| An interesting problem is experienced by travelers | | | | some money to the person who has pulled you |
| who go to another country. This problem is the | | | | over to let you go. |
| difference between tipping and bribing. | | | | The reason this is an acceptable part of the |
| In North American culture, tipping is something | | | | structure is because in many countries where |
| you do after you receive good service as a | | | | bribing is acceptable (by turning a blind eye to its |
| courteous gesture to the service provider to | | | | rampant use) the countries in question may be |
| indicate that you received good service. You do it | | | | socially, politically, or economically unstable and |
| in restaurants, hotels, bars, and taxis. | | | | thus are not able to properly pay the wages of |
| Bribing, on the other hand, is considered illegal and | | | | the police, soldier, or public servant you are |
| unethical. In North American culture (actually, in | | | | encountering. You may complain about your bills |
| American and Canadian culture) bribing is seen as | | | | but at the end of the day, your wage generally |
| something you do when you want a situation to | | | | puts food on the table. Not so in these countries |
| go your way and you need to grease the wheels | | | | where a wage may barely pay for a month's |
| to make it happen. | | | | worth of food but there are no opportunities for |
| In other cultures though, including Mexican culture | | | | a better job. In this way, bribery is built into the |
| (which is why we corrected ourselves in the last | | | | system as an almost legitimate way to earn |
| paragraph), bribing is an acceptable part of the | | | | enough to feed the family. |
| exchange of service. While it may not be | | | | If you continue to feel uncomfortable with the |
| acknowledged as a bribe, and may even be | | | | concept of bribery, consider it to be tipping |
| denied verbally as it is being accepted, a bribe is a | | | | before you receive the service offered! |
| way in other cultures to help get action, even | | | | So when you find yourself in a difficult situation in |
| among authorities. | | | | a country that is not your own, put yourself in |
| Taking the higher road in some cases may not be | | | | the other person's shoes and think about how |
| the best situation. If you are pulled over for | | | | they are trying to make a living under less |
| trumped up charges in a South American country, | | | | fortunate circumstances. |
| the best thing you may want to do is to pass | | | | |