I've had to pay a bribe in Southeast Asia but the officers were friendly and nice about it and it's expected. Likewise, I lived for 4 years in China and needed

I've had to pay a bribe in Southeast Asia but the officers were friendly and nice about it and it's expected. Likewise, I lived for 4 years in China and needed to register at the police station whenever I came back in the country but it's easy and it's not a huge issue. I know what to expect in those countries and I know that there won't be any issues so long as follow the official or unofficial (in the case of southeast China) rules. In the US, I don't like the arbitrariness of the border agents , I'm never sure if I might have an issue or not (like the article about the French academic). And, while not all US border agents are agressive, the most agressive agents I've met were all in the US.