Do You Ever Bark at Locals?

[Mauricio]

I ignore the dumb one's who do stupid things. Its not my country or
my place to tell others how to behave nor did I move down here to
police morality. This country has a very very long way to go before
the general public starts behaving better towards one another while
having respect for the natural beauty that surrounds us.

I've had a few physical altercations with people down here which could
have easily been avoided had I just turned the other cheek. Can honestly
say its just not worth the hassle.

I kind of feel the same. Throw out garbage? It’s your country. Take spots of handicapped people and pregnant women, you do it to your own people. I mostly ignore it even though in my head I think a thing or two. 

My wife jumps to almost every situation though, sometimes waits to see who leaves a big yeepeta when it parks in one turn without hesitation in a tight handicapped spot. My “why do you care”s don’t reach her. She was telling me yesterday how she feels people get only worse here, more ignorant, more selfish and more oblivious of their surroundings.

Kicking a dog....I’m not particularly an animal lover but it that case I might say/shout something (from a distance). 

 

[USA DOC]

I rarely do.

Then Monday practocally morphed into Falling Down. I witnessed baloney all over and I couldn't hold my tongue. Fortunately, no one pulled a gun in protest.

First came a visit to a mechanic. While we milled around, a young teenager appeared and started kicking a puppy. First kick got my attention. Second kick got me on my feet moving his direction quickly. Third kick made me yell "Joven, cesar!" He looked at me, the pup cowering at his feet, and kicked ther pup in the head. I moved quickly, Alida moved quickly and the kid started running up the street. Alida caught him. He claimed the dog was deaf and kicking him was the only way to get him out of the street. A lecture by the more calm Alida ensued and the kid left with stooped shoulders. The dog was OK. I reached down to pet him and he tucked his tail in tewrror and slinked away. I suspect he's had a really sad life, and such a cutie.

Then we had lunch at Subway parking in front. I was helping Mom CB get into the back seat when a concho stopped on the street, and as the back seat passenger were doing the concho-stop boogie, the driver tossed a bag of garbage through the front passenger window. I walked over, picked it up and tossed it back in. The young punk driver, looking surprised, tossed it out again defiantly. OK. Fine. I picked it up, held the bottom of the bag, and dumped the contents on the front seat, rice, bones, mushy platanos, everything. He looked totally shocked,...and drove off. I watched him cruise down the street and stop twice. I didn't see him throw out any more garbage.

Finally came the Price Smart run. I appreciate the numerous handicapped spaces in front since Mom CB has difficult feet and uses a cane for the short distances she can walk. But that evening the spaces were jammed full, zero available handicapped spaces. So we parked a long way away, and Mom CB said she'd stay in the car because the entrance was too far away. It was a sacrifice since she enjoys shopping days in Santiago. As we walked toward the entrance, a handicapped space opened just feet from the front door, a car pulls in, and three large, tall, strapping young guys get out...right in front of us. I stopped and pointed to the sign and blue paint in the space and said, twice, "solo para discapacitados." They looked guilty and the driver seemed to get back into the driver's seat, so we walked to the entrance of the store. I looked back, and the guys were walking to the store avoiding eye contact. No prob. I walked back out and got the license plate, went in, asked for the manager and explained what happened. The manager was perturbed, saying they've tried everything to keep spaces available for the handicapped, but even the guards get bribed. He did, however, hail the driver on the loudspeaker. We watched the driver come to the desk and sheepishly out the door to move his car.

So a trifecta of p!$$ed-offedness, three hot buttons. I was triggered, but those rascals needed the Safe Spaces.

Does anyone here ever get similarly miffed and stand their ground?

....last year about noon ......across the street from the the monument, I was walking on the sidewalk......next to the cowboy restaurant is a long stairway that goes to the barrio at the bottom....2 haitian young men were sitting at the top.......when I walked past them they said stop ,called me bad words and demanded my money.....well mi girl fren was well in front of me, and I was not having a good day, I was thinking this is just what I need some exercise.....I stared them in the eye and said......I have a better idea, how about I throw both of you down the stairs?.... they quickly walked away.........maybe I was being to nice?..........Doc..........

