What does it mean to spread a towel in front of the brakes?

Why do they throw a towel at the feet of a new arrival in a cell in prison?

This long-standing prison tradition is now becoming an anachronism.
Previously, in this simple way, new arrivals to the cell (mostly “first-timers” (convicts serving their sentence in a FSIN correctional facility for the first time)) were tested for knowledge of criminal rules and customs. Prisoners, notified that a new inmate would soon be brought to their “hut” (cell), spread a towel in front of the entrance and waited for the reaction of the newly arrived cellmate. If, upon entering the cell, he bent down and picked up the towel, the conclusion was made that he was completely not involved in the criminal world. Moreover, such an act actually put an end to his further career as a thief. And due to the totality of circumstances, they may in the future be the reason for his inclusion in the “omitted”, the lowest, despised and oppressed caste in every possible way in the criminal hierarchy.

The following actions were considered correct. The first person entering the cell had to carefully wipe his feet on a towel, like on an apartment rug, then go into the “hut,” greet everyone and ask: “Who is watching the situation here?” Such a response identified the newcomer as one of his own, who knew the laws of thieves and strictly followed them.

This custom is based on the strict prohibition of thieves, namely:

Why in prison you can’t pick up any things or objects from the floor

This prohibition is based not only, and not so much on the principle “I didn’t throw it, it’s not for me to pick it up,” but rather on the concept of bending, interpreted as bending over or “bending under the changing world.” According to tradition, a thief should not be ready for submission, and even more so, does not have the right to demonstrate his humility with someone else's will.

Any thing that falls on the floor in any room of a prison or colony, a hat, a pack of cigarettes, soap, a towel, etc., is considered missing, in thieves’ language “grinded” (in a very general interpretation - untouchable for an inmate) or “unclean.” Anyone who picked up an object from the floor himself became “grinded,” especially if this thing was picked up by a prisoner in the toilet.

For radically minded inmates, such a person inevitably became a real candidate for the “roosters” - the caste of “lowered” prisoners who forcibly or voluntarily became homosexuals in the zone. The liberal part of the prisoners, without detracting from the principle of “messiness” of a thing that has fallen on the floor, nevertheless, is more tolerant in resolving such delicate situations. For example, soap that has fallen in the bathhouse can be picked up “correctly” - turn to face the rest of the prisoners, and, squatting with a straight back, pick up the soap without bending.

What fell was lost . This principle is practiced in the zone. That is, if in severe frost on the prison parade ground a prisoner’s hat fell to the floor, he should forget about it, as if it did not exist.

However, everything flows, everything changes. In the overwhelming majority of cases, through the efforts of the colony administration, the “first mover” will not be placed in a cell with experienced and seasoned inmates who have several “walkers” on their record. Nevertheless, such provocations continue to take place, even in a modified form. It is with an object that has fallen on the floor that experienced prisoners like to test newcomers for “lice” - by dropping the necessary thing, they force the “first mover” to pick it up.

The thieves' authorities unanimously assert that this should not be done under any circumstances. On the contrary, it is advisable to step on a thrown or fallen object, wipe your feet on it (if it is a towel), and trample on something lying on the floor. In this way, the “first mover” will avoid many sad consequences for himself in his present and future life in the colony.

Source

LiveInternetLiveInternet

Author: Andrey

Date: 2009-09-07

In the last article, as it turned out, I didn’t tell everything. Several people in letters asked the same question: What might they ask in the house?

The hut is not an interrogation room, there won’t be many questions. There are few basic ones, but they will definitely be asked. Here they are:

Why did you get caught?

Is everything going smoothly in life?

The name of? Where?

Here are three questions that will definitely be asked.

And I’ll tell you what to answer to them now.

Every person knows their name, but they should hardly introduce themselves by their patronymic. First name, last name - that's enough - there is no age in prison, here everyone is addressed by their first name or nickname. Therefore, instead of your middle name, provide your nickname, if any. If you don’t have it, then it will still appear later, so you can remember your school or student, army. An epaulette often characterizes a person very accurately, reflecting some characteristic feature of behavior, appearance, habits, and therefore is easily remembered, identifying with the person. It happens that a person takes a more “noble” nickname, but an old one, and is so closely associated with the person that it comes back. I remember we had a guy nicknamed Goose, since he was not named in the future, anyway, after a while he again became Goose - he tilted his head forward in a very characteristic way. And the former jacquey, who was obsessed with horses, was given the nickname Horse.

