Traffic Tickets

Ticket

It's never a good thing to be stopped. My understanding is that the Green Uniformed Police are less likely to shake you down like the NP. I don't know why you did'nt have your license but when I drive in the DR I make sure all my papers are in order so as not to give the Police a reason to make an issue with me. It's bad enough when the NP make things up to try to extort money from gringos. Why give them a legit reason?

this is why i always use the gua gua from BC or elsewhere.

I believe the green shirts are amat and notoriously corrupt. Once you are thru the tourist areas you are ok. One time they tried to pull us over and taking the advise from here on DR1 we just waved at them and drove along.

Strange..... I have lived in the DR for over 3 years and been stopped at 'road blocks' numerous times. I have only ever had the paperwork for the car inspected which is all in order. I have never been asked for my driving licence (either UK or Dominican), would only hand over a photocopy anyway, otherwise would have to go through the hassle of getting it back. I have never been asked for money either by AMET or NC and always been wished a good day with a smile... oh, one particular police officer did tell me that cigarettes were not good for me as I was smoking at the the time but he was laughing when he said it!!!

Ditto

Lived here nearly four years and never had a problem. Stopped at roadblocks and on the street. Always spoke English and said "tourist" a lot never hinting at any understanding of Spanish. Smiled a lot and after a minute or two of head scratching and looking at my mass of papers I drove on. Maybe just a bit of bad luck on your part.

Better Stop

mitsu man said:

It was always about six or more officers with shotguns stopping the vehicles.

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Just waving at those is no good advice.
They are not AMET and most likely not PN.

I am confused. I always thought the little green men where AMET?

I was only stopped once. In Santo Domingo...my first trip and was on the back of a rented moto and he was driving like crazy on the malecon. We ended up having to drive to a rough area and give them 300 pesos (not bad really). First trip the D.R....it took me a few more trips before i tried driving on my own again.

I had a similar experience with the AMET two years ago, yet the guy was cool, he told me that the practice pays their salaries...always wear my seat belt and have my driver license since then

jrzyguy said:

I am confused. I always thought the little green men where AMET?

I was only stopped once. In Santo Domingo...my first trip and was on the back of a rented moto and he was driving like crazy on the malecon. We ended up having to drive to a rough area and give them 300 pesos (not bad really). First trip the D.R....it took me a few more trips before i tried driving on my own again.

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Green = Amet
Grey = Polica National
White = Politur

same here, been stopped once by the guys in the grey.one asked me if i had a gun.why he asked that i have no idea.i just pretended that i didnt speak spanish.he gave up trying to talk to me and the other officer told me to leave.they were very polite about it and didnt ask for anything else.
last couple times i've been down during the day around the autopista and the beach they seem to be checkin alot for seatbelts.my dominican friends always got to tell me to keep my seatbelt on.never a problem though during the night.

Why shouldn't you get a ticket if you didn't have your drivers license with you? Why would that tick you off?? If you were in the same situation and had an accident, you would go to the pokey until someone figured it out (maybe after a day or two).

I don't think it has anything to do with being a tourist, or driving a rental car, it's all in knowing what's going on, and how to deal with it. I have driven rental cars many times in the past 3 years when I have popped over to Santo Domingo for a week or 10 days at a time, and never had a problem.

The police do conduct roadblocks to check for weapons periodically. Maybe you really don't know it or have heard only small hints before, but there is a weapons problem in the DR. They seem to go through the publicos and taxis completely, but not one officer has ever even opened my door to look. Normally, once they see I am a gringo, they usually just wave me on. Otherwise, I crack my window and they just ask me if I have any weapons, and I just tell them I don't need one, because I'm a gringo. That has worked to get a wave through the checkpoint.

Away from the city, especially going to the South, there are military checkpoints in many places. Many times, if they aren't busy, one of them will step out in the road with a carbine to make sure you stop for them. A hearty " buenas tardes commandante" will get a smile, and give them a chance to shake the gringo's hand before telling you to drive safe. It breaks up their boredom between guaguas and trucks passing through.

I have been stopped by AMET many times with no problem in Santo Domingo. When the officers in blue stop me, I always tell them I don't understand spanish but my brother at the US embassy can translate for me. They usually leave me alone.
One time the officers in blue tried to stop me on Maximo Gomez and I drove straight to the US Consulate office. After a few harsh words between us they drove off.

