Korean practically straight from Kim Jong Il is out there. So is it kosher or not?

"According to unofficial information the most likely cause of the derailing were - likely stolen - missing parts of railroad switches"

Yes, that happens and sounds familiar. It's metal and worth to sell. Luckily, no one was killed - but that luck sometimes does not happen. Hate to do "ethnic profiling" but this activity is very typical for Rom. Sadly, they think these parts are replaceable. A few times signaling cables were stolen, causing deadly accidents.

Apropos, stolen. I realized today, there is an interesting question. Due a legal loophole it is LEGALLY ALLOWED to practically steal about $50 / ticket from North Korea if someone buys a train ticket from Mongolia to Europe. It's a legal loophole. All someone has to do is to say one phrase in Ulan Bator at the ticket office.

Never ever will traveler see anything North Korean even remotely, go there or deal with them. But he will have about very real $50 in his pocket, practically stolen straight from North Korean railway. As real is the saving, so 100% real is the damage because Koreans will be ordered to pay that amount to Russians in about a year. The traveler will be laughing.

I intentionally won't tell the technical details, they are pretty obscure. I am curious, however... who will do it and who will think it's not 100% kosher. Think hard, who dares - please answer. Just curious. The opportunity to steal $50 without breaking any law, not even Korean practically straight from Kim Jong Il is out there. So is it kosher or not?