A DAY IN THE LIFE

Everybody is likely to be the target of some criminal at one time or another.
I am generally careful, and have lost very little, as I said.
Dominicans are generally not sneaky, as Mexican thieves can be. And I think Gypsy thieves are the sneakiest of all.

How we behave can cut doen the odds of problems.

And please, no name calling or cultural stereotyping.

Thanks to Bob, MassageWiz and others who responded to my concerns.  Some good commonsense advice.  However, your personal experiences were what I needed to hear. 
Thanks to all.

Good,  we try to help!

Satellite TV with thousands of stations is available from anywhere.
All you need is a few bucks & the know-how.

is it like it is here in America when you dial 911 and they will come out for whateveropic but its in reference to the question mike h77 asked concerning  security. Is there a 911 system in DR?  What I mean is,  when you need police  police assistance how do you summon them?  Is it like it is here in America when you dial 911 and the call is relayed to a technician who dispatches police, fire dept ems or whatever agency is needed??

Or does it work different there

Hi family. forget the post I just sent try this one lol.

My question is a little off topic but its in reference to the question mike h77 asked concerning  security. Is there a 911 system in DR?  What I mean is,  when you need police  police assistance how do you summon them?  Is it like it is here in America when you dial 911 and the call is relayed to a center who dispatches police ( or whatever agency is needed)

Or does it work different there..

Hey Nicholas. The system has just been recently introduced, so I do not think it has been in place long enough to give a fair assesment as to how effective it is, I believe it is still in a somewhat experimental phase.  I did see a report on Noticias Sin where they interviewed a few folks and the review was more or less 50/50 sometimes the cops or ambulances show up on time, and at other times they take their sweet time to show up. Some clients said the 911 operator simply wasted a lot of time asking the same questions over and over and simply could not process all the necessary info efficiently enough. The system looks effective, but like anything in it's early stages, it will have some kinks that need ironing out.

Ok thanks. I asked the question because I remember when I was there the first time I was told there was not a system. and if you do not have an officers contact, youd have to get the police the best way you know how, I found that to be really interesting.. a really big difference from ANY jurisdiction in usa including Idaho where Mike h77 is.

Im getting to his question now..

Yup Nick Same System. You Dial 911, you get a dispatcher, they take your info and hopefully you get the assistance you requested.  The system is fairly new and not available throughout the entire island just yet, I believe for now it is being tested in the capital and should eventually spread to the entire island, but that will take time since not all areas have departments capable of handling all emergencies. I just saw a report on a town that had only two officers, and when the officers were on call, they would leave a 70 something local named Juan Colin to guard the station armed only with a machete! So 911 will take a while to reach that town.

In the campo where my farm is, the police don't even have a phone. When I need help, I call my neighbor and if the situation demands it, all my neighbors will come running, on motorcycle, horse and all armed from anything to hand guns, machetes, pick axe...etc. the police only function for non-emergency cases.

Here is a link to a story of a Dominican mother who will not be sending her kids to school because she does not have the funds to buy what is required for them to attend.  These are the realities I refer to when I say the average Dominican can't afford most of the things some of us on here take for granted.

http://detrasdelrumor.com.do/index.php/ … r-a-clases

Here is another link to an interesting incident which happened in Sosua. These are the kind of stories that will not endear Mike or many foreigners to this country.  In this case local residents got fed up of not receiving water on a daily basis, and decided to dig up the streets to see what was going on underground and low and behold! The water ducts had been deviated to benefit two adjacent apartment hotels to be able to enjoy the city water at the expense of the poor folks who deservedly should have water just as much as their wealthier hotel owning neighbors :-) This is the kind of stuff as Mike stated can sometimes create mistrust or resentment between locals and some expats if they are the ones who own these apartments. There was obviously some sort of payoff here in order to benefit the folks staying at these apartments. I truly understand your feelings Mike, but fortunately that is the beauty of life, it gives us plenty of options.

http://detrasdelrumor.com.do/index.php/ … -al-pueblo

Boy don't even know where to start this morning.

911 yes the system is new and only in Santo Domingo at the present.  Is it working??? maybe somewhat but too early to tell. In the first couple of weeks more nonsense calls than real ones.  Out side of the city police response can be very slow. In fact even here in Sosua we have learned not to really depend on the police for much.

