So in short, the sound the vuvuzela makes is not annoying, loud or distracting, but instead, it’s the sound of a nation coming together, against all odds to show the world they can do it. They are South Africa and they are ready.

So what do you think? Should the vuvuzela be played at the 2010 FIFA World Cup Soccer Matches? Take this poll and share your feedback by commenting.

And if you’re interested in reading more about the vuvuzela, you can check out an earlier post I wrote on “How to Play a Vuvuzela“.

Thanks for supporting South Africa. I’ll be posting stories from the African Continent all month. Become a fan on Facebook to learn more about travel to the most beautiful place on Earth.

I’ll see you out there…! Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Other parts of Africa are notorious for Police and other Government Officials accepting bribes, but I forget that sometimes South Africa, for all it’s first-world advances, is just as susceptible. Take for instance what happened to us last week.

Our driver was driving us home from work and going about 120 km/hr on the highway. I believe the speed limit was 120 km/hr, but I can’t be entirely sure. I wasn’t paying that close of attention. Off in the distance was a speed trap.

What is a South African Speed Trap?

Speeders are approached differently in South Africa than in the United States. There’s usually a collection of officers on the side of the road. One of them manages the radar gun and camera while the other officers (often 2-3) run out into the road to flag down the offender to pull over. There’s no chase down the highway. No lump in your throat as you wonder if those flashing lights behind you are for you or the Maserati in front of you. You know immediately that the police are targeting you.

Our driver was asked to join the officer at his car on the side of the road. He was told that he was going 120 in a 60 zone. (Whether or not this is true I can’t say for sure.) How much was the speeding ticket? The fine for this offense was ZAR 1,005.00 (about $137.67). The officer told my driver that he could give him the speeding ticket or he (our driver), could “make a plan”.

Make a Plan

“Make a plan” is a South African expression that means “to figure something out”. It’s used all the time. So my driver ran back to the car, grabbed some cash, stuffed it in his identity card holder and returned to the officer. In the blink of an eye he returned with no ticket and was only ZAR 30.00 poorer (about $4.11).

That’s right, he got himself out of paying a $137 ticket by paying the officer $4.00!!! Part of me wants to bring this custom back to the United States, but I quickly wake up from the dream and remember how bad bribery is.

This story isn’t unique. I’ve been asked to bribe the traffic police before in South Africa. A few years back my driver was pulled over for speeding and the officer flat out asked for money. When my driver had none (and asked me if I had any – which I didn’t), the officer merely said in a joking matter that he was kidding and only wanted to get some “Cold Drinks” (a South African term for soda, beer, juice, etc.), and wasn’t asking for a bribe. My driver was let go.

Bribery is Illegal

Bribery is illegal. It’s as simple as that. You can’t offer a bribe, and you can’t accept a bribe. How can you have an effective police force if they can be bribed?

So why does bribery happen? For the same reason many people would think, the police see themselves as underpaid and it’s tough to get caught. Wouldn’t you rather pay $4 instead of $137?

So to be clear, adventureswithben.com doesn’t condone bribery, and doesn’t bribe – and I don’t take any responsibility if you bribe a government official. Today’s story was simply to point out the realities of a recent experience in South Africa.

…But Would You Offer a Bribe?

But still, I’d like to know…would you accept the $137.00 ticket and take the moral road, or would you save yourself $133.00 and bribe the officer with 4 bucks? Share by commenting below.

And if you become a fan of mine on Facebook I’ll give you $4.00. Click here to do it. (Okay I won’t really give you $4.00. Bribery is wrong, remember?)

I’ll see you out there…!

Today’s post was another avenue to involve our readers in our travels to Thailand. The goal was to show them what they wanted to see. With the hectic schedule we had, we weren’t able to create a singular post that answered our readers comments – but we did try to incorporate them into other posts.

This was a big experiment that worked to some extent. But that was the point. To use this platform to try new things. Blogging is fantastic!

Anyway, I’m still out of the country. If you’d like to stay up-to-date on my adventures in South Africa, follow me on Facebook here.

