[quote=The New Yorker]
If the port authority let crew members come ashore without the fee bring paid, he wouldn't be very good at his job.I can see a reason for why he'd let the three who are already there to go about their business, but no one else until the fee is paid. I might have something up later.
[/quote]

Yeah, that would be official policy, but if he just happened to miss a small group of sailors who local authorities could then detain if the captain gave him any trouble...that would be a good coincidence. But he would [i]never[/i] do that.