Is Tim the cop or the motorist in this example?

If a cop says your problems go away for $100, you pay it, because the downside is huge by comparison. The problem is the cop getting away with it, not that you paid the bribe.

I hope you’re not comparing a gold trophy to a straight up bribe. It’s like giving Trump your Noble peace prize.

Having the prize doesn’t make you the winner. But it feeds Trumps ego sooooooo muuuuuch, it’s probably the “best” thing you can do to get on his good side without actually giving him anything.