Istanbul by night

Deciding which dark alley to walk down I'm suddenly approached by two guys dressed civilian. 'Polis,' they say and flash IDs. 'Are you Turkish?' 'No.' 'Where are you from?' I hesitate for one instant and possibly drift back slightly. (Everyone here asks you where you are from and they use it to size you up and decide how to treat you, how much to charge you, etc.) Then I say, 'Not from here. How can I help you?' No, nevermind. And they walk away. Freaky.
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