$250 for killing a cow?

[Richardq]

Hi I was just reading Lionel Haggard and Jerry Finley's travel blog where they mentioned they drove into a cow in Ethiopia (killling it) and caused damage to one of their bikes. They then paid $250 to the locals as compensation????
I don't know if this is just me but doesn't this sound crazy?
I drove that same road 3 years ago and came across plenty of road kill (never hit anything) but wouldn't even contemplate giving the locals a penny if I had hit something. My understanding of the rules of the road in Ethiopia is that famers are obliged to keep their animals off the roads and it is they are at fault if an accident occurs like the above.
Please correct me if I'm wrong but this idea that the local farmer must be compensated is insane. It leaves many wrong messages - Animals have right of way, differnt rules for tourists, It's open season to rip off tourists, Next biker has a harder time.
It is this type of ilogical thinking will keep Ethiopians in the dark ages.
Kids threw stones at us when we were there because we refused to give them money and pens all because some previous dumb tourists got a kick out of handing free stuff out.
Next thing you know you will hear a story - biker gets beaten for not paying for cow.
And they didn't even get a steak out of it!!!

Rant over..