urbanization atlantico is not a crappy area.
the posters are saying this about padre granero.
urbanization atlantico is not a crappy area.
Street smarts are a learned skill set. The skill set tourists employ at home is often not enough in a foreign country. It takes time and experience to develop a robust survival strategy. If you never look behind you to see if you are being targeted, you'll never see them coming. Here in the DR anything that catches the interest of a ladrone is more than enough provocation. All they then need is the opportunity and the desire to act (poverty provides more than enough desire).
If you provide the opportunity to become a victim then you have to accept that you may well become one. Unfortunately, most people aren't being stalked by tigers as prey most days, so it is understandable that they don't appreciate the nature of their environment when on vacation.
Not only that....It takes an intuition thats developed over a long period of time. tourists don't have these skill sets. Nor should they need them.
But there is some common sense that you should apply when travelling in a different country. You have to be conscious of the wealth disparity. Would you be more on your toes back home carrying around a month or month and half's salary in large bills? Most probably would. I know I would. A lot of tourist just don't realize that is what they doing, so they're not.
i disagree here. back in europe or america many people wear bling and watches that may have quite large monetary value. take decent engagement rink and a wedding band and it already adds up. most tourist come here for sun and beach and they stay in AI. they don't know about wealth disparity. they don't know much about DR, full stop. they came here for nice holidays because it was close, cheap and warm.
In regard to the bling, a $300 gold chain is more valuable when you make $300 a month versus $3000 a month was my point. Also, more advanced countries have a more robust criminal justice systems to punish crime which is a deterrent.
Street smarts are a learned skill set. The skill set tourists employ at home is often not enough in a foreign country. It takes time and experience to develop a robust survival strategy. If you never look behind you to see if you are being targeted, you'll never see them coming. Here in the DR anything that catches the interest of a ladrone is more than enough provocation. All they then need is the opportunity and the desire to act (poverty provides more than enough desire).
If you provide the opportunity to become a victim then you have to accept that you may well become one. Unfortunately, most people aren't being stalked by tigers as prey most days, so it is understandable that they don't appreciate the nature of their environment when on vacation.
what i meant is that my set of gold rings i wore in poland is easily more than an average monthly salary there. omega watch my friend from london wears also cost more than a minimum salary in the UK. people wear bling like that back home without thinking of it's monetary value. it's something many folks put on almost unconsciously. you wake up, you put on a watch or a set of rings. there is no fear or paranoia in using them.
and unfortunately, AI tourists go out all the time: excursions.
In the capital and in la Romana ,when a cruise boat arrives, there are almost wall to wall police as the passengers walk from the boat to the zona Colonial or to the centre of la Romana ..What happens in Puerto Plata ..are there not many police looking after the tourists??
I had a great idea. We could commercialise POP survival packs in the AI's.
ripped T-shirts with a special logo, something like I sacrificed my first born to the NRA, for the normal pack.
So it's better for normal tourists to skip the DR altogether, or stay in Punta Cana.
I live in padre granero because I love the people. I don't know why but I'm comfortable around the extremely poor.
True story is that my dad recently died and I brought my dad's stash of diabetic supplies because I know my neighbor suffers terribly from the disease. I was almost too late as she nearly died. Her family couldn't afford the insulin. It was touch and go, but she literally walked away from her death bed.
So, think about somebody entering the neighborhood with the equivalent of your mother's life hanging around their neck. What would you do? Nothing and go home to watch your mother die for the equivalent of 800 pesos or take the chain?
It wouldn't be an easy answer for me.
And, yeah, the victim should know better. You might as well walk around naked with $100 bills for pasties. I don't think most Westerners can wrap their heads around how poor these people really are.
So, think about somebody entering the neighborhood with the equivalent of your mother's life hanging around their neck. What would you do? Nothing and go home to watch your mother die for the equivalent of 800 pesos or take the chain?
I live in padre granero because I love the people. I don't know why but I'm comfortable around the extremely poor.
True story is that my dad recently died and I brought my dad's stash of diabetic supplies because I know my neighbor suffers terribly from the disease. I was almost too late as she nearly died. Her family couldn't afford the insulin. It was touch and go, but she literally walked away from her death bed.
So, think about somebody entering the neighborhood with the equivalent of your mother's life hanging around their neck. What would you do? Nothing and go home to watch your mother die for the equivalent of 800 pesos or take the chain?
It wouldn't be an easy answer for me.
And, yeah, the victim should know better. You might as well walk around naked with $100 bills for pasties. I don't think most Westerners can wrap their heads around how poor these people really are.
this is a tired argument. the thieves in this case could afford a moto. and gas for it. and clothing on their back. contrary to your argument they are not poverty stricken hungry skeletons with barely a sheet covering their groin who have explored every other option of providing the food for their disease ridden family members. they are young, dumb and lazy. yes, poor. yes, lacking opportunities. but not forced into a life of crime due to unspeakable destitution. they chose a life of crime because it's easy. kinda like my maid says: esa mas facil a planchar con la espalda de con la plancha. life of hooking and life of stealing are simple and easy choices that require no skill, no training and no effort. get real. if every poor dominican was to attack and rob the rich ones there's be a revolution here long time ago.