On the way to Robertsport we were stopped at an immigration checkpoint. The officer at the gate said to me, ‘Please sir, can we know you?’ Of course, i said, showing my passport. Could you please come to sign in? I left the cruiser and a man behind a desk wrote my passport details in a large ledger. They were very polite and friendly. The woman officer from the gate then said the Commandant would like to meet me. Another office and a uniformed man greeted me warmly, the inevitable ‘You are welcome’, and chatted about australia, why was I here, you are a fine man and you are welcome. Karrus and Snyder drifted in.
I know about checkpoints where there is some problem and you need to pay a bribe.This however was the opposite. I didnt get the protocol and I sort of said thanks, shook hands and walked out. They had been hoping that I would offer them something, but they wouldnt ask. One of the guys stayed behind and gave them a dollar, saying they were SO happy and grateful. That made me feel sorry for them, an unusual way to feel about people at checkpoints wanting money. But the fact that they werent going to ask, and a dollar between 5 people made them really happy and grateful, put a spin on it. I would arc up if I was under pressure for a bribe. But I did feel sorry for these guys who probably get paid 50/month each to man a gate all day, out in the sticks, and just hope passing westerners will offer a dollar. The number of passing private citizens like me going that way would be a couple a week I am guessing, as opposed to the streams of UN and major NGO vehicles. The unnamed Liberian who gave them the money felt no pressure and liked talking to them. He also said he felt a bit sorry for them. I still have mixed thoughts about where corruption starts, and the thin edge of the wedge; after all it was still a government immigration checkpoint. It was just the way they didnt ask for anything and just looked hopeful, you had to be there.