2 months ago17 points(+0/-0/+17Score on mirror)4 children
The police expect a bribe.
Egypts "systems" are corrupt from the top-down. Even severely low iq countries have better systems, as already seen in the video in OP.
Egypt has been incredibly corrupt since the 70s onwards when they made a deal with the Israelis and aligned theirselves with them. A deal with Satan, no doubt. This trickled down to every echelon.
They also hate tourists and immediately distrust them. And by that i dont even mean police or the government particularly, but just about everyone. Maybe for good reason, maybe not. Who knows?
2 months ago14 points(+0/-0/+14Score on mirror)1 child
It's done on purpose so that you give in to the absurd bureaucracy and start shilling out bribes to the police and agents who will gladly take them to give your shit back (or demand more). But the police at least can't state that explicitly, because it's de jure illegal. So they just pull some fucked nonsense out of nowhere in hopes that you'll fork over money to make them stop. Other agencies besides the police will openly demand money for shit.
I have a family member who went to Egypt twice. Once during Gamal Abdel Nasser's rule and once after Anwar Sadat in the 1980s. The experience was night and day. Egypt destroyed itself after their attitude change towards Israel specifically because it became an anti-people government at that moment. They have had 3 revolutions, 1 coup d'état, and 1 presidential assassination since then because their people loathe their government. Theyve been in a constant back and forth "cold Civil war" with themselves since the 80s. They also do this to their own people, but tourists are suspected of inciting people to do this, and also present a money making opportunity. Ergo this behavior. They want you to either pay up to line their pockets or fuck off and leave the country.
And nobody gives a fuck that tourism contributes to the country's wealth either, because they will *never* see a single red fucking cent of it go anywhere besides the change purse of some morally repugnant general, israel, or a politician. So they don't care, as long as, as I said, you pay up or fuck off. To the police seeking a bribe to the scam tourist trap operators, it's all the same as if nobody ever goes there again, and they're correct in that assumption
Oh it's worse than that. A lot of the fees and shit you have to pay for such as, filling out official looking documents with your information are 100% part of a scam, the thievery is very organised.
No, the airport will just outright fine and fee you for everything, because they can and it isn't illegal for them to do so. It serves the same purpose as expecting a bribe and it cuts to the chase.
Bingo. I studied under a former north African customs agent and he said as much. He and his friends would just steal as much as they could from tourists and demand bribes for the rest.
2 months ago4 points(+0/-0/+4Score on mirror)1 child
this. tons of shithole countries are like this.
the proper language is "is there a fine? i don't know how this works. can i pay the fine right now? who do i pay the fine to?" have to say it like this because there are SOME blowhards who are actually just hassling you and not looking for a bribe, and if you don't do the song and dance, they will arrest you for attempted bribery too.
it sucks, but when you're in a third world shithole, it's risk you have to deal with. i've traveled all over the world. keep a fake wallet on you with a wad of small bills in the local currency that makes it look like a lot more money than it is whenever you take it out. also some expired credit/debit cards. if you get in a sticky situation, pull that out. it's basically insurance for robbery and dirty cops.
we were living in southeast asia and i got shaken down for $12. another one of the guys got stopped and he lied to the cop, saying he didn't have any money on him. the dirty cop literally drove him to an ATM to make him withdraw the daily max ($500 for that bank).
2 months ago2 points(+0/-0/+2Score on mirror)1 child
I remember trying Indian food once. Good grief it was the absolute worse (culinary) experience of my life. Gross as hell and I'd rather starve than eat that shit again.
Yeah, it was a kinda run down shithole in one of those old "strip mall" type places. I'm not eager to ever try it again and the smell almost causes me to throw up to this day.
Many people have, myself included. Traveling to other countries made me appreciate my own people more. Japan was nice, but odd, and I have respect for those people, but Europe and some parts of the US win for me.
The dichotomy of traveling to third world shitholes to experience their heckin awesome food and dealing with the consequences of their inept societies should be evident that the former isn't worth the later. Which means that importing those cultures here should be prohibited.
Don't forget what happened to Laura Logan. She was live reporting in a square and got gang raped by around 200 men for over half an hour. Her security and production detail couldn't save her.
2 months ago1 point(+0/-0/+1Score on mirror)1 child
Why did this guy not hire a local guide!? That way you bribe one guy to get you through, and you don't have to bribe the entire country. He can complain all day about a non-white country, but ultimately, the organization and planning is his own fault
Egypts "systems" are corrupt from the top-down. Even severely low iq countries have better systems, as already seen in the video in OP.
Egypt has been incredibly corrupt since the 70s onwards when they made a deal with the Israelis and aligned theirselves with them. A deal with Satan, no doubt. This trickled down to every echelon.
They also hate tourists and immediately distrust them. And by that i dont even mean police or the government particularly, but just about everyone. Maybe for good reason, maybe not. Who knows?
I have a family member who went to Egypt twice. Once during Gamal Abdel Nasser's rule and once after Anwar Sadat in the 1980s. The experience was night and day. Egypt destroyed itself after their attitude change towards Israel specifically because it became an anti-people government at that moment. They have had 3 revolutions, 1 coup d'état, and 1 presidential assassination since then because their people loathe their government. Theyve been in a constant back and forth "cold Civil war" with themselves since the 80s. They also do this to their own people, but tourists are suspected of inciting people to do this, and also present a money making opportunity. Ergo this behavior. They want you to either pay up to line their pockets or fuck off and leave the country.
And nobody gives a fuck that tourism contributes to the country's wealth either, because they will *never* see a single red fucking cent of it go anywhere besides the change purse of some morally repugnant general, israel, or a politician. So they don't care, as long as, as I said, you pay up or fuck off. To the police seeking a bribe to the scam tourist trap operators, it's all the same as if nobody ever goes there again, and they're correct in that assumption
the proper language is "is there a fine? i don't know how this works. can i pay the fine right now? who do i pay the fine to?" have to say it like this because there are SOME blowhards who are actually just hassling you and not looking for a bribe, and if you don't do the song and dance, they will arrest you for attempted bribery too.
it sucks, but when you're in a third world shithole, it's risk you have to deal with. i've traveled all over the world. keep a fake wallet on you with a wad of small bills in the local currency that makes it look like a lot more money than it is whenever you take it out. also some expired credit/debit cards. if you get in a sticky situation, pull that out. it's basically insurance for robbery and dirty cops.
we were living in southeast asia and i got shaken down for $12. another one of the guys got stopped and he lied to the cop, saying he didn't have any money on him. the dirty cop literally drove him to an ATM to make him withdraw the daily max ($500 for that bank).
never been to third world shitholes like UK though. why the fuck would i want to go there?