Travel-junkie Boris raises an interesting question in his latest entry:

Is it alright as a traveler to pay for damage you did not cause, but were involved in, so that a local family in a third world country does not have an additional burden on their wallet?

Basically, what happened is that he got into an accident in Indonesia with a local who hit his bike from behind. The owner of the bike he rented gave him a quote for the cost of repairing his bike. Boris was told to shoulder the cost, since he could afford it, while the local’s family might not be able to (even if they were the one who hit him).

I honestly don’t know how to answer this one. It’s really annoying how people think that just because you travel, you are swimming in money. We work hard and save up to fund our trips. But on the other hand, it’s hard to turn your back on somebody who needs your help.

What would you advice Boris to do? What would YOU do?

Popularity: 9% [?]