I leaned on the seat in front of me and it collapsed.  Not a good sign.  The cockpit door was open.  The pilot and co-pilot both looked extremely relaxed, leaning back in their seats and reading newspapers.  My fellow passengers were literally carrying everything - TVs, music players, in fact everything except the kitchen sink.

    I was on a flight from Libreville (in Gabon) to Kinshasa (then the capital of Zaire).  At Kinshasa I had to change plans but had an 18-hour wait for my next flight.  Rather than spend my time sitting in the airport I decided I would head into the centre of Kinshasa.

    I had done my homework.  A friend of mine had had to transit there a few weeks previously and had told me what to expect.  At that time entering and leaving this capital city's airport could prove expensive if you didn't know exactly who's "palms to grease".   I was told it was likely to cost about $50 in bribes if I was lucky, but to budget on a little more just in case the "officials" were feeling a little greedy that day.

    However, my budget was extremely tight.  I was going to spend a few weeks travelling so wanted to stretch my money as far as I could and certainly not waste it on bribes.  Though the convention was "giving" US dollars to officials made getting in and out of the airport a great deal easier.  My goal was to get through without paying.

    The plane I was on had seen better days working with other airlines in Europe.  All the signs on board were those of an airline I knew had gone bust a few years previously.  It made an extremely bumpy landing.

    As I looked out to the left, as we taxied along the runway, I saw a row of old Dakota aircraft with whatever the tropical equivalent of ivy is growing all over them. 

    I walked down the aircraft steps and was looking forward to the challenge I had set myself of paying no bribes entering (and leaving) the country.

       The easiest thing to do in these places is not to have any expectations that procedures will work smoothly because they have their own special way of working.  There is no seeming logic to their questions.  Most of all it's best to relax and definitely don't feel a need to rush as people seem to do when they walk briskly through airports in Europe. 

    I was approached by a few men in what appeared to be official uniforms telling me they would see me through the formalities.  But their sign language of pointing to their wallets indicated to me their help would cost me so I pretended I didn't understand them and carried on waiting.

    The man who checked my passport told me with a grin on his face that my visa wasn't valid.  He called one of his friends over to confirm his assumption.  I knew it was their ploy to get a few dollars and that they had been through this routine a thousand times before with foreign travellers.  I joined in with their playful banter as it became like a comedy sketch on TV with them saying "Oh no your visa isn't valid" and me replying "Oh yes it is". 

    After about 10 minutes of this I was saved by another plane load of travellers arriving.  They knew their might be easier travellers to "mug" in the group descending on the arrivals area so they told me they would make me an exception and allow me in. 

    My conversation with the customs officials was very similar to the one I had with the men at immigration.  However, I stood my ground and the frustrated officials eventually allowed me through.  From touching down to leaving getting through immigration and customs took surprisingly only about 3 hours and cost me nothing.  I was very proud of this achievement.

    When I entered the airport to leave the country luck didn't seem to be on my side.  I was on the only flight out the country that afternoon and seemed to be the only non-local catching the plane.  The officials would have a lot of time to focus their attention on me.

    I thought quickly how I might be able to change the rules of this negotiation I would have to go through to exit the country.  Rather than give the hard currency was there anything else I could give them instead?  The only other items I could barter with were four apples, hardly I thought as attractive as US dollars.

    After I got my boarding pass I joined the queue to have my passport checked.  It was clear this official had all the time in the world.  Again he told me that my visa wasn't valid and I would have to be fined for entering the country with an invalid visa.  The "fine" would no doubt go straight into his pocket.  He wasn't going to budge from his position. 

    We both knew the game he was playing.

    I put the bag I was carrying as hand luggage onto his desk.  Unzipped it and pointed to one of the apples.  Amazingly his face lit up.  His big hand snatched the apple and I was told all my paperwork was now in order and I could proceed.

    I walked to the security men checking bags.  Again they told me my visa wasn't  valid.  I told them it was and that I thought they only had to check bags.  However as there were five of them and they looked as they might enjoy a bit of "traveller baiting" I unzipped my bag and pointed to two apples.  These apples quickly disappeared and I was allowed to proceed.

    To my surprise apples, a rare commodity in that part of the world, proved to be as valuable a dollars.  I had changed the rules.  I had achieved my goal of paying no bribes entering (and leaving) the country.

****

Take a different approach - Never accept there is only one way to complete a task.  If you take the usual approach you will achieve the usual results.  If you explore new ways you can achieve superior results.  In everything you do, think, how can I do this differently, how can I do this better.