Police & Military

Members of the Police and Armed Forces should always be treated with great respect and courtesy.  Nowhere is this more true than in the developing world.

In a number of countries, these forces suffer from a lack of funding and poor morale.  There are also widely reported cases of indiscipline and corruption.  The financial difficulties afflicting so many countries often lead to officers being unpaid for long periods and this encourages them to seek alternative sources of income.

The road-block, often put in place in the late evening, is the usual venue for demands of this sort, and this is another reason why particular care has to be taken at night.  The road-block may be no more than a single rusty oil drum and a couple of soldiers wearing camouflage kit (and their weapons).  It may be erected in a badly lit area and the soldiers may not be equipped with torches, lights or reflectors.  Any number of people working overseas have come across roadblocks of this sort and had difficulty stopping in time.  Many have run into the obstacles or driven straight through and found themselves being chased by a hail of bullets !

Assuming that you are able to stop, the likelihood is that you will have to produce papers and answer a few questions (where you have come from, are going to etc).  If you have the benefit of diplomatic plates on your car there is less chance of you being stopped and less still of you being asked for money. If you do not, the opposite often applies.  You may be held up while your papers are scrutinised at length and your vehicle is minutely checked over, or you may simply be asked openly for a "present" or "beer-money".  Your organization may already have a policy on how to deal with such requests, or it may be left to your discretion.

Opinions on the correct way to handle these situations vary greatly; one view is that to agree to part with money is totally wrong and encourages further abuse.  The other is to take a more relaxed ; "when in Rome . ." approach.  It is not for us to advocate one or the other, because circumstances also vary.  Whilst morally correct, the first option may not always be the right choice practically. There are however a few guidelines which you may find useful :

• You should ensure that all your papers are always in order and to hand
• You should make sure that your vehicle is maintained in good order
• You should not give the police / military any justification for holding you
• You should always remain polite and civil; becoming indignant and rude could work against you.
• You should not drive off without your documents.
• You should politely resist paying and never offer money before being asked.
• If you do finally decide that it isn't worth the struggle and that futher resistance is likely to provoke unpleasantness, pay as little as you can.
• It is a good idea to keep a small amount of coins / notes in a separate pocket.  If you have to pull out a large wad of notes to peel one off, it could result in you parting with a lot more.
• If you are stopped and there is genuinely something wrong with your car, or you have committed a minor offence, the police / military may have a reason to hold you.  If you are asked for money in this situation, make it clear that you understand what you are paying is a small fine.

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