[in48092]

Anyone have any experiance in this?

Note, I'm putting this here not in travel because non-travel bribery advice could be useful

Here's my situation. I'm living in Damascus, but try to go to Beirut as much as possible as Damascus is a pretty wretched place and Beirut rules. The cab ride takes about 2 hours and only costs $15 so in theory it's an easy trip. The problem is I'm American and now that my Syrian multiple entry visa has expired I have to buy a new single entry visa at the border. Currently the Sryians make Americans wait at the border, ostensibly while they fax our "information" to Damascus, for between 6-12 hours until they issue us a visa. Virtually without expetion they end up issuing the visa so this ends up essentially being a form of collective punishment on Americans.

Anyhow, there's no way I can assuredly get antoher multiple entry visa short of going back to the U.S. I've done "the wait" twice in the last 3 weeks and don't think I can do it again. I have to go to Beirut at the end of the month. I think my only option is to try and bribe the border chief. Bribes are standard in this neck of the woods, but i dont really know how to go about it. The best I can come up with is telling him i need a visa and handing him my passport with some money folded inside. If he seems offended, this tactic seems to give me an out of saying I forgot some money inside my passport. Is this a really stupid idea?

If not, how much $ is appropriate. Things to consider, a visa costs $16. Dude probably makes at most $1000/month, and likely less.