An American spy decided to give himself up to the Soviet authorities.
Posted by Grandma_Gertie@reddit | Jokes | View on Reddit | 54 comments
Coming across the first KGB office building he could find, he entered, went past the reception desk, entered the first office he could find, and introduced himself.
"Good afternoon, I'm an American spy," he said before he was cut off.
"My apologies, but this office is for internal affairs only," they said. "We process double agents and defectors here. You'll want to go to the east wing, take the first right there, and go to the door at the end of the hall."
He walked to the east wing, following their instructions until he reached the office. There, he opened the door and once again introduced himself.
"Good afternoon, I'm an American spy. My conscience is torturing me, so I've decided to give myself up."
"An American, you say?" they asked him. "We only deal with Englishmen. Go down the hall until you come to the second door on the left. Ask for Colonel Muchin."
"Good afternoon, I'm an American spy," he said after entering Muchin's office. "I was dropped by parachute into Soviet territory—"
"By parachute?" the Colonel interrupted. "That's not my jurisdiction. The only spies I handle are American frogmen. You should be in the other ward, across the way on the third floor at Room 1223."
The American wandered around the building until he finally found the room he needed. He stopped to catch his breath before entering.
"Good afternoon, I'm an American spy dropped from a plane to blow up a bridge of strategic—"
"No, no, no," they told him. "We have nothing to do with explosive specialists. We only handle photography of military bases and missile silos. You'll want to head to that little building in the courtyard. There's an entrance in the street."
He got up, slowly walking to the next office, clearly tired. Before he entered the courtyard office, he bought a soda from a nearby vending machine before drinking it and setting the glass back. Then he entered the office, introducing himself yet again.
"Good afternoon, I'm an American spy dropped from a plane to blow up a bridge of strategic importance," he said. "It's one of the bridges across the Volga."
"Not my jurisdiction, I'm afraid," they replied. "I handle matters with the Moskva, not the Volga. You'll want to go back inside the main building and head to the top floor, then go to the furthest office on the left."
He went back in, heading up to the top floor. By the time he reached it, he was exhausted and dragging himself to the office. Opening the door, he stumbled inside.
"Good evening," he blurted out. "I'm...an American spy...dropped from a plane...to blow up a bridge...across the Volga...of strategic importance..."
"Oh, to hell with it!" the head of the office cried, throwing his hand down in annoyance. "No one gives me any time to finish my annual report! Well, why did you roll in here, anyway? You've been given a mission, so carry it out!"
MooninmyMouth@reddit
I walked out of my suburban home one morning to find an old rusty, dented green USPO mail-collection box (the big ones with curved tops that stand on street corners) lying on my lawn. Knowing it’s Federal property, I called the local Post Office to notify them to come pick it up. “I’m sorry,” said the clerk, “We don’t have a box at that location.” I said, “Yes, you didn’t. Someone left it on my lawn overnight.” PO clerk: “We can only pick up damaged boxes from recorded locations.” “Are you saying I would have to move this box to a location that’s on your list for you to come and pick it up?” The clerk: “we do not have a box at that location.“ Me: “Are you saying that I’m imagining there’s a large rusty green post box on my lawn?“ Clerk: no answer. Me: “is a postal collection box federal property?“ Clerk: “yes.“ Me: “ then come get your box, dammit, or I’ll sue you for dumping!” The box was gone by the end of the day.
Specific_Profit_6781@reddit
The soda machine threw me off, no such thing in the ussr
Grandma_Gertie@reddit (OP)
There were. They gave out carbonated water mixed with syrup for 3 kopeks and without for 1 kopek. They didn't have cans for soda, just 1 communal glass.
gnomeannisanisland@reddit
Dodgy link
Grandma_Gertie@reddit (OP)
How so? Was there some sort of suspicious ad that popped up when you clicked it?
lordreed@reddit
Afraid of being Rick Rolled
Grandma_Gertie@reddit (OP)
Ah. It's not a rickroll.
Arendious@reddit
Rick Rolling is handled in Sub-basement 2, Annex P, Room 102. This room is for Fake Sub-reddits.
Grandma_Gertie@reddit (OP)
You're looking for Sub-basement 3, Room 115. This room handles Rickrolls with the link just copied and pasted, not inserted.
False-Storm-5794@reddit
Sorry, this is getting hit on the head lessons. You want two doors down on the right.
Specific_Profit_6781@reddit
Yep! I see you edited it 😁
Rukenau@reddit
This is fairly esoteric knowledge, actually. Cool that you know something as niche as this.
Grandma_Gertie@reddit (OP)
Figured I'd look it up and see what the situation was like for getting drinks in public in the USSR.