Xavier_Onassis yes crime can happen anywhere and in fact I feel safer walking around town here than in many places I have lived in the US.  To say that Dominicans are better of worse that Mexicans, Hondurans and such is kind of a raciest statement.  If you are having problems maybe it is time to look at your situation and see what you can do to change it. 

Massagewiz yes both articles are interesting and disturbing at that same time.  However not all that unexpected here. Trying to compare things here (government, police, infra structure, laws, rules etc) to the US or your  "home" country is not reality bases.  Things are different here and if you are going to survive in a comfortable life here you need to adapt and realize that you really cannot change much.  If we change the little things like education for a few of the kids, community projects,  organizing small community happenings maybe just maybe over a long period of time (certainly not in my lifetime here) we can effect changes on the big picture.

Living here is a different lifestyle and it certainly is not for everyone.  Leave the rose tinted glasses at home or to use on the beach not for daily living.  This is why I always recommend to anyone who is considering living here to come and "try out the country" for 3-6 months living as an Expat and not a tourist.  These are two totally different words.

Ok back to my terrific Dominican Coffee

Bob K

Well said Bob.

911 is working in Santo Domingo. An education program is going on to teach people how to use it.  The first weeks they handled thousands and thousands of nuisance calls.  The USA just donated more money to expand the system here in the capital.

Many many families cannot afford to send their kids back to school. Others are borrowing at 25%interest and higher!!!

Companies or individuals stealing water........electricity.....cable.....welcome to normal.

And to be correct we are now called "a developing nation".  We are no longer 3rd world.

Question is what are we developing into ???  :

Bob K

Developing into a "second world country"?, which I
have never heard of. Anyway Planner, that's good, I guess.
When did we get this "status"?

We've been a developing nation for at least a few years. They dont use the old terminology anymore I was told.

Hi Mike h77. Just read  your profile, to learn youre from the US. I've been mulling over your questions about safety, now I'm going to add my long winded two cents to it. (And will apologize now to who it offends, just my opinion)

It is true that in a place where local people are struggling to make ends meet, and here you come as the gringo, who is perceived to be rich, and have everything, then yes you may be thought of as to prey upon, depending on how desperate poeople become - and their morals and upbringing (or lack of), and yes, there would be a need to be extra careful there, more careful than  if you were rich but in an area where everyone else was just as rich if not more. (Ie: as socially stable as you, as you worded it) And yes, COMMON SENSE is definately the key to being safe.

And yes that can be the case in any venue.. BUT,

What is the MAIN DIFFERENCE in DR as opposed to some other venues is the difference in Government, Law and Order.
In one word.. POLICE!!! It is key!!

Other venues can be just as dangerous as venues in DR yes, true, but due to some of those economic factors there, with lack of suficient law order and government is what makes DR more dangerous.  I didn't notice any real tensions from locals towards visitors, a few ignorant comments maybe, I find DR raised Dominicans to be most humble and friendly people. What I did notice though was a lack of police control and regulation/ and that points to the government structure. Definitely worth noting as it relates to security because that, along with the economics, (people, Average Local people doing bad, not working, or the working poor, while looking right next to them seeing the gringo, who they perceive as having a silver spoon) along with lack of government; Lack Of Police Control - is  what makes DR more dangerous than other venues.  The police are not even making sufficient money themselves, and they're the ones empowered to run things the right way.  And their behavior is not sufficiently regulated..   What does that spell. Yes, you can run into a problem Anywhere. But Everywhere is NOT the same!

What i mean is this. You can be in danger in NYC ghetto just like you can in DR barrios.  But in nyc...  ANYWHERE in nyc,  if you pick up any cell, or get to any pay phone, or even use a phone that is disconnected, and dial 911 and say  'He's trying to rob me!' Or, "Hes hitting me!" Or she's running away with my pocketbook or even "He just broke the window of my car" (if you say the perp is still present) It's 99% probable that you WILL hear a police siren, within one minute of the call, even, before you get off of the line.. so will the perp! That, is what makes this venue safer because that factor is what maintains control. And deter crime.  There is much that cops don't care about, crime is NOT one of them.  Now compare that Mike to any venue where you have lack of police control or police regulation - and Everyone (even tigueres) know it. Lack of that factor is what makes a venue less safe. Seems controversal how you even summon police in DR.  Here, even if you just dial 911 and hang up, the police WILL show up.  See my point?