 

[the gorgon]

I ignore the dumb one's who do stupid things. Its not my country or
my place to tell others how to behave nor did I move down here to
police morality. This country has a very very long way to go before
the general public starts behaving better towards one another while
having respect for the natural beauty that surrounds us.

I've had a few physical altercations with people down here which could
have easily been avoided had I just turned the other cheek. Can honestly
say its just not worth the hassle.

i agree with you one hundred percent. and those who find it so irksome, go back to Boise.

one little word of caution for some guys who believe that getting into it with locals is a good idea....it might be, then again it might not. some people might leave the DR, and find themselves living on a different island in the caribbean. if that island is St Croix, or Jamaica, or Trinidad, such actions will get you shot, instantaneously. there will be no conversations, nor arguments. it will be gunfire.

 

[bienamor]

i agree with you one hundred percent. and those who find it so irksome, go back to Boise.

Thank you for not using Kansas, as people normally:classic: do

 

[SantiagoDR]

Thank you for not using Kansas, as people normally:classic: do

 

[malko]

i agree with you one hundred percent. and those who find it so irksome, go back to Boise.

one little word of caution for some guys who believe that getting into it with locals is a good idea....it might be, then again it might not. some people might leave the DR, and find themselves living on a different island in the caribbean. if that island is St Croix, or Jamaica, or Trinidad, such actions will get you shot, instantaneously. there will be no conversations, nor arguments. it will be gunfire.

There again, perhaps instead of getting barked at for throwing litter in front of my house, they might just get shot. No conversations, nor arguments.

 

[the gorgon]

There again, perhaps instead of getting barked at for throwing litter in front of my house, they might just get shot. No conversations, nor arguments.

that might very well be so. then all you will have to worry about is what happens when their friends and relatives decide to get some payback.

 

[malko]

I kind of gave up on dominicans ( and humans in general, mind you ). They want to behave like animals ? Fine with me.
If it doesnt affect me directly, or my close surroumdings, I just let it be...... sadly.

Want to kick a dog ? I'll even fetch mine so you can give it a try.....I' d love to see that....lol.....
Want to throw trash around ? Fine with me, you sub-human...... just make bloody sure its not in front of my house.
Want to park in a handicapped space ? I am with the dominicans on that one. Its a stupid concept to begin with. The dr is not organised enough for official handicapped stickers.  Mind you I am yet to visit a supermarket that doesnt have 3 empty spaces to 1 car ratio ( la sirena, el national santiago, carrefour SD ).

 

[malko]

that might very well be so. then all you will have to worry about is what happens when their friends and relatives decide to get some payback.

People who throw trash around and/or kick dogs are, in my experience, a bunch of cowards in the first place.
Also they do not have family, they were spawned from the bodily waste of some unknown god.....

 

[the gorgon]

I kind of gave up on dominicans ( and humans in general, mind you ). They want to behave like animals ? Fine with me.
If it doesnt affect me directly, or my close surroumdings, I just let it be...... sadly.

Want to kick a dog ? I'll even fetch mine so you can give it a try.....I' d love to see that....lol.....
Want to throw trash around ? Fine with me, you sub-human...... just make bloody sure its not in front of my house.
Want to park in a handicapped space ? I am with the dominicans on that one. Its a stupid concept to begin with. The dr is not organised enough for official handicapped stickers.  Mind you I am yet to visit a supermarket that doesnt have 3 empty spaces to 1 car ratio ( la sirena, el national santiago, carrefour SD ).

i am not exactly thrilled with the idea of some guy bringing home his girlfriend at 4 am, and parking in front of my apartment with his stereo at 150 decibels, rattling the windows in my building. i do not like it when i see all kids of bottles and clamshell plates in the parking lot. the occasional guy taking a slash on the tree in front of my building is not my favorite person.

but, guess what? neither you, nor i, can fix this, at least in our lifetimes. Dominicans are wonderful people, saddled with seriously defective social graces. there are only two sane options. love them, or leave them.

