Imad Shihab knows the perils very well. He says: ‘I think that many of the victims of fake checkpoints and random arrests did not do their homework well enough. I did some strange things that people thought were funny, but they saved my life. Like having a Shia friend pretending to be a member of a fake checkpoint and asking me questions. These exercises were very helpful for me as a Sunni. A lot of victims would not have been killed if they had done the same.’
Of course there are other, more unorthodox, ways to get around checkpoints, as Nick Toksvig recalls: ‘After a bomb explosion in India an enterprising cameraman hired a fire engine to take him to the scene that had been cordoned off.’
/SIGNS
Aid workers don’t have body armour. The logo on our T-shirt is our protection, but can become a target too.
Take advice locally on what type of identification to put on your car. I have been in the middle of many riots where press and tourists were supposed to be able to travel freely, but that isn’t always the sentiment on the ground. Even the authorities may not be on message. Don’t expect legal protection where the law is under pressure from a popular movement or challenged by a resistance movement.
Nick Toksvig told me: ‘Spelling out “TV” or “Press” in gaffer tape on your vehicle used to work, but now many refugees fleeing battle zones do the same, as do local militias. Think about where you are before you attempt this type of vehicle identification. It can be meaningless.’
/TRAINS AND BUSES
The road from Baghdad to Basra was notoriously dangerous after the US-led invasion of Iraq. There were frequent shootings, car-jackings and kidnappings. Fake checkpoints were set up along the route, and there was no way to get around them. If someone saw you in a car, they would call ahead for their friends to stop your car and target you. The road took six hours to drive very, very fast. The trip cost $6. I was being paid $10 day, so I thought I would try the train at just 50 cents.
The railway station in Baghdad was heaving with people – families getting ready for the long ride. The train left almost on time and off we went. We were told it would take six hours – in fact it took 16. There were no windows, and the train frequently stopped for hours at a time in the middle of nowhere or, even worse, in the middle of towns where people could look in and see my blonde hair. It was scary, but it felt like I was travelling under the radar. My friend Sebastian and I became mini-celebrities on the train, not exactly what we were aiming for. The journey ground on, and we ran out of water in the 50°C heat, so we were grateful for the hot, sandy wind rushing past our faces like the ultimate exfoliator. We had time to make friends with a family who went on to have me to stay with them for the next two months.
All along the way people slipped coffins onto the train, sitting on them to eat their sandwiches. And at the city of Najaf they jumped off, wailing with grief as they took their family member to the holiest Shia burial site.
Goats were lifted onto the train by boy herders, who stepped off with them an hour later, apparently aiming for a distant flapping tent in the desert.
We passed through the soggy marshlands and, at last, chugged slowly into Basra – safe and with enough change from our ticket to buy dinner for a week.
The problem with trains and buses is that the situation is beyond your control. If there are criminals on board, you will be their target. On the other hand, they won’t be expecting you to use the train or bus, so maybe they won’t be looking. However, take the following precautions:
• Lock your compartment if you can. I have used a luggage strap to fasten it in the past.
• Sleep in shifts if you are with others. Stay awake if you are alone.
• If you have to sleep, tie yourself to your valuables and sleep on top of your luggage.
• Try to travel during the day rather than at night.
James Brandon remembers a difficult journey: ‘Once I had to travel from Baghdad to Iraqi Kurdistan during a time of particularly bad unrest in Iraq. The 100-odd miles of road passed through several Sunni districts that were heavily infested with Al Qaeda and Baathist fighters. Despite this, I decided that the safest way to travel was by public bus. After all, I reasoned, a taxi or a private car was no safer, and might even be less so. No self-respecting bandits would bother with robbing a bus – they would assume that the passengers were too poor to make it worthwhile. Sunni fighters or Al Qaeda operatives looking for new hostages, meanwhile, would never expect a Westerner to travel through Iraq by bus. There was one problem, however: how could I carry my clothes, camera and notebook without attracting attention? Eventually I hit on the solution. I packed my stuff into cheap plastic grocery bags and headed to the bus depot. Once I got there, nobody looked at me twice. To the casual onlooker, I was just another down-on-his-luck Iraqi guy, his worldly possessions crammed into a couple of grimy plastic bags, saving a few precious dinar by taking the bus. As a result, the journey up to Kurdistan was entirely uneventful – and cheap! When it comes to blending in, you can never blend in too much.’
/TAXIS
When taking a taxi, sit in the back. That way you can sort your money out in secret. Never flash your cash, and try to keep controversial chat to a minimum. Remember, the driver knows where you live.
If you want to keep your address a secret, get the driver to stop at a hotel or restaurant nearby, wait until he’s gone, then walk the rest of the way.
/BRIBERY
I am sure that being able to bribe people is a skill you are born with – or not, in my case. There are six-year-olds who are better than me at bribing officials to get what they want. I know how to flirt my way into most things, including trouble. But that is not always the most sensible option. In many, if not most, developing countries bribes oil the wheels. And knowing when you need to pay baksheesh, as it is called in Arabic-speaking countries, who to pay and how to do it effectively is something learnt over time. I can but imitate the masters who are born with a fully developed bribery muscle.
Marc DuBois, who works for Médecins Sans Frontières, says: ‘MSF doesn’t use bribery, but in my earlier travels I sometimes found small gifts useful. However, you need to be subtle and approach with caution. Maybe suggesting a brand new pair of sports socks are “difficult to fit into your bag” as a security guard goes through your luggage. It’s understood what the bargain is, but isn’t clearly stated.
‘Don’t embarrass people by trying to bribe them openly – it can backfire. They can pretend to be highly upset, charging you with the crime of bribery in order to jack up the amount. On one occasion, when I was working with the Peace Corps, I had a visa or permit that wasn’t quite right. I was prepared with a $20 bill neatly folded in my pocket. I slipped it into the right page and asked the guard to check my permit again to see if it was in order.’
Samantha Bolton has some other tips: ‘When it comes to getting that last seat on a plane, girls should wear a short skirt or deep v-neck – if dealing with disciplined soldiers. Be friendly, polite and respectful with others. Offering corporate gifts, pens or trinkets also helps. This last one is more for getting through roadblocks. Medicine too is always in demand – antibiotics, antiseptic, painkillers. And, of course, cigarettes.’