The chase may be based on the last name, or maybe based on the area, for example Mikola Pitersky. Sometimes such a chain is built that you don’t even understand where the nickname comes from. There was an old man in our cell, nicknamed Belomor. So there is a whole story behind this name. They brought him from the bullpen with a broken arm - the police tried their best, zealously interrogating him. Remembering the famous film, they named the comrade the Diamond Hand, then Ivan Ivanovich Gorbunkov, then shortened it to Ivan Ivanovich, finally deciding that this too was called Barrymore for too long (the devil knows why). And this aristocratic Berimor transformed into Belomor.

They often make fun of young people, asking them to shout through the bars: “Prison, old lady, give me a rattle.” Elderly people are rarely offered such entertainment.

In any case, remember that the choice of driver depends on the person himself. You can refuse what you don’t like; if it seems inappropriate or offensive, say “no problem.”

In addition to the name, they will definitely ask where the person is from, tell you if there are fellow countrymen in prison, and find out about your acquaintances.

“What did you get caught for?” In this case we mean the article. All you have to do is tell it, the rest is up to you. It is completely unnecessary, even undesirable, to tell the details, no matter how much you would like to look cooler.

Firstly, it won’t help - in a week they will pump up their character anyway and will treat them according to what a person is, and not what he wants to seem like.

Secondly, it is possible that there is an informer in the cell and a carelessly thrown detail will escape the opera. The trouble is not even that the secret will come true, but that the effect of a broken phone will work - the informer may hear poorly, fantasize, or, in the hope of his own benefit, openly exaggerate or twist the words he hears. If he goes into action, they will make the bastard a witness - then refuse, don’t refuse, they won’t believe you. Our courts are typical in this regard. I remember reading one person in the protocol of the court session. Mobile phone entry:

“Come, the vodka is turning sour, the kebab is getting cold, we’ve been waiting for you for half an hour, we’re salivating!

“I can’t, I broke the tire, now I’m at the tire shop.”

Commentary in the protocol: “The defendant conducts encrypted negotiations, agrees on the supply of a large quantity of drugs.”

By the way, in the entire document there is not a hint where such a brilliant interpretation came from. One inevitably remembers the artist Mkrtchan with his unforgettable “I think so!” What’s especially funny is that this conclusion was one of the main pieces of evidence.

Therefore, keep quiet about your affairs, otherwise you risk that you will be responsible for other people’s or even uncommitted crimes. If you wish, retell in a few words what you told the investigator.

Do not try to hide the accusation or report another one. Such a temptation may arise in the case of an “unpopular” article. All articles related to rape, especially of minors, indecent acts and the like are unpopular. The real accusation will still become known, especially since the prisoner is introduced to representatives of the pre-trial detention center administration not only by name, but also by the article of the charge.

A little about “unpopular articles”. People accused of them are usually intimidated in advance by journalistic nonsense, and often by investigators, and think that they will definitely be demoted, made a fag, beaten, or even killed.

Even if they let you go, no one will beat you up just like that; according to concepts, the person is already offended. And anyone can get nuts for their joints, even a tramp. In fact, the decision to transfer a person to fag is made after a comprehensive consideration of the issue by the person in charge of the prison, the Thief, or the prison officer in the pre-trial detention center or zone (as a rule, he also consults with the Thief on such an issue), and ordinary prisoners do not have such a right, otherwise it is simply lawlessness . Nowadays people rarely punish people for fucking things, that’s what they say - “there is no punishment for fucking things”, only in the most egregious cases. This is understandable, the cases can be very different, it happens that a person is framed (I know a case when, after a comprehensive discussion, it was recognized that the person accused of raping a boy was simply framed in order to close the case). It also happens that a person spends the night in good agreement with a girl, and in the morning she either herself or under the influence of her parents writes a statement of rape. And even ten witnesses will not help you, but if she is not yet 18 for at least one day, then it turns out to be rape of a minor, which, by the way, the person might not have known about. I remember at my school there was a fourth-grader-accelerator who looked about 19 years old. Guys chased after her until they found out how old she was, but some of them didn’t find out... So, the majority of those accused of rape, in general terms they are imprisoned for no reason, especially in cases where the woman herself was not averse to being drunk, but the next morning she decided that she had been raped. Well, she changed her mind later, sort of.

It happens, of course, that due to lawlessness they are lowered. This happens too. I witnessed such an incident. The man was accused of indecent acts with a minor. In the cell he was greeted unkindly - “Oh, that’s what I got him for!” NA NA NA. Suck it, bitch." Or he could have refused. In prison, if you agree with something, then that's who you are. Whatever a person is accused of, he has every right to appeal to the person in charge of the prison. Most likely, they will not drive him into a fag, they will leave him in the general mass, lowering him in status, prohibiting him from being called a man and having the right to vote in general issues. But this will not affect his real situation, except that he can only earn bread with equals in position, and even then not always. He will fully protect all the other rights and privileges of a peasant.