And in most any US state (city, suburbs, outskirts, etc) if you have the same problem problem you can pick up a phone, dial 911, state your emergency and either local Police, or Sherriffs Officers (if out of PD jurisdiction) or State Police ( if PD is unavailable) will answer. Just as I'm sure Idaho works.  That Is What makes the difference. I've traveled a lot, and even in other third woeld places (Antigua ans St Maarten to name a few) I noticed the Police had control, reflects government.

Government and Economics:
In my experiences visiting DR, on my first visit/first day there, I was driving on the highway doing the speed limit (ok 10 miles over), but like whats ok here in states because my mindset was that I didn't want no problems with highway patrol, but what I did notice was everybody else flying and I do mean FLYING by me!! Around 45 minutes into the drive I noticed there was no police presence anywhere on the highway. (So when in Rome do as the Romans rite lol) So now I'm doing 95 mph and still I am the slowest vehicle. This was a highway called 5 in the capital. Where I did see a police vehicle I seen people even flying past the police! - and the police wasn't worried about it. I noticed people making u turns on the highway, even driving down the opposite way on the highway (all the way in the local lane coming out a gas station to catch local roads.)  Told by friends/family that the police mindset is you don't bother them they don't bother you. And for certain offenses I was told that the police wouldnt even entertain.  Seems like, people can almost do whatever they want without worries! (Points to Law, Order and Government control)  What I quickly learned was that seems like out there you are just about on your own. This is key in noting regarding security because like in the scenerio you mentioned on being the gringo countryside, and some Dominican guy whose kids havent eaten in 3 days sees you and just assumes yiu have money, and he is desprate and thinks to rob you, and knows there are no police, no police number, no 911 system and no way to summon police; even, if there is a police, who also hasn't eaten in 3 days, and is friends with the tiguereue, that could be a real life scenerio that youd HAVE to be weary of my friend.. especially for your families sake. Id imagine you may have No Wins my friend!  That what makes DR a venue you have to be uh, 'more careful' in.  Other factors, of which  I personally seen was people commonly walking down the street with unconcealed weapon like machete, I noticed most security working there carrying pump shotguns, sawed off shotguns, in banks food establishments even on a few beaches I was on as well as other things. So what do I do if the machete guy draws on me and demands my wallet. Do I call the police?! See here, walking with a visible weapon is an arrest able offense - for a crime called menacing, as here it is recognized as a show of force. That IS REGULATED, to where as people know not to do it.

I'm going to assume that it is due to the economy there, is why I have been prpopsitioned for money by police, more than once. We had discovered a NP officer asking us to buy gas for his marked police vehicle, have also been told by friends/family [in the capital there] that whoever has the more clout or the more money gets the better police service. So if I wrong you, but i have $100.00 to give to the cop you will be the one arrested. Told by a cousin about how a girlfriend once had to pay a cop, to retain her jeep as she passed a checkpoint and did not have her license.  (Again I've been told this, haven't actually gone thru this, expats may chime in on this if it is inaccurate.) All points to an economy, and a tough government that to me is what makes there more dangerous.

As an officer here in usa that is unheard of to take money to provide better police service - because it is unlawful to even accept a gratuity for doing your regular job - and that shyte is monitored for real!! So much, that if you leave a $10 bill on a chair in a stationhouse it will sit there, and NO COP will touch it,  for fear it is an integrity check. (Speaking for NYC law enforcement anyway)  Again seems like DR doesn't work that way.  So these are where some of the differences lye that is what makes there more dangerous. It's more of an anything goes mentality, and that's the social instability you speak of Mike.

Does NOT mean you cant make it there, many have. Just means you have to know the beast you're dealing with... and act accordingly.
Common sense is the key to safety right. If reliable sourse told me no gringo was safe in the country guess where I wouldn't b at??

Well said Nicholas.  You hit the nail on the head with this one.  It all starts at the top and trickles down to the lowest level.  Law and Order need to start at the top and trickle down, but for the most part the greater mindset is: I'm looking out for number 1, and that spans across al levels of society; from the wealthiest to the poorest. There is a better sence of community in the barrios than in some of the higher eschelons, I guess when you are suffering as a collective group, you will have more empathy for one another. Not until DR gets a President who is truly comitted to overhaul things completely and clean house, will things change.  Danilo is having a good run, but he is still surrounded by the Tigres Leonel left behind, it is truly going to be an interesting 2016 election run in DR, can't wait to see how it turns out :-)

Nice theory but even a new president is not a miracle worker.  It is ingrained in the system here. But that is a whole other subject.

