bribes by country

"Anonymous" <nobody@paranoici.org> wrote in message
news:9d82f6c1cb85481086508a569b155559@paranoici.or g...
> Anyone care to share their opinions about which
> Central American countries are the best and worst
> for being hassled by customs and other crooks for
> bribe money? I know Costa Rica is probably pretty
> clean, but what about the others? I'm thinking here
> about cops that try to extort money based on phoney
> charges, entry and exit crooks, etc.

Despite the fact that some people seem to think paying off customs officials
to get into Mexico is necessary, I've never found that to be the case. I've
crossed bother by land and air. Entry and exit have always been
straight-forward and problem-free every time.

Police have never given me any problems but I've only driven once in Mexico
so I'm not really in a position to comment on the way they handle traffic
violations.

Richard

Simpleton

"Anonymous" <nobody@paranoici.org> wrote in message
news:9d82f6c1cb85481086508a569b155559@paranoici.or g...
> Anyone care to share their opinions about which Central American countries
> are the best and worst for being hassled by customs and other crooks for
bribe
> money? I know Costa Rica is probably pretty clean, but what about the
others?
> I'm thinking here about cops that try to extort money based on phoney
charges,
> entry and exit crooks, etc.
>

>"Anonymous" <nobody@paranoici.org> wrote in message
>news:9d82f6c1cb85481086508a569b155559@paranoici.o rg...
>> Anyone care to share their opinions about which
>> Central American countries are the best and worst
>> for being hassled by customs and other crooks for
>> bribe money? I know Costa Rica is probably pretty
>> clean, but what about the others? I'm thinking here
>> about cops that try to extort money based on phoney
>> charges, entry and exit crooks, etc.
>
Honduras. San Pedro Sula and Roatan, just for starters. Mordida!

In article <ef9gqv4pdvmgaufi3lp6djgrjv71p1k76d@>,
cynic@cycle.com wrote:

sed on phoney
> >> charges, entry and exit crooks, etc.
> >
> Honduras. San Pedro Sula and Roatan, just for starters. Mordida!

Funny I travel in and out of Honduras (mostly Tegucigalpa and Roatan)
several times a year. Generally I come in fully loaded with stuff I've
purchased for friends and family (stuff ranging from a Microwave to
fishing gear, clothing and shoes, tools and scuba gear, even food
products). In more than a decade of travel I have never had to pay a
bribe to anyone.

Honduras has the reputation, but I have found that if you just refuse to
pay the agent moves on without any further word.

Ron T

> Funny I travel in and out of Honduras (mostly Tegucigalpa and Roatan)
> several times a year.

> Honduras has the reputation, but I have found that if you just refuse to
> pay the agent moves on without any further word.

That's probably why you don't have any problems. You are comfortable and
confident enough to argue. The infrequent traveler will probably be
intimidated by the machine guns.

I too have never had to pay a bribe in Honduras other than at the Customs
check at the airport. The one time I thought a soldier/policeman was asking
for a bribe I must have misunderstood his intent, because when I asked
politely if it would be possible to pay my fine on the spot he got rather
offended at my suggestion that he was asking for the bribe. For a moment I
thought I was going to get arrested.

Mexico on the other hand, I found the traffic police are pretty up front ...
hand over your money. But that's another story.

Steve