Re:Ask HN: Have you ever paid a bribe?
by gregjor on Sunday October 30, 2022 @03:45AM
(#33392142)
Thai customs officers confiscated a package that contained two cell phones and some miscellaneous stuff sent from the US. Reason: package contained lipstick not approved for sale in Thailand (actually sold there, but expensive). Value around $1,000 (the phones, not the lipstick -- they kept it all).
A Cambodian immigration officer held my passport and asked for a "tip." I refused, he eventually returned my passport because too many witnesses saw what he tried to do.
But enough small potatoes. I lost my job, house, and retirement savings in 2008 thanks to crooks on Wall Street, some of whom went to work for the government, which has taken about 30% of my income every year I've worked, under threat of jail. My medical insurance company charges crazy high premiums for high-deductible coverage that few doctors or clinics accept, and then challenges even routine claims. The petty corruption in Thailand and Cambodia seems quaint by comparison.
A Cambodian immigration officer held my passport and asked for a "tip." I refused, he eventually returned my passport because too many witnesses saw what he tried to do.
But enough small potatoes. I lost my job, house, and retirement savings in 2008 thanks to crooks on Wall Street, some of whom went to work for the government, which has taken about 30% of my income every year I've worked, under threat of jail. My medical insurance company charges crazy high premiums for high-deductible coverage that few doctors or clinics accept, and then challenges even routine claims. The petty corruption in Thailand and Cambodia seems quaint by comparison.