Tourists in China Randomly Tested for Drugs–Forced to Pee in Cups in Bar!

Last night, I couldn’t sleep so I was up late on twitter.  Then I saw these disturbing tweets:

 

(By the way, he the China Correspondent for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, so I trust his tweets.)

The part that is most disturbing to me (besides forcing people to whip it out and pee in a cup) is that drugs detected through a pee test can last in your system for weeks.  So you can legally use marijuana in Colorado, go on a trip to China, and get busted for drug use.  Even if you did not use it there and were using it legally.

If you used it once, you wouldn’t get busted unless you flew out immediately after, but pretty frequent use can be in your system for 10-30 days.  (For more information on that, check out this chart).

And then this morning, I saw:

I think it is a strong reminder that the rule of law is very different when you are traveling.  Don’t leave yourself in a position where you can get into trouble.  Don’t take drugs before leaving for a trip.  Be very aware of what is very illegal there.

A couple was arrested in Dubai for kissing on the beach and both were jailed for a year.

Speaking of Dubai, a woman was arrested for reporting a violent crime that happened to her because while being questioned, she was asked if she has been intimate with her fiance–an act that’s illegal there outside of marriage.

Know the laws and be careful.  Finding a good fare somewhere is great, but make sure it does not cost you more than it should.

 

Edit:  Someone let me know the intent of this is to crack down on drug using foreign residents, but that doesn’t change the magnitude of importance of not being caught in these situations.  If you were drinking in the bar with them too, you would have been tested.

 

About Jeanne Marie Hoffman

Former bartender, still a geek. One equal part each cookies, liberty, football, music, travel, libations. Stir vigorously. +Jeanne Marie Hoffman Jeanne on Twitter

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4 comments

  1. @john f yourself as long as the federal gov has agreeded not go contravene state laws then it is defacto legal stop being a shit disturber.

    And in response to the article ppl should avoid visiting communist shit holes like china = problem solved

  2. I wrote a similar article ‘Dubai – is visiting worth the risk?’ on my http://www.bugadvisor.com blog – short link to that article here http://wp.me/p2BxLS-6I

    • Jeanne Marie Hoffman

      Thanks for posting that! It’s really important. I saw the comment saying “most of the time it’s totally fine!” That’s not good enough for me. There are some countries I can get mugged in. That would really suck. It’s easy to get pickpocketed in Paris. That would really suck. But to be in a situation where a crime AGAINST me could put me in jail? No, thank you. Not going.

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