This was never the way I planned
Not my intention
I got so brave, pedal on the floor
Lost my discretion
It's not what, I'm used to
Just wanna try this bimmer
I'm curious how you
Caught me speedin'
I paid a bribe and I liked it
The price of a new macbook
I paid a bribe just to try it
I hope my lawyer don't mind it
It felt so wrong
It felt so right
Don't mean I'm in jail tonight
I paid a bribe and I liked it
I liked it
No, I don't even know your rank
It doesn't matter
You're a corrupt cop
Just human nature,
It's not what,
Good cops do
Not how they should behave
My head gets so confused
Hard to obey
Us yuppies we are so loaded
Soft money, red bimmer, so predictable
Hard to resist, so profitable
Too good to deny it
Ain't no big deal, it's innocentI Paid a Bribe
21–30 of 109 posts
Re: I Paid a Bribe
#22Earlier quoted context omitted.
Sorry, instead of it being a site where your wealthy greedy self could gain a meaningless personal advantage over others it is a site that is trying to make the world a better place for everybody. I know it is useless for "everyday folks" from your class, we'll try harder next time.
Tipping low-wage customer service workers for unadvertised services and favours is now some sort of evil "class" issue that indicates greed and corruption? Do you get mad when other diners at your favourite restaurant tip better than you and get friendlier service for their trouble? Give me a break.
I have to agree with guelo. The services you describe are unadvertised for a reason. You're effectively asking someone from a lower class to possibly break the law (by getting paid under the table, and presumably not reporting the additional income) and possibly get into trouble with their employer because they want your extra money. If that's not a class issue, what is?
Re: I Paid a Bribe
#23I still really like the idea of the zero-Rupee notes circulating in India, created specifically to present to government officials asking for bribes. Apparently, in many cases the official is so shamed on being handed the nil bill that the bribe is effectively paid. http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1353796
Are they really shamed? I would like to believe this is true but I have trouble coming to terms with the idea that people taking bribes have any shame at all. Unrelated, The 5th Pillar (the organization that came up with the zero-rupee note) seems to have an office building very close to mine. I've seen the bill pasted on the back of cars and can see their wifi network from where I am.
[deleted]
Re: I Paid a Bribe
#24This is an interesting idea, but it needs some cachet to catch on. Don't get me wrong: India _needs_ this site, and needs it badly. Corruption and graft have become so bad that everyone from the top-most office down to the lowest level refuses to even lift a finger without getting his palm greased. Things have become so bad that officials are willing to cause a loss of billions of dollars to the taxpayer just to make…
[deleted]
Re: I Paid a Bribe
#25Darn, this seems like a site meant to uncover and curb corruption. I was hoping it was a site where everyday folks share their stories about when it helps to give a nice tip or innocently grease a few palms. Well known cases would be the "$20 trick" you give to the hotel clerk to get a free room upgrade. Once during an airport emergency, I gave two $10 bills to the bellhop to cut the long line at my hotel taxi stand…
It might be regarded as ill-mannered to hijack a thread about a serious subject that affects the lives billions with your thoughts on a subject that mildly inconveniences the relatively well-off..?
Re: I Paid a Bribe
#26Though it is a good initiative, it is not effective yet. In the site the stories are not associated with the name and also there are no proofs. So in a way all the reports are toned down to just say that I had to pay a bribe but not who is taking the bribe. If it has that detail, then that official will be shamed and there is a possibility that corruption can be reduced faster.
But the site's aim is to gauge the amount of corruption and try for systemic changes to eliminate it - I would take even that compared to nothing. So all the best ipaidabribe
Re: I Paid a Bribe
#27Earlier quoted context omitted.
Sorry, instead of it being a site where your wealthy greedy self could gain a meaningless personal advantage over others it is a site that is trying to make the world a better place for everybody. I know it is useless for "everyday folks" from your class, we'll try harder next time.
Tipping low-wage customer service workers for unadvertised services and favours is now some sort of evil "class" issue that indicates greed and corruption? Do you get mad when other diners at your favourite restaurant tip better than you and get friendlier service for their trouble? Give me a break.
I will break your legs next time I see you yuppie scumbag!
Re: I Paid a Bribe
#28Earlier quoted context omitted.
Sorry, instead of it being a site where your wealthy greedy self could gain a meaningless personal advantage over others it is a site that is trying to make the world a better place for everybody. I know it is useless for "everyday folks" from your class, we'll try harder next time.
Tipping low-wage customer service workers for unadvertised services and favours is now some sort of evil "class" issue that indicates greed and corruption? Do you get mad when other diners at your favourite restaurant tip better than you and get friendlier service for their trouble? Give me a break.
How can buying favours be anything other than a class issue?
Re: I Paid a Bribe
#29Earlier quoted context omitted.
I believe if there is a public uprising against the government and the authorities, they will be forced to answer these issues. Wikileaks faclites this by publishing the documents through all types of medium which cannot be censored by the government. As a citizen you can also contribute by spreading it more and more.. My best bet would be to spread it in schools and colleges as they seem to be fearless lot. An upris…
I'm Romanian. We're not as bad as Mexic, in the sense we don't have drug lords and piles of bodies, but we definitely don't lose in corruption. I've spent not a little time thinking about what can be done. I know the problem (pretty much everybody knows the problem) - politicians suck. They're either corrupt and incompetent, or just corrupt. Problem is, we really really don't have any alternatives. There is absolutel…
In India for example, I think everyone pays a bribe to get a passport. If we don't, then passport will be stuck somewhere for months and months without coming out. Even for knowing why it is not getting processed, you have to pay bribe. So finally, everyone has stopped questioning and started giving money to agents to get the things done.
The problem is no one is responsible if the citizen is not getting the promised services. We cannot see the status about why it is pending online, we don't know whom to contact online, no helpdesks. You just have to go to the office and wait and wait for turn only to be turned away without even getting a chance to speak.
If one person is made responsible for citizen satisfaction for services and he is like the manager in the office whose compensation is dependent on the rating the citizen gives for the services, then I think this will change.
How to make government officials answerable to the people? This is difficult, because a government is voted for a period of 5 yrs into power and they have 5 yrs to loot without doing anything and then bribe their way into power again. If this vicious cycle can be broken by clear communication about the government performance, so clear that people can't ignore, then they may vote for another government which is not much better than this. But by consistently projecting these metrics about corruption and government performance, we might give a chance for some party to fight on the plank of eliminating corruption.
Long answer.. hopefully there is some juice in it.
Re: I Paid a Bribe
#30Darn, this seems like a site meant to uncover and curb corruption. I was hoping it was a site where everyday folks share their stories about when it helps to give a nice tip or innocently grease a few palms. Well known cases would be the "$20 trick" you give to the hotel clerk to get a free room upgrade. Once during an airport emergency, I gave two $10 bills to the bellhop to cut the long line at my hotel taxi stand…
Sorry, instead of it being a site where your wealthy greedy self could gain a meaningless personal advantage over others it is a site that is trying to make the world a better place for everybody. I know it is useless for "everyday folks" from your class, we'll try harder next time.
Five minutes ago I was looking for a donation link on your site, but I completely lost interest after reading this post. The person you replied to grew up in a lifestyle and culture different than you. This doesn't mean that he's greedy or that his motivations are meaningless. You seem like you've got a huge chip on your shoulder and that's not going to help you in the long run. Why would people be interested in engaging someone who spits venom after a fairly innocuous comment?