what would YOU do?

dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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i was travelling to sosua (from POP) on saturday using guagua. i was not sure how much does the trip costs so i had some change stuffed in my pockets and waited for arrival to pay.

at playa dorada a pair of tourists (french canadians, i think) get in and ask the money guy (drivers helper) how much to sosua. he says "200 pesos". they started arguing it was too much and one of passengers (very sankie like) joined in, the conversation was from then on held in french so i have no idea what was being said. as a result the price "went down" to 100 pesos for two. at which point the money guy turned to me and demanded money.
now, i am a person of routine, especially here where so little happens in orderly fashion. since i have never paid for my trip before finishing it i was a little surprised. i said i will not pay until we get to sosua (in very broken spanish).

we get to the entrance to sosua, money guy stops the car, tells the tourists to go out. he tells me again to pay to which i again refuse saying i will pay at texaco station. as soon as we got there i asked the driver to stop, got off and gave the money guy 30 pesos (i found out the fare is 25) and walked away.

now, from the moral point of view i know one should inform poor tourists they are being ripped off. from pure rational point of view thou - what should one do? is it wise to join in and say what the fare is? or is it better to shut up?

ok, in a way i know it is wiser to keep moth shut - which is what i did, since my spanish is nowhere good enough to argue and as a gringa i'd be probably seen as a rich bitch trying to stop poor dominican from earning few extra bucks...

(minovio tells me that every guagua driver has a number displayed in front of the car and i should have taken it to make a complaint to the syndicate. apparently he has done so few times and got drivers suspended.)

my question is - what would you do?
 

Rocky

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Apr 4, 2002
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i was travelling to sosua (from POP) on saturday using guagua. i was not sure how much does the trip costs so i had some change stuffed in my pockets and waited for arrival to pay.

at playa dorada a pair of tourists (french canadians, i think) get in and ask the money guy (drivers helper) how much to sosua. he says "200 pesos". they started arguing it was too much and one of passengers (very sankie like) joined in, the conversation was from then on held in french so i have no idea what was being said. as a result the price "went down" to 100 pesos for two. at which point the money guy turned to me and demanded money.
now, i am a person of routine, especially here where so little happens in orderly fashion. since i have never paid for my trip before finishing it i was a little surprised. i said i will not pay until we get to sosua (in very broken spanish).

we get to the entrance to sosua, money guy stops the car, tells the tourists to go out. he tells me again to pay to which i again refuse saying i will pay at texaco station. as soon as we got there i asked the driver to stop, got off and gave the money guy 30 pesos (i found out the fare is 25) and walked away.

now, from the moral point of view i know one should inform poor tourists they are being ripped off. from pure rational point of view thou - what should one do? is it wise to join in and say what the fare is? or is it better to shut up?

ok, in a way i know it is wiser to keep moth shut - which is what i did, since my spanish is nowhere good enough to argue and as a gringa i'd be probably seen as a rich bitch trying to stop poor dominican from earning few extra bucks...

(minovio tells me that every guagua driver has a number displayed in front of the car and i should have taken it to make a complaint to the syndicate. apparently he has done so few times and got drivers suspended.)

my question is - what would you do?
Caught between a rock and a hard place.
You are correct.
They would have been all over you for "preventing them from earning their living".
It's a lousy situation.
Not much you can do and reporting them is a complete farce.
 

Lambada

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Mar 4, 2004
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my question is - what would you do?

As soon as I heard 'doscientos' I would have roared with laughter. I would have continued when it got down to 'cien'. Usually everyone else joins in because they can see the joke and laughter is infectious. Once we've all had a good laugh I would tell tourists the correct fare and get the fare collector to agree by saying 'that's right isn't it' in a tone which makes it abundantly clear it is NOT a question.

If the fare collector had a gun :rolleyes: I would do what minovio suggests.

But it's never a problem if you laugh. Done it heaps of times without any difficulties.
 

