One drunken Friday the 13th in Reykjavik i was picked up for a night. In the morning, they got an official translator to explain im being charged with a lot ov vandalism. Apparently 26 side view mirrors on cars got kicked off. 2 witness'(one being a cop) said they seen me do it along with 'others'. i was told that if the damage was below a certain kroner amount, i could work it off, otherwise i would have to sit. Not sure what it would be like to sit so many days, but turned out only a few citizens reported the damage. They did not offer a work Visa(which i wanted so i could stay longer), but after being fingerprinted for interpol, eventually the charges just disappeared. Extremely lucky on my part. im still not sure what happened, as i pressed the issue to get resolved, Guilty or Innocent, so if i were to be falsely accused in another country these charges would not be hanging.
i do not recommend breaking the laws in countries you are not a national(or ARE a national for that matter), but if you do get caught up in shit, be polite to the authorities. They are not playing around, its work for them. Contact the consulate as soon as possible. i know, it sucks callin on Big Brother to clean up your shit, but it IS a foreign land with foreign laws. They do look out for their own.
im not sure what its like in poor(er) countries, but my friends in Kiev asked me, "When the police stop you in America with alcohol(when under 21), how much do you pay them?" i nearly guffawed, as typically we would be detained if not arrested. Am i correct?
When abroad, keep on your toes. Its great to be away from home, but comes with responsibilities.
Good luck,
r