In reality, the Thieves are not at all interested in increasing the number of offended, and therefore embittered, prisoners who are often ready for anything. This only weakens and divides the group of prisoners, reducing their ability to resist the actions of the jailers, especially lawlessness. This is beneficial only for operas, in accordance with the well-known saying “divide and conquer”. Prison morals have seriously softened in recent years, most of all as a result of the actions of the Thieves, who make considerable efforts to improve the lives of prisoners. And although I am not a supporter of thieves’ romance, their actions personally evoke considerable respect for me.

In any case and on any issue, they look at the person, his behavior, his belief that he is right. So you don’t need to believe journalists, they will tell you something else.

“Everything is smooth in life”? The question essentially means one thing: whether a person in freedom adhered to the behavior of a real man. This means, first of all, the sexual orientation of a straight man :-), and whether he collaborated with the cops (was a freelancer, ratted someone out to the cops, was a full-time buyer, etc.). Service in the Internal Troops does not cause a negative reaction now; too many there have been dragging their feet, and the troops have not been guarding prisons for a long time.

I repeat once again, no one will throw any towels at their feet, this is stupidity. There is no such thing now even among young children. Young children are now kept in cells for four people, but often there are only two or three people. First movers are imprisoned only with first movers, so there is no lawlessness, there is simply nowhere to come from.

It happens that they joke in the cells, asking a newcomer to sit on a basin, supposedly if bubbles come out, then the person is a fagot. Don't be fooled. Actually, the correct answer is “If you blow on my dick, then bubbles will come,” but it’s better not to provoke, they can drive you word by word into such a trap, you come across notorious provocateurs. Just firmly refuse, citing the fact that you know the joke.

I would also advise you to never say what you did to a girl with quinnus, the area below a woman’s navel is forbidden in prison, they will definitely be classified as a fag. Also, fagots include those married to former whores. It’s better not to say that your wife or mistress is a cop, a judge, a prosecutor—this happens, but it’s better to remain silent about it.

Another common question in places of detention is “Who are you?” , or, alternatively, “Who are you?” But they might ask, most likely, somewhere in the bullpen, on a transport in a funnel, in the reception cell of a pre-trial detention center.

Who are you? The most important question in places of detention determines the status and social niche of a person. In fact, there are only three answers: a tramp, a man and a fag. There are still some social groups in prison, but at first they are not significant.

A tramp means that a person considers himself a criminal, most likely already has at least one prison sentence under his belt, and has a certain weight in criminal circles. You understand that he doesn’t need to read such an article, he knows everything better than me.

All other people, if they have everything in life, are husbands, at least until the event that they themselves do something incompatible with the status of a man. By definition, a man is a title that implies a certain style of behavior, responsibilities and privileges, but a separate article needs to be written about this.

PS I express my gratitude to Alexey for his comments, which forced me to remove several obvious errors and inaccuracies from the article.

What does the phrase “towel before the brakes” mean?

What does the expression “towel before the brakes” mean in prison jargon?

the slang expression “ towel in front of the brakes ” in the recently released crime series “Alien Face”. In it, a more experienced investigator told the young man that supposedly there is a rule in the zone: when a convict appears in a prison cell, a towel is placed under his feet and he must know how to behave in this case. If he is knowledgeable, he will wipe his feet on a towel and throw it back to the “bowl” with his foot, but if he is inexperienced in prison affairs, he can lift it, and from here he becomes a potential victim of the zone.

Here's what I found on one forum on this issue:

I believe that the intellectual and the elite, the establishment, are different concepts. An intellectual is a highly spiritual person, focused on something specific, for example, music, art, possibly economics, agriculture, etc. The intelligentsia is based on such concepts as conscience, honor, dignity, decency and other similar character traits. I would classify such people more as altruists. These people are rarely rich, because wealth and business cloud their minds to everything else. Intelligence is given either by a person’s breed or by natural talent. There is no third. It's my personal opinion.

First days

Any newcomer is a tasty prey for people who are already tired of a boring and stressful inner life.

Therefore, many will try to have fun at the expense of the newcomer, and at the same time find out how dangerous or beneficial he can be for the tester.

the “examiners” will not go beyond what is permitted , unless, of course, the newcomer provokes them with his behavior and statements.

How are newcomers welcomed?

By asking questions.

