I want to go to London!

I'm sure you've heard somewhere that if you fly to America via England, you'll be allowed to walk around London for 24-48 hours. Yes, I heard that too back in the day. I didn't think long or reflect seriously, I just bought the tickets.

I bought these tickets: St. Petersburg - Riga - London - Reykjavik - San Francisco. The first mistake: I didn't buy transit tickets from London to San Francisco to save money.

We arrive in London, there's this huge waiting area where everyone is standing with their UK visas, waiting for the customs officer to let them through. My passport is empty. I approach the counter, explain the situation, and immediately hear: "No, I am sorry, you should be waiting for your plane only here." I approach different staff members, hear the same thing, and out of the corner of my eye, I'm already looking for a soft spot to spend 48 hours. A coincidence saves me.

An elderly border guard walks by, I tell him everything again, and he promises to help. My saviors: two American visas and a booked hotel room that would be lost if I wasn't let in. He "takes me by the hand" and goes to the chief customs officer, saying he vouches for me and that I won't stay in England illegally without transit tickets and a visa. He takes my passport and stamps it. That's it, I'm in England.

Then I visited Reykjavik (Iceland), but it's easier there. It's Schengen.

Thus, I would like to note that getting into England without a visa is a rather risky and not very easy task, contrary to what is written in various public groups.