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The outcome would be worse if you were Russian or Kyrgyz or Uzbek or Tajik or of whatever 3rd world origin and knew Russian/Kazakh. My father used to buy cars in Europe to sell them in Kyrgyzstan and he says that there is no other country as corrupt as Kazakhstan. Example: On the last checkpoint on the road to Kyrgyzstan cops wanted him to give a bribe. He was out of money (he ran out of them giving them to Kazakh policemen all the road down from Russian border), and the cop asked my dad to give him a first-aid box as a bribe (!). That desperate. Why they wanted bribe? Just because. Even if you don't break rules, they'll rob you. Because you are not Kazakh (and not from a Western country).

Update: To be fair, I'll add that some cops in Kyrgyzstan like that kind of easy money -- they could harass you until you give them some money. But don't bribe them. It is best to play a total idiot like "you me, me you, me friend to you, you friend to me, yes, I like your country, nature mountains ... " etc. Don't forget to smile :)




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