Listen, I ws there just a few weeks ago and tis is the latest on the green cops. They always follow suit when it comes to NYC Laws , the Latest gimmick for etting money is they are stopping tourists or anyone who has a decent Vehicle there for either not wearing your seat belt , or whils driving and using your cell phone , they are not interested in getting cash but rather justifing there exsistance as paid officers bound to enforce the laws. It is hilarious though to watch the in justice as old cars that are overcrowded, go by and nothing is said or stopped . I was in boca chica visiting some old friends there and the cops where right ut in front of the banco popular on the corner just waiting , I saw a guy get stopped in a rental like mine as he just left the lot and was stopped ,I asked him what happened and he told me he had to pay a 1000 pesos and to go to the banka reserve for payment , I laughed and said are you gonna pay it? I also saw them right on the corner where you exit Boca chica, right on the Island under the tree by the gas station they were stopping people there too. of course only the one s who could afford to pay lol

Listen, I ws there just a few weeks ago and tis is the latest on the green cops. They always follow suit when it comes to NYC Laws , the Latest gimmick for getting money is they are stopping tourists or anyone who has a decent Vehicle there for either not wearing your seat belt , or while driving and using your cell phone , they are not interested in getting cash but rather justifing there existance as paid officers bound to enforce the laws. It is hilarious though to watch the in justice as old cars that are overcrowded, go by and nothing is said or stopped . I was in boca chica visiting some old friends there and the cops where right out in front of the banco popular on the corner just waiting , I saw a guy get stopped in a rental like mine as he just left the lot and was stopped ,I asked him what happened and he told me he had to pay a 1000 pesos and to go to the banka reserve for payment , I laughed and said are you gonna pay it? he told me the cop asked for 10 USD but he said he would rather pay then pay him. I also saw them right on the corner where you exit Boca chica, right on the Island under the tree by the gas station they were stopping people there too. of course only the one s who could afford to pay lol

whats big now is no seat belts and driving using cell phone , they are generating revenue by issuing tickets. I saw one guy get pulled over just as he was leaving the banco popular lot in Boca Chica and the cop stopped him as soon as his front tire came off the driveway onto the street , I asked the guy what happened , no seat belt 1000 pesos, the cop told him to give him 10 usd but the guy said hed rather pay the ticket then the cop. its funny too because there were cars loaded to the max with people heading to the beach in old cars !! PACKED , the guy was wearing no seat belt ,and using his phone!!!!!!, did they stop him !!? NO! its hilarious!! the frigin injustice , only people who can afford to pay are being stopped. if your renting and driving anywhere there, be careful they want your money!!!!!!

two posts above, who was he paying the 1000rd to? AMET IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE taking money they write a ticket and you go to their office an pay the ticket they also cannot take your drivers license.

Was stopped the other night in the Capital, was told I was stopped due to a bad right side headlamp (true) but as the high beams worked fine and use them till I got home bye have a good night.

jrzyguy said:

I am confused. I always thought the little green men where AMET?

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Yeah green shirts are AMET. However, AMET don't come in groups of 6 and with shotguns pointed.

bienamor said:

two posts above, who was he paying the 1000rd to? AMET IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE taking money they write a ticket and you go to their office an pay the ticket they also cannot take your drivers license.

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He said the guy in question got a ticket to go pay to "banka reservas" (obviously Banreservas) and that the poster asked that guy whether he was going to pay it, actually ....

I don't know, though, why the poster is posting 3 times, and the last time the story changed a bit ...

dang

rubio_higuey said:

He said the guy in question got a ticket to go pay to "banka reservas" (obviously Banreservas) and that the poster asked that guy whether he was going to pay it, actually ....

I don't know, though, why the poster is posting 3 times, and the last time the story changed a bit ...

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my bad got to put my glasses on,

Embassy Papers

When I rent a car at SDQ I make sure I already have copies of my licence and passport with me. Along with that I go to the homepage for the US Embassy Santo Domingo and print off the page with the picture of the Ambassador( or charge de affairs as the US does not currently have an ambasador in the DR) and his biography (in spanish) and phone numbers for the embassy. I also hand write the phone numbers on the page to give it a personal touch. I staple all my copies together along with a copy of the rental agreement and make sure the embassy papers are on top. When I have been stopped and asked for papers I hand them the whole package and only speak in english. The few times I have been stopped and questioned I was very quickly told to have a nice day and waved through. If they are not sure who they are dealing with they will save themselves a possible headache and wave me through and wait for the next "fish".