It is possible and realistic to live here safely. Again you need to be smart, keep your head down and behave the way you want to be treated.  Above all remember we are guests here!

The term "Third World" I think came from the Cold War. The US, Western Europe, Canada and Australia and NZ were the First world, the USSR was the Second World, and all that were left were the Third World. Then they decided to use the terms Developed World and Developing World, despite the fact that there is some degree of development going on everywhere. Parts of the US are easily compared to the Third World: the Mexican-American communities of the border, many Indian reservations, and parts of Mississippi and Arkansas. You can see that parts of Santo Domingo, Santiago and several other resort communities have all the amenities of a First World country, with the possible exception of towels and toilet paper in the bathrooms, at least.

The Cuban novelist Alejo Carpentier said in Los Pasos Perdidos that traveling up the Orinoco River of Venezuela was like going back in time. You started out in the 20th Century and somewhere up the river you would meet people in loincloths and body paint with sticks through their nostrils paddling along in dugout canoes: the Stone Age. The highway west from Santo Domingo is somewhat like that. Pedernales is more like the 1950's than the 2010's. It is, by the way a very scenic drive. Development varies greatly from one place to another, in any case.

That is very true.  Here in Santo Domingo at times it is very similar to many big North American cities.  And other times, not so much. 

Ive visited and stayed in the countryside without any services at all.  We have extremes here and everything in between.

Just wanna add here, most of my comments are in theory, just stating what would seem to be the outcome when you have a government not sufficiently functioning, with that  trickling down to the members delegated to maintain control. (just like it trickles down to the ones responsible for education of the youth)  Naturally, the ones living in DR would normally speak from experience, experiences of seeing things happen and play out.

So my question..  Is it moreso that you guys just dont run into problems there, or is it that the problems are there but are just kind of just managed without incident. Lets use the example of an argument between two people of which one has had too much to drink. (Or to say it how I feel it, one boracho bothering people even you.)  This being like on a weekendt, at a social event, outside of a big city where there is no 911.  How do those situations handle themselves...

Are you guys saying that nobody really bothers others there including you guys?  Or that it does happen but those things just mostly work themselves out. If you guys could give an example thatd be great. So some of us can understand how you can manage to not have real issue, without government.

I can tell you this has never happened to me. However, when out dancing ive seen a lot. As soon as i feel yensions rising or a fight starts, I am gone!!!!  And i dont look back.  You leave the area immediately.

See an accident - do not stop. See a fight - do not stop. Around people drinking too much - leave now.

Do not wait for things to escalate. Do not hang around with anyone shady.  Do not date someone elses husband or wife.  Stay clear of anyone involved in drugs. Stay away from anyone who thinks its ok to scam others.

All great advice Planner. We too do the same and have never found ourselves in a situation where we felt threatened.

Bob K

Well I must say planner that you exercise good survival skills, those are the same rules I apply on all my travels.  I have spent plenty of nights psrtying in Sosua, Cabarete, and Punta Cana. They key is to be aware of your surroundings at all times, this i where folks drop the ball for the most part.  I have seen countless situations where tourists attract the wrong kind of attention only to end up being victimized.  Nicholas said it best, you must know the beast you are dealing with. It does not matter how safe or lovely a place looks, you must still exercise caution at all times, sadly enough that is the world we live in :-/

Thanks guys. Situational awareness is everything!!!!

There are a variety of beer joint/ discos in Barahona. The fancy ones are enclosed and I find then unbearable because the music is so loud it drives me nuts. The less fancy ones are much better, since the speakers are not so loud and there is enough light to watch the people dancing, which is the main show. There are some larger places on the Malecon where the dance floor is half a bock away. One place,La campiñita, is the one I prefer, but on weekends ot is crowded and there is usually some sort of fight, which means the only thing to do is flee, since the patrons are far too full of Brugal to reason with.

As a rule, the alternation is over within an hour or so,

The largest beer joint in town, La campiña, shut down last February. It was on the main square around the Parque Central, which has been surrounded by a wall of roofing zinc panels for remodeling. The renovation is proceeding very slowly. I have not seen anyone at work in the parque.

