I'm currently supervising the installation of a TV facility that I designed for the company I work for. Part of the job is making sure we have a proper three-phase technical mains distribution. Last Monday the guy came from EDC Meter Services to install the meter, thus allowing us to liven up the power supply. Jamie, my chief electrician had warned me that we'd need to "buy the guy a drink" if we wanted the meter installed on the first visit - I was horrified to think we'd have to bribe the chap just for him to do his job. Sure enough - when he arrived he span us a load of stories about how he'd forgotten this and didn't have that and it was only when Jamie offered him a back-hander that he started to cooperate. Britain is truly a third-world country!