Based on the answers and behavior received, they will judge who the newcomer is and what place he should be given in the local hierarchy.

They will definitely ask:

“Who is this and who is he in life.”
“Why were you imprisoned and for how long?”
“How I got my food in the wild.”

How to enter the house?

What is the correct way to enter a house in the zone on the first day?

Calmly, politely, showing respect for those living in the cell, but without currying favor with anyone.
Be sure to say hello and introduce yourself by name.
Do not extend your hand, do not shake someone’s hand in return - not a single prisoner will do this from the heart, only with forgery.
Tell the cell leader under what article he was convicted.
Do not agree to any games. Over time, you can figure out what's what and which of the entertainments you can really afford, and which will only bring trouble.
If you are forced to play, be sure to first say in front of witnesses that you personally are “playing without interest.” This way, those forcing you to play will not have the opportunity to force you into some kind of debt.

Greetings

A simple “hello” is enough. The ban on handshakes has already been discussed above.

How should a first mover behave?

Not fawning over anyone, not trying to gain the favor of superiors through snitching , not showing concern for the fate of others.

In prison it is vitally important to be calm, abiding by internal regulations, polite and indifferent to others.

How to survive?

How to survive in prison as a newbie?

Respect internal laws, do not try to seem like an experienced lesson.
Never take someone else's. Left unattended can be a bait for inflicting reprisals for violations of “concepts” or for the sake of entertainment. In addition, a nobody's item may belong to someone from a lower caste. And one touch will be enough to find yourself in it without the ability to correct the situation.
Watch your appearance.
Don’t talk too much about yourself, don’t ask strangers about their lives.
Do not accuse anyone of anything without hard evidence. Unconfirmed information will cost those who spread it dearly.

"Don't touch the hand towel." Hotel secrets you didn't know about

Visitors to the Quora website, where you can get a professional answer to any question, once asked: “What do we not know about hotel rooms, although we should know?” They were answered by a representative of the hotel business development company Beechmont Hotels Corporation - here are his shocking revelations.

1. Do not use a suitcase stand. Especially if it's a nice, high-quality looking wooden stand, like this one:

Remember two things: 1) bedbugs love wood; 2) bedbugs are spread not by dirty people, but by luggage that has been in “bedbug infestations.”

Tip: Feel free to use metal stands - they do not attract bedbugs. Or unpack your suitcases on the tile bathroom floor (making sure it's clean, of course). And then don’t forget to zip up your bags.

2. Avoid blankets, bedspreads and throws.

Immediately throw the blanket away and cover yourself with a warm blanket so that it does not touch your skin.

In theory, everything that comes into contact with the naked skin of a large number of people should be washed every time a room is prepared for a new occupancy. But many cheap hotels ignore this rule. However, stardom and a high price tag also do not guarantee absolute cleanliness.

Decent hotels and boutique hotels no longer make beds with entire bedspreads (except white ones, which are washed with the rest of the linen). Instead, they are placed rolled up at the foot - like this:

But this is already bad: the bedspreads ruined the cleanliness of the sheets.

As for warm blankets and blankets, many hotels only clean them when stains are already visible, so always put them on top of the sheets.

3. Never use small towels in cheap hotels

Generally speaking, it is better not to touch the so-called hand towels in any hotels, except those where they are washed and disinfected in the most conscientious manner (but you can only find out about this from “your person” among the staff).

Do you know how they are most often used by male guests or couples in love? Guess by where small towels are found when cleaning rooms: on the floor, next to the bed, approximately in the middle.

Advice: but a small, thick terry towel is not only possible, but also should be used - exclusively as a mat where you will stand when getting out of the shower. Don't wipe yourself with it!

4. Don't trust the peephole

From 4-star hotels upwards, there is usually a peephole in the doors of the rooms - but you have to wonder if there is a hidden camera built into it? Don't shrug it off: it happens, and perhaps more often than you think.

How do people live there?

Submitting to two statutes at once : official and internal, established by the so-called supervisory and criminal laws.

At least somehow, no one is allowed to ignore these two regulations except the most privileged representatives of the criminal world, who have more than one year of imprisonment behind them and are respected by both prisoners and the management of correctional institutions.

But trying to impersonate such an important person is dangerous not only for health, but also for life - the deception will be revealed within an hour and the person caught will be punished in the most cruel way, regardless of the circumstances.

Therefore, in prison you need to be yourself , without trying, as they say, to show off.

The life of someone in prison is very simple : you have the opportunity to eat food parcels, and you can give your portions to less fortunate cellmates.