*****

Hey Explorers,

Before we elaborate on today’s post, watch this YouTube video for the details…

Simple enough right? Any questions?

International travel is wonderful because there are so many great sights to explore. But sometimes the little things are just as magical. A colleague of mine, whenever she travels, likes to discover the different flavors of Potato Chips (Crisps) found in the grocery store. Some like to eat new pizza toppings, while others like myself (as you saw in the video*) find the ordinary to be interesting. So what do you want to see?

While we are actually going to Pattaya, we haven’t forgotten that you voted to send us there. We want to bring you as close to the excitement as possible. So as you heard in the video, tell us what you want to uncover. We’ll debunk myths, seek out the weird and wonderful and investigate the secrets underneath. Some thought starters might be…

• I’ve always wondered…
• Is it true that…
• I once heard…
• Show me what…
• Or create your own…

You can ask your questions up until the last day we are in Pattaya (December 15th). Submit those questions by commenting below or send them to us via Twitter and add #benbrian to your tweet. We are curious as to what you’re curious about!

Voting starts December 1st. More on that tomorrow.

We’ll see you out there!

*Update 30/11/09 – while I wasn’t clear in the video, I stated my interest in seeing the toilet water swirl in the opposite direction – but after countless trips to toilet stalls the country-over it doesn’t always. Thank you to a reader for sending a note clarifying that point. And that’s the kind of stuff we’d be interested in discovering in Thailand for you!

What’s a Vuvuzela?

It’s a horn that’s played at Football (Soccer) matches in South Africa. I bought one today and have been puckering up all day long. Take a look in this YouTube video.

Bringing Controversy to the 2010 World Cup

As I was researching more about the Vuvuzela I discovered it’s divided some soccer fans. Those pro-Vuvuzela credit it’s African roots and widespread acceptance at football games. Those on the other team contest that they are distracting, loud, annoying and do nothing to add to the game. Representatives from FIFA wanted to ban them from the World Cup Competition, but ultimately gave in to the growing public pressure to add African character to the 2010 games. As of this writing, the Vuvuzela will be allowed in the stadiums.

***Since I first published this post, the vuvuzela has been widely criticized for being a distraction during the soccer games. Read why I support the vuvuzela here!***

A Great Gift Idea

As I think more about the Vuvuzela, it’s actually a great gift idea for anyone traveling to South Africa. They are cheap, about 35 Rand (less than $5.00) and very South African. I might go and buy some more for people back home. Want one?

So What Team Are You On?

Are you a fan of the spirited noisemaker…or would you prefer that they be silenced? Share your thoughts by commenting below…And take our poll below.

For more adventures while I’m in South Africa, join me on Facebook.

I’ll see you out there…!

I’ve never been in a parking garage that has a bathroom. But that’s not what this sign means. Allow me to translate for you… “Don’t pee in this garage!”

WHAT?

Why would you need a sign for this?

The City of New Orleans has a very liberal open container law. And when ya drink a lot, ya gotta pee a lot. Yet despite the tolerance towards drinking, there is little tolerance toward public urination – and with good reason I might add. Many merchants post signs that say restrooms are for customer only. Or even worse, there are no public restrooms at all. So what’s a person who’s doing the tinkle dance to do? Enter the parking garage…

Now why would anyone want to pee in a garage? Remember the Seinfeld Episode “The Parking Garage”?  For the average drunk, I could imagine parking garages are attractive. There are plenty of dark corners, they are semi-private and lots of hiding spaces can be found behind cars. Plus, in an inebriated state, you’re not always thinking with the best of intentions.

But it’s not a good idea. The local police have a zero-tolerance to peeing anywhere but in a proper bowl. So save yourself a night in jail and don’t pee in this garage (or anywhere else for that matter). Buy a pack of gum at the convenience store and use their toilets instead.

Know of any free public restrooms in New Orleans? Leave your comment below.

Don’t forget to join the adventureswithben.com facebook fan page here.

(And for all you frequent readers, there are no more upcoming posts about peeing. Sorry for the coincidence )