He might have had a visa. As someone who has driven around Eastern Europe I've talked myself across borders I wasn't permitted to cross. Border guards are human

He might have had a visa. As someone who has driven around Eastern Europe I've talked myself across borders I wasn't permitted to cross. Border guards are humans. If you appear innocuous enough, friendly enough, and perhaps have something nice to share, e.g. cigarettes, you might get through. I once crossed the border into [redacted] by looking like a spy. I'd tried to cross several times that day but had been turned away. It was only once I returned with a mountain of equipment visible in my vehicle that I impressed the guards enough for them to wave me through. It's a boring job most of the time, I guess.