I agree but think the only issue here is the use of the word “bribe.” Some places have a culture of paying “grease money” to get things done.
This is common behavior in poor areas with little tourism simply because no formal system for officially visiting exists and people do not earn enough to survive. These small payments are not seen as “bribes” in the western sense.
For example I just visited Guinea in Western Africa. On my first day I visited the Grand Mosque. There was no ticket booth or tour guide. Instead I had to pay “big boss,” a guard who showed us around.
I then went to the botanical gardens, which as it turned out had been turned into a military post. An unofficial tour was offered and of course payment was expected.
At the airport, security staff also asked for money. This was refused.
All of these things happened in plain view. I wouldn’t view it in the same light as paying a bribe, though westerners make no distinction. “Courtesy payment” or “tip” are not correct, either, but probably more accurate than “bribe.”
This is common behavior in poor areas with little tourism simply because no formal system for officially visiting exists and people do not earn enough to survive. These small payments are not seen as “bribes” in the western sense.
For example I just visited Guinea in Western Africa. On my first day I visited the Grand Mosque. There was no ticket booth or tour guide. Instead I had to pay “big boss,” a guard who showed us around.
I then went to the botanical gardens, which as it turned out had been turned into a military post. An unofficial tour was offered and of course payment was expected.
At the airport, security staff also asked for money. This was refused.
All of these things happened in plain view. I wouldn’t view it in the same light as paying a bribe, though westerners make no distinction. “Courtesy payment” or “tip” are not correct, either, but probably more accurate than “bribe.”