Well Planner, you said it best with the fewest words.
I have been to lots of house parties, bars, etc.
By far they are a lot tamer than most American
or Canadian places. Dominican people seem to
have a better control of their alcohol intake!
Fights are VERY rare.
Lots of vocal arguments though, which end up
with another round brought to the table!
Just act responsible.

wow. they are really changing things around, that's great ! it's just taking time though to implement their plan.

Everything takes longer then they say and costs more then expected!

EVERYDAY LIFE FOR THOSE DOING THAT "VISIT FOR 6 MONTHS AND SEE IF YOU LIKE IT".. My 2 cents .....Don't treat this as vacation... It is quite fun to take advantage of your new surroundings, including all the restaurants, etc.  It is hard to resist those cheaper than the US massages.... And when adding up quickly in your head (I use the 100RD = about $2.50 cents US) thinking "oh this drink is only about $5 US (200 RD)... how wonderful, I think I can have more and more .... not only will you say.. where did my money go but if you are female and care about your wardrobe, YOU WILL GAIN 30 POUNDS and be angry at yourself.. Lesson learned about DR... Nothing... about me... I love food, love a drink on vacation but this is not a vacation.. How to lose that 30 pounds?  I have no idea as I'm still learning how to find the food values here on packaging.. Anyone want to share that will help.. Is "Energy Value" same as calories?  Not blaming weight gain on that?  I know how fattening rum is... Anyway, just my warning to those staying more than a vacation week.... Don't keep yourself in vacation mode for too long.!!

Great advice!  Its nice to get a bit of routine as well!

Guess what .... IT IS RAINING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.   After another string of HOTsunny days (though we did have 1.6 inches of rain Saturday night, it is raining this morning.  The storm (soon to be a tropical depression) to our east is moving into the area and we have had some very heavy rain showers and gusty winds.   Great day to just sit on the terrace read a book and watch the garden grow.  It will help a tad with the drought I am sure.

Bob K

We have had an unbelievable amount of rain these last 3 days. Wow. It really started on Friday, I drove to Punta cana and got my butt back to Santo Domingo as early in the day as possible. It was already raining there but the sky was black, there was a lot more comining.

The east coast got it bad.  Friday Saturday and Sunday at least they had heavy rains and lots of street flooding.

Sunday a friend of mine in La Romana sent me a video - he needed a boat to get down his street.

Here in the capital, Santo Domingo, we had heavy rain Saturday, Sunday and yesterday, with more rain forecast for today.   

One of the effects of rain -  is that the wet gets into the concrete in your houses! It takes quite some time for the concrete blocks to dry back out!  While this will cool the house down it also makes it very very damp.  Lots of dampness in everything!   I use my air conditioner in my room on dehumidify setting to get the damp out of my clothes, my mattress and my leather shoes!  I just hate the feel of damp.

Make sure to air things out now that the worst is over for now!!!!!   Mold grows quickly here. 

I also know some areas have had internet and electrical interruptions,  some quite bad. I hope everyone is okay!   They are reporting several deaths from this storm.

The good news - drought is over!!!! 

We had rain here in Punta Cana ever since Saturday, actually I think first time was Friday evening... and this was first time since I arrived in May that it ever rained during the day.. other than that just a couple afternoon showers but this past weekend constant rain and Saturday eve. until  Sunday morning we lost power..my first time ever although I understand while I was away, there was a rainstorm for a few days in July and power out... However; they got in back on after only 3 hours and that was 3:30 a.m.  so I was very impressed. I was totally prepared to lose all my frozen foods, etc.  .I've seen it go out longer in the States...This is actually my first day back to beach in days as it wasn't even sunny yesterday...

Hope that those type of storms are only once in a while.. I was told August is the biggest month for rain.  Even though it's not fun, it sounds like the area needed rain!

Syringles

It rained in Barahona, and the new roof, which had some leaks and was repaired with more cement between the wooden beams and the walls, no longer leaks.

Ahhhh yes filtration......... an ongoing issue here in this country!  No matter what kind of roof you get it seems to leak somewhere.

Yes August into mid October is our "busy" season for hurricanes and tropical storms.  this is when we are most likely to get them but  not always.  We all need to be prepared for what may come while not going crazy over it.

Glad you got thru the first rain storm!