[BlackFriar]

I got into a car wreck when I was 18 years old in East Saint Louis, Illinois. (In a rain storm.) I got hit by a guy in an old beat up van. He had no liscense. My car was totaled. Cops came...they knew the guy that hit me. I got the ticket for fault They put me in a cop car. Towed my car, I didn't even know who towed it. They took me to the police station. Guy with no liscense got to drive home. They called my parents to the police station. Chief of police said they were giving me a ticket for failure to reduce speed, to avoid an accident. But, if we gave them $2000, they would give it to the man that hit my car and drop my ticket. My car was totaled though and in some motherfucker's lot that the city used to tow away cars. I was a dumb 18 year old kid and did what the cops told me to do. They will scam the shit out of you.

Becareful when you get into these situations. They happen anywhere.

[Sandstorm]

I got nabbed in BKK back in 2014 for some dumb shit - they called some shady as fuck Swedish or Swiss (I can't remember) interpreter to come and translate... (man that guy was a fucking scumbag if ever there was one...)

Cost me a thousand USD to get out of that situation. So yeah...I read this and was like, $600 USD! Fuck that shit! But it's quite different when you are in the back of a Hilux, hands cuffed behind your back, in some Thai-only ghetto, with 4 men around you with faces like Soi dogs.

You are more than happy to oblige these fine gentlemen and be on your way.

[Hyyish]

(04-16-2017 12:44 PM)Sandstorm Wrote:  

I got nabbed in BKK back in 2014 for some dumb shit - they called some shady as fuck Swedish or Swiss (I can't remember) interpreter to come and translate... (man that guy was a fucking scumbag if ever there was one...)

Cost me a thousand USD to get out of that situation. So yeah...I read this and was like, $600 USD! Fuck that shit! But it's quite different when you are in the back of a Hilux, hands cuffed behind your back, in some Thai-only ghetto, with 4 men around you with faces like Soi dogs.

You are more than happy to oblige these fine gentlemen and be on your way.

That sounds scary as hell. If that happened to me I would probably cry like a little baby while yelling for my mom.

The guys that busted us was at least friendly, and never touched us in any way. After we gave the money they were even friendly.

[Hyyish]

(04-16-2017 09:53 AM)BlackFriar Wrote:  

I got into a car wreck when I was 18 years old in East Saint Louis, Illinois. (In a rain storm.) I got hit by a guy in an old beat up van. He had no liscense. My car was totaled. Cops came...they knew the guy that hit me. I got the ticket for fault They put me in a cop car. Towed my car, I didn't even know who towed it. They took me to the police station. Guy with no liscense got to drive home. They called my parents to the police station. Chief of police said they were giving me a ticket for failure to reduce speed, to avoid an accident. But, if we gave them $2000, they would give it to the man that hit my car and drop my ticket. My car was totaled though and in some motherfucker's lot that the city used to tow away cars. I was a dumb 18 year old kid and did what the cops told me to do. They will scam the shit out of you.

Becareful when you get into these situations. They happen anywhere.

Corruption like that in the US? Didn't know that was possible!

[tegabanega]

i would have negotiated the fine down to 50 dollars.. if they insist on 600 dollars i would rather they just put a bullet in me.. im not paying that shit..

[natas305]

What would have been the worst that could have happened if you told the dudes to go fuck themselves and that you weren't going anywhere with them? Especially since they were just regular dudes. You didn't ask to see anything to prove they were cops?

And what would have been the worst that would have happened if you just stayed at your hostel and didn't go back out with your passports? Could have told the people at the hostel and told them to call the cops because these guys were kidnapping you or some shit. Or you could have just bolted out of there.

It's a pretty interesting story, but no way would I have been so complicit with whatever these dudes were telling me. Especially giving them my passport. I'm not one to cause trouble in other countries, but this whole thing still seems like these dudes conned you pretty good, especially for $600. That's clearly a crazy amount over there. At the very least I would have stopped after the first or second ATM withdrawal and told them that's all you could get in one day.

[Stroked351w]

Well it looks like I have something new to add to my bucket list. . .

[Cheetah]

(04-16-2017 12:44 PM)Sandstorm Wrote:  

I got nabbed in BKK back in 2014 for some dumb shit - they called some shady as fuck Swedish or Swiss (I can't remember) interpreter to come and translate... (man that guy was a fucking scumbag if ever there was one...)

Cost me a thousand USD to get out of that situation. So yeah...I read this and was like, $600 USD! Fuck that shit! But it's quite different when you are in the back of a Hilux, hands cuffed behind your back, in some Thai-only ghetto, with 4 men around you with faces like Soi dogs.

You are more than happy to oblige these fine gentlemen and be on your way.

What did you do that made you a thousand dollars less rich?

[Papi Rico]

(04-16-2017 02:17 PM)tegabanega Wrote:  

i would have negotiated the fine down to 50 dollars.. if they insist on 600 dollars i would rather they just put a bullet in me.. im not paying that shit..

R.I.P. indeed, tegabanega

[LionOfCA]

If you knew they were bullshitting you why did you pay? Are you a small guy or something? As soon as I found out these little bastards were trying to hustle me I would of went nuclear on them.

Lesson learned: If they aren't wearing badges or have a uniform on, don't comply.

[thebassist]

This thread really brings out a lot of keyboard alphas, it's quite amusing to observe.

[LionOfCA]

(04-18-2017 06:32 AM)thebassist Wrote:  

This thread really brings out a lot of keyboard alphas, it's quite amusing to observe.

Nice passive-aggressive statement. You probably would've paid knowing it was a scam too.

[thebassist]

Best case scenario for the internet alpha approach as a foreigner in SEA: you save a couple hundred dollars (a drop in the barrel in the bigger scheme of things), and you get to brag about how much of an alpha you are every time you tell the story.

Worst case outcome to the internet alpha approach: you anger the wrong people, make them lose face in front of their peers and wind up dead somewhere deep in the jungle in a foreign country- just another foreigner who just disappeared while travelling (happens quite often in neighbouring Thailand).

As a general rule in a foreign country it's best to play it safe. I agree with some of the previous posters that it may have been possible to negotiate a lower bribe, but the the balance of potential upsides to potential downsides for the 'going nuclear' option seems pretty bad.

[LionOfCA]

(04-18-2017 07:23 AM)thebassist Wrote:  

Best case scenario for the internet alpha approach as a foreigner in SEA: you save a couple hundred dollars (a drop in the barrel in the bigger scheme of things), and you get to brag about how much of an alpha you are every time you tell the story.

Worst case outcome to the internet alpha approach: you anger the wrong people, make them lose face in front of their peers and wind up dead somewhere deep in the jungle in a foreign country- just another foreigner who just disappeared while travelling (happens quite often in neighbouring Thailand).

As a general rule in a foreign country it's best to play it safe. I agree with some of the previous posters that it may have been possible to negotiate a lower bribe, but the the balance of potential upsides to potential downsides for the 'going nuclear' option seems pretty bad.

Thanks for explaining why you're a pussy and would've paid the ransom. I still would've gone nuclear.