Bribing the police

The police were out in force this past Water Festival due, I imagine to the additional 4 million people that came to Phnom Penh. And some people were unlucky enough to be caught breaking the traffic law in bright daylight on Monivong Boulevard. My friend Z was one such unlucky person.

Z was zooming up Monivong to get supplies from Bayon supermarket. The plan was to hunker down in her place and avoid leaving the house and escape the crowds. The previous year a friend of hers had suffered sexual harassment and Z just didn't want to have to deal with the festival.

The lights were green to turn left but Z continued straight, as did many Khmers. However, she had not taken the watchful eye of the police into account. Busted she was. She wasn't too worried as she actually has a Cambodian driver's licence.

Police: Hello my friend
Z: Hello Mr Police man
Police: Where you come from?
Z: I come from X
Police: How long you in Kampuchea?
Z: Two years
Police: You speak Cambodia
Z: Tic tic
Police: You pay fine now.

Z was lucky that the policeman spoke English but was now in a bit of a dilemma. The standard bribe is $1 per cop and there were only two cops and they were asking for $5. Eventually she haggled and negotiated the bribe to $2 and everyone was happy. Well Z thought she was happy until she opened her wallet and only found a $5 note. Foiled! She ended up giving them the $5 and resuming her course to Bayon, cursing all the way for not having the foresight to expect police on the roads for Water Fest.

Well at least she went through a rite of passage for foreigners in Phnom Penh. At some point most end up bribing the police!