TBD

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Dorothy, you are not in Kansas any more

A recent incident is in the news about a former US military man who took a hunting rifle into Mexico and was immediately arrested with the authorities claiming it was oversize.  According to the story, the rifle was checked by US authorities as being allowable under Mexican law but he was arrested anyway and has spent a couple of months in a Mexican jail.   I would imagine they are waiting on a sizable bribe to make the release.  This is a typical situation in some countries, Mexico often included, that is caused by the naivety of some US travelers.  You are not in America any more.  And even in America injustices happen, as I can attest when I was stopped by a police car on a back road in Georgia some years ago and the only way out was to donate a couple of hundred dollars to the local sheriff. 

But in America we do operate on the basis that all accused people are considered innocent until proven guilty.  Many countries operate on the opposite supposition, you are guilty and must prove yourself innocent or the trial is only to mitigate your punishment.

I have traveled extensively, on all seven continents and to 60 foreign countries or territories.  Some have justice systems much like America and you will be treated courteously by the police and other authorities.  In other countries you can be a victim of injustice in a heartbeat if you are not careful. 

I motored across Russia on a tour about 15 years ago.  To say the least, the country had not quite recovered from the cultural revolution and was still quite hostile.  Our tour bus was stopped by a local policemen, who boarded the bus and confiscated all the passports.  Meanwhile, our tour guide, a lovely lass name Natasha and a Russian native, got into a heated conversation with one officer, the results being that the passports were returned in about a half-hour and we were on our way.  The guide explained.  "Some of the towns in this part of Russia are very poor.  So they take this opportunity to stop tour buses and bribe them.  I gave him one hundred US dollars."  At that time the Russian currency was pegged to the dollar and most Russians wanted dollars over rubles.  

But in every foreign land my advice is:

--Never get drunk or even have too much to drink in public, as you are much more vulnerable.

--Need I say,  be careful of the ladies of the night.  (Men of the night?)

--Don't wear conspicuous clothing. Women need to be especially sensitive in some cultures.

--Leave valuables in your room safe but carry your passport at all times. 

--If possible, learn some fundamentals of the language.

--Don't take rides from unmarked cars that pose as taxis.

--If you break a law, offer a bribe -- that works in Mexico, as we were instructed to offer police cash with our license if we were stopped. 

--Stay with a crowd, avoid walking down dark alleys or places where poor people are around.

--Be prepared to have the name of you tour director and hotel written in the local language.

--Do not carry a gun.  There is no Second Amendment over the border. 

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