Rocky

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Apr 4, 2002
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As soon as I heard 'doscientos' I would have roared with laughter. I would have continued when it got down to 'cien'. Usually everyone else joins in because they can see the joke and laughter is infectious. Once we've all had a good laugh I would tell tourists the correct fare and get the fare collector to agree by saying 'that's right isn't it' in a tone which makes it abundantly clear it is NOT a question.

If the fare collector had a gun :rolleyes: I would do what minovio suggests.

But it's never a problem if you laugh. Done it heaps of times without any difficulties.
I could imagine how you would pull that off and get away with it.
I could never make that fly, and would have to get ready to do battle.
 

jrzyguy

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May 5, 2004
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when traveling as a tourist via guagua...i always find out the price beforehand...and have the exact fare in my hand when the money man comes around. Never have had a problem :)
 

dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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yes, lambada, i can imagine you having it YOUR WAY...
LOL
i recon i am lucky i got away paying the right fare (almost) and only because i ignored the money guy continiously. he could have easily stop me shouting for more money...
rocky, btw, i was visiting one of your guests in sosua...
 

Lambada

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I could imagine how you would pull that off and get away with it.

I agree a certain level of self confidence or even arrogance is a pre-requisite. It helps that my middle name is She Who Must Be Obeyed. :laugh: But I've always found that if one's body language and demeanour indicate 'it is perfectly pointless trying it on with me, old son' then no one does........ And it isn't true just of the DR. Works as a modus operandum anywhere, well, maybe not Baghdad.........

But, as you've said before, I have the advantage of being female and an old age pensioner so in DR I can pull Grey Matriarchal Power. Yeah!
 

SantiagoDR

The "REAL" SantiagoDR
Jan 12, 2006
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When I used to use the guagua, I always watched the others as they paid and also would ask quietly to the passenger next to me what the fare was if I did not know. NEVER ask the money man..... Just act like you know better.

And I would tell anyone asking me, what the fare was if need be.

Like Lambada said, 200 Pesos! 100 Pesos!

What a great laugh....
 

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
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when traveling as a tourist via guagua...i always find out the price beforehand...and have the exact fare in my hand when the money man comes around. Never have had a problem :)
Agreed. Without excusing that slimeball of a cobrador, the tourists kind of had it coming to them. They should have the street wisdom to find out the fare in advance.

If I'd had a language in common with the tourists other than Spanish I would have said something, though.

Funnily enough I've done it with taxi drivers in my hometown, who try to persuade tourists that their crappy taxi tour is better value than the alternatives, and they lie about the cost of the alternatives as part of their spiel. When I've overheard their BS I've challenged them in front of the tourists, and I usually get an earful for my troubles. On one occasion I also followed it up with a call to the tourist authorities but they did bugger all. Everyone is scared of the taxi drivers, wherever you are in the world.
 

jrf

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Jan 9, 2005
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I kinda thought they stopped all that and had the prices posted on the windshield.
It was meant to be favourable and open for the tourists. Too bad.
I remember being treated like that and I did not like it-then he wouldn't stop when I wanted him too.

Ohhh many things I would've said if at the time I knew the Spanish that I know now.
 
C

Chip00

Guest
Tell the gringos the truth

Dv8

Next time you could opt to tell the "furriners" the correct price quickly in English and tell them to that it might be better to wait until the next guagua comes along as the "cobradors" are really stubborn and may not give them the normal price once they've already asked for the "gringo" price.

Also, you could just tell them the price and if the "cobradors" don't like it you could just pretend that you don't understand!

I for one being a guy would tell the gringos the correct price and if anybody has a problem with it I would tell them that it is simply unjust to charge the gringos more money.
 

dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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in poland i would never dare to correct a price taxi driver gives to the tourist at the train station (i know better, i walk few meters and catch other taxi) for the fear of being hit. seriously, those are always big fat agressive guys.
 

Criss Colon

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Jan 2, 2002
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You Want To Drive a "GuaGua" for a Few Thousand Pesos a Month??

In the DR, everyone is "Buscando La Vida"! (Looking For Life) Leave it alone! If the guys can make a little "Extra" let them do so. You can find the correct price and pay that amount. Never step on the way another gets by here!

"Let The Buyer Beware"
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