Originally Posted by navalarchitect

After over fifty countries including Russia, all of eastern Africa and South and Central America, I have only been directly asked for a bribe once (to forget a genuine speedng fine in Tanzania). I think that new travelers fear of bribery is much overblown and it is often not helped by the mass media plus a small percentage of travelers who like to make their blogs/ Facebook pages etc exciting by embellishing their stories with how they had to fight of corrupt officials.

In most places if you follow the rules, don't try and rush things, don't assume every request for money is a bribe request, it is not an issue. I admit there were one or two times when I was asked for a questionable fee but sometimes it is hard to tell what is a genuine fee (vehicle disinfection for example when there was no disinfectant available - is it just they have none at that time, or is it a locally invented charge?) My view is if it is only a couple of dollars, if the locals seem to be paying it, or you get some sort of receipt, then I'll pay it: sometimes it is not worth an argument.

Also bribery issues are different from extortion. I have met a couple of places in South and Central America where locals with a rope across the road and a machete casually to hand ask for a "road repair" fee. These you have to deal with on a case by case basis trying to pay roughly what the locals pay (for there are never enough tourists for this to be just applied to them). But I also add at some of these local stops I was also waved through with no payment required because I was a tourist. So it all balances out.

In summary I suggest that you will not find the need to pay bribes a significant problem and common sense will dictate the best way forward if and when it occurs.

Enjoy the travels - the locals are friendly wherever you go.

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