Bribe Basket

photo courtesy of DriveTheAmericas

We won a unique giveaway in a contest through Drive the Americas, one of our top resources for this trip.  This anti-bribe kit was put together to help us avoid the shakedown that is often experienced by travelers in Latin America. When dealing with corrupt border officials and police officers, you need all the help you can get...check out Drive the Americas' website for tons of tips and what to look out for. 

They also do a great job of explaining why supporting corruption is bad for travelers everywhere and why you shouldn't ever take part. Here's what is inside of our little goody bag...

• 3 packs of cigarettes
• Small bottles of booze
• Candy bars
• Girly magazines (Maxim & Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition)
• All packaged in a mini cooler
• 3 Safety Reflective Triangles (this is a common excuse for citations, aka bribes)
• Mini fire extinguisher (not having one is a common reason for a citation/bribe)

*the idea behind these items is to stand your ground and refuse soliciting bribes thru money. Worst case scenario, you can offer a "present" if it's absolutely necessary. The importance is that officials begin to no longer see dollar signs when they see foreigners.

photo courtesy of DrivetheAmericas.com