You need to look after yourself as carefully as before your first date with a girl: a person who does not adhere to the rules of basic hygiene will be included in the caste of the so-called “chushkas,” who have a little more rights than the so-called “roosters.”

Reply to the post “Simplified”

Heh, how I got through a tiny percentage)) I registered on Mamba 8 years ago, I didn’t write to anyone, I just looked at the photos. A few months later she writes: are you seriously looking or is it just that. Well, of course I answer seriously. Then she says that she received a pop-up message saying he’s nearby and ready to chat. This is how high technology created a social unit)) In short, 6 years of marriage, two children))

Distant knock out

I remembered a summer trip to my parents along the highway at night. 800 km one way. As I’m driving, I see oncoming traffic and turn off the high beam. He doesn't care, he's blinding. I blink at him - zero attention. We are getting closer, he turns on his distant one (it turns out he was driving with his neighbor) for 2 seconds, fucking blinds me so much that I start to release the brakes and park by touch. What's in your head? I don’t give a damn what light you’re driving with, I’m telling you, woodpecker, you’re blinding. Take note, lower the beam of light, if there is no collective farm in the headlights. And if it’s a somehow screwed-in xenon, then find a clean wall, drive the car, take out the light bulbs with blocks, insert them into your ass and see what beam of light hits the surface. If you are one of these, all the curses are dedicated to you.

Video from the Moscow metro - a dying man and a woman who steals his phone

The man became ill early in the morning at the Verkhniye Likhobory station. A subway employee noticed him and while she ran for help, a passenger in a blue jacket approached the man. She pushed him with her hand, looked around, and then also decided to help, but not him, but herself. She took her phone out of her back pocket and left.

The thief did not know that she was being filmed: she thought that the man was feeling bad and no one would notice her. The woman with the video was found - for such “help” to a deceased person, a criminal case was opened for theft.

What does the zone and cameras look like inside?

If the institution is recently, or relatively recently opened, then the appearance of the premises is quite tolerable, but, naturally, without frills.

The walls of the corridors and cells are whitewashed and covered with paint to a height somewhat greater than human height for reasons of hygiene - such coverings are easier to clean from most types of contaminants.
The furnishings of the premises are also spartan: simple bunk beds or bunks, the same simple tables and benches for them.
The doors to the cells are reinforced with metal plates and simple but reliable locking mechanisms.

The older the premises under the management of a correctional institution, and the less its material support, the more difficult the living conditions of incarcerated people.

Under such circumstances, shabby walls with stains of various origins, furniture with “fragile health” are quite common occurrences . Just like the plumbing, which “remembers” the times of Stalin.

Reply to the post “Don’t drink and drive”

On October 17th, my son was born (it just happened to be Sunday). Well, everyone called everyone to rejoice, a friend came and we celebrated this occasion, drank cognac, drank vodka, and left at about three in the morning. (a friend lives on the next street, neighbors)

In the morning to go to my wife, my head is in a coma. Well, I think once you can have a hangover, what will happen, I’m not drunk, but with a hangover!? Moreover, the maternity hospital is 8 km away, it’s businesslike.

I got dressed and put on my shoes. The car is in the yard under a canopy, I approach, but there are no keys. I searched everything, no keys. Although I always leave my keys in the car.

Closer to lunch, a friend calls and says you will find the keys on the shelf behind the photo of his wife.

Advice for newcomers arriving in 2022 in places not so remote

In the cells (huts) there is always some supply of money, food, medicine, drugs, and cigarettes. This property is managed by the cell leader or the camp leader. If a newcomer or any other prisoner takes something secretly from the common fund without the permission of the elder, he will be mistaken for a rat, a morally degraded convict. Usually such prisoners are severely punished or such living conditions are created for them that they will involuntarily have to turn to the administration.
One of the first questions a newbie is asked is about the article. You need to answer it the way the guilty person answered during the investigation. Articles on sexual crimes and other cynical articles are not welcome here.
Under no circumstances should you relieve yourself while your cellmates are sitting at the table and drinking tea or eating. This is considered an insult.
You should always thank a prisoner for the service he has provided, even the most insignificant.
According to prison etiquette, prisoners can and should address each other on a first-name basis, even in relation to those people who are much older and more authoritative.
Under no circumstances should you borrow money from fellow inmates. An exception is card debt.
You should never make promises, for example, to return money or something to the common fund. You can only promise what is actually achievable, otherwise you will have to pay for not keeping your promise.
In captivity, you cannot boast about your financial situation, saying that in the wild you have a good car, apartment, business. They don't like people like that there. It is best to pretend to be “average” or poor.