- Bribe Fighter
- 13 years ago
- 1693 views
Patronage is as bad as a bribe
More than six months after applying for a routine passport renewal, I had not received my new passport. There was no way to find out when to expect it; whether it had been lost, whether it would come soon, or whether it would take another six months. Even trips out of town were rendered stressful by the uncertainty (would my passport arrive when I was away? How would I get it if it was returned to the passport office? none of this information is readily available).
A colleague of mine at works was able to use a "contact" he had at the passport office on my behalf, and I got the passport immediately after this contact intervened.
Making use of this kind of patronage, however, is as corrupt as bribery.