 

[cobraboy]

I ignore the dumb one's who do stupid things. Its not my country or
my place to tell others how to behave nor did I move down here to
police morality.

This is also my country, too, as I am a legal resident, applying for citizenship, and have lived here for 10 years. I will be buried here. I produce & contribute here. I pay taxes here. I've crossed the line from occasional gringo in a tourist enclave to being part of what makes the Dominican Republic tick. I'm no fan of confrontation, but will do so when necessary.

I'm not policing morality. I'm "policing" idiocy. I did the same in the states x 5.

But if I can make a difference by putting an exclamation point on poor behavior as needed I will.

Kicking a dog? Yes, I'll say something.

Throwing trash out a window on a busy street? I've about had enough of that behavior, so I'll say something. I've done it before, giving the trash back to the person who dumped it. Admittedly, dumping the contents inside the concho was not something I suggest doing every day, but IMO the punk had it coming after throwing the trash out again after I returned it to him. I truly get tired of garbage being thrown out.

Handicapped spaces? I get the lack of enforcement and blatant thoughtlessness some Dominicans display. Once again, this has been burbling for a while. Usually there is one available space so it's not a big deal (although we've pointed it out before.) But there were none available that day, and the three punks parking in one with none other available hit a raw nerve.

To say "but you'll get shot" and "payback" is nonsensical hyperbolic absurdity. I'm not going into hiding out of fear.

I spoke aboiut "leading by example" in this thread: Expats, Snowbirds & Tourists : Lead, Follow or Ignore?

I will also say that I've yet to have one Dominican say "stay out of it." Just the opposite. When I say "I don't want to get involved" I have gotten lectures from folks, including a Cabinet member, about how important it is for foreigners to get involved, that many Dominicans respect that more than a Dominican getting involved. I've been admonished for NOT getting involved. My wife

That said, it is not wise anywhere on the planet to go looking for trouble. One must choose when and how to act wisely. I also understand being a large human gives me an edge that not all possess.

 

[Chirimoya]

When I've had a gringa meltdown I just get that deadeyed "deal with it" look, so I try to pick my moments.

The incidents people have described here - disabled parking spaces, cruelty to animals (including human animals) and littering, are precisely such moments, as is texting while driving. It's not always easy or possible, but using humour gets better results.

Wherever I am in the world I will be regarded by most as a foreigner anyway.

 

[Rafael Perez]

I kind of gave up on dominicans ( and humans in general, mind you ). They want to behave like animals ? Fine with me.
If it doesnt affect me directly, or my close surroumdings, I just let it be...... sadly.

Want to kick a dog ? I'll even fetch mine so you can give it a try.....I' d love to see that....lol.....
Want to throw trash around ? Fine with me, you sub-human...... just make bloody sure its not in front of my house.
Want to park in a handicapped space ? I am with the dominicans on that one. Its a stupid concept to begin with. The dr is not organised enough for official handicapped stickers.  Mind you I am yet to visit a supermarket that doesnt have 3 empty spaces to 1 car ratio ( la sirena, el national santiago, carrefour SD ).

I dont blame you for giving up in my paisanos and humans in general. I stopped believing long time ago. Nobody should hold their breath with my peeps.....

 

[chico bill]

Come and drop by my place this morning...

some worker next door started using the sledgehammer on his wall at 6:15am.

Just beating the heat Webster ('Web Foot' - ? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EO2IyD-vAM) - besides what else were you going to do on Thanksgiving - you have to thaw the turkey and start on the gin gimlets

 

[william webster]

Well, it was about rise & shine time for me..... but the missus , not so much

As for Turkey Day.... I’ll be a guest this afternoon 

 

[Cdn_Gringo]

Peer pressure is what's needed to bring about change. Change in behavior takes a long time. See something, say something, repeat often. Others will note your efforts and might eventually join the crusade. At some point a critical mass of public opinion is achieved and it becomes more awkward to litter or behave in ways that annoy the general public. Editorials in the media spread the message much quicker.

Apathy achieves nothing.

 

[cobraboy]

Peer pressure is what's needed to bring about change. Change in behavior takes a long time. See something