Rukenau@reddit
Yeah it occurred to me after I had written my comment that maybe you just came across this as you decided to research the topic in depth. Still, admirable dedication and a very well-written joke, great job!
big_sugi@reddit
My germs? No, comrade-our germs.
r_vade@reddit
Just wash the glass first, no?
https://www.tiktok.com/@prosto_____saha/video/7598292420958178567
big_sugi@reddit
Unless that’s 151-proof vodka, it’s not going to even come close to sanitizing the glass.
AreYouAnOakMan@reddit
In Soviet Russia, vodka not sanitize glass for you; vodka sanitize you for glass!
Electronic_Name_325@reddit
Glad something in this thread made me smile. I read it in an accent I could never do.
WanaWahur@reddit
Train your immunity system, comrade, and stop whining!
scubahana@reddit
Yeah, they were juice machines. I clearly remember giggling at a picture in a book in high school, with a juice machine in Russia with ‘COK’ emblazoned across it.
boojiec@reddit
In Germany they have steam service called VAG
scubahana@reddit
There's a Danish shipping company called DSV, and when you see their logo in a mirror it also looks like it says VAG.
kaur_virunurm@reddit
It was carbonated water (1 kopek) or water + sweet syrup (3 kopek), not a real juice. The machines had a built-in mechanism for washing the glass - insert the glass, press it upwards and the machine rinsed it.
We kids loved the machines, nothing wrong with them. And more eco-friendly than the disposable cups we use now.
scubahana@reddit
One could argue that juice machines these days also don’t dispense real juice.
kaur_virunurm@reddit
True that.
Lonely_Noyaaa@reddit
It's not really about the spy at all. It's about bureaucracy so thoroughly dedicated to not being responsible for anything that it accidentally becomes more effective at protecting secrets than any actual counterintelligence ever could.
Grandma_Gertie@reddit (OP)
Yes
Motion_Means4501@reddit
This isn't the Soviet Union. Someone rewrote my experience of getting a building certificate of occupancy in Washington, DC a few years ago.
False-Storm-5794@reddit
It's the same story I went through to get a parade permit in Albuquerque.
Dzjeek@reddit
You got the speedy treatment then?
Motion_Means4501@reddit
Lol. The crazy thing is, room after room, I was the only customer but they acted like I wasn't even there until I had sat in a "waiting" chair the requisite 15 minutes while they were reading all those important reports.
DefiantMemory9@reddit
Man.. Why is this experience so universal!
wingsinvoid@reddit
Da!
hertzdonought@reddit
America is just as shitty.
I went to the IRS office to get a pretty common form and they said they didn’t keep copies. I had to order it or go buy it from office depot. This is a form they require in paper. A red form.
So kafkaesque.
BergkampsFirstTouch@reddit
Love this detail. IYKYK.
Grandma_Gertie@reddit (OP)
Just 1 kopek without, actually.
BigBrownBalls@reddit
This joke sucks
Grandma_Gertie@reddit (OP)
Ok
MonkeySmart409@reddit
Why the aside about his "Soda with syrup"?
Also, the mediocre punchline wasn't worth the read.
Grandma_Gertie@reddit (OP)
Tried to find somewhere involving a Soviet drinking fountain, but could only find that. Anyways, if you didn't like it, just scroll next time.
godfromabove256@reddit
I liked the joke, but to be fair, you can't know if you like it or not until you finish reading.
Grandma_Gertie@reddit (OP)
Fair enough
DrearyBiscuit@reddit
I hate to say it, but I don't get it
Grandma_Gertie@reddit (OP)
The joke was that he was trying to turn himself in and confess, yet due to the overcomplicated bureaucracy of the office building, he kept getting passed around only to be turned away because none of them wanted to do any work and deal with him.
Nordicmoose@reddit
I was expecting him to give up and go back to the US with full plans for the building.
mazurzapt@reddit
Yes!
SharpTool7@reddit
I was expecting an American to be sitting in the last office and for that man to say "I have been expecting you"
Dances_with_mallards@reddit
I tried to report a stolen shotgun one time. It was taken from the back of my elderly father's truck after he had been in an accident. He was taken to the hospital and his truck went to an impound yard then was transferred to a different yard each in a different city from where the accident occurred. I got the same run around from the PD in each city. After I had been referred back to where I started, I finally called a friend who is the chief of police in another city. He called in a favor with the chief of the city where the accident occurred. I was finally able to file a police report and give LE the serial number of a stolen gun. It is not just the Soviet Union where this occurs.
thin234rout698@reddit
This one deserve a sequel..
West_Inside_3112@reddit
We want to know what happened to the glass of icy syrup ;)
SpaceBug176@reddit
Don't worry, the poison was in the ice cubes, he's gonna be fine.
Mk7613@reddit
I was expecting him to find an empty office, assume the position and become the new csar
2552686@reddit
I have never heard this before, but given the little I know about the USSR and what I know about bureaucracy in general.. this sounds totally authentic.
Thank you!