Bribing People

[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.

[Los Feliz Slim]

An American attempting some sort of extra-legal activity with Syrian border guards seems just insanely risky to me. What happens if you get stopped inside Syria without the proper paperwork? Or on your way back? I wouldn't be setting foot in that area of the world no matter what, though, so take that with a grain of salt.

I think the standard play is to say "Isn't there some OTHER way we can handle this?"

EDIT: Ahhh, I see, you actually LIVE in Syria. Well, that's probably risky enough already, ixnay on the iberybray.

[XXXNoahXXX]

i was going to comment, but middle east border guards is a little out of my bribing league.

[4_2_it]

If Syrian prisons have Internet access then do this. I think a trip report on what happens to an American in a Syrian prison would be a good read.

[Los Feliz Slim]

[ QUOTE ]
If Syrian prisons have Internet access then do this. I think a trip report on what happens to an American in a Syrian prison would be a good read.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think they have internet access but lose power intermittently during the genital electrifications.

[in48092]

I understand the skeptisism, but the thing is, bribery is insanely common in these parts. Parking tickets, getting paperwork processed, facilitating university record release, pretty much anything that requires beuracratic involvement is routinely facilitated by bribes. Albeit by the locals. Y'all are probably right though that this is a practice best left to Syrians.

[XXXNoahXXX]

Do you know any Syrians that can do the dirty work for you?

Like tell them you want this pass, have them get it and pay them for the bribe plus a small commission?

[xxThe_Lebowskixx]

1. check online if its possible to get 'expedited service'

2. don't put $ inside of the passport, that is a bad idea. just say 'is there anyway you can let me through now? can i pay extra'?

3. oh yeah, the best idea is to ask a Syrian travel agent if they can do what you want.

[RoundTower]

I'm guessing you should be able to do this. Just say something like "look, I'm in a bit of a rush, can you help me out?" and you will know if a bribe is likely to work. I would try $20 (US or local equivalent) inside your passport.

On another note, I'm absolutely delighted to see US citizens getting screwed over by other countries' border control.

[Magisastar]

I feel that the risk outweighs the reward on this one.

Surely a fair percentage of border guards would love to turn in a smart alec American, for no other reason than to big note himself. I'd be copping the wait.