Corruption in Panama

It seems corrupt cops come as a standard part of the adventure when
traveling to Central America.

Tonight my dad and I were stopped by a freightening duo of Panamanian
National Police officers decked out in bullet proof gear and carrying
large shot guns, standing next to a police motorcycle.

We were walking in the Amador Causeway area, near the Country Inn and
Suites and the local TGI Fridays, in case you are familiar with the
area.

The officers asked for identification, passports to be exact. The
leader of the two explained that there is a law in Panama for everyone
to be able to identify him/herself. I did have my driver license, but
that wasn't enough.

"You might be illegals," the officer said. We will have to take you to
the police station where you can pay a fine. I offered to pay a fine,
but he drifted from the fine to letting us go, as long as we gave him
some beer money.

We offered to take him out for a beer right then and there, but he
said he couldn't. After what seemed an eternity of discussing Panama,
the city and world travel he seemed to give up.

Ultimately a Panamanian girl showed up and we found a taxi to take us
away and back to a hotel.

The Panamanian girl, by the way, was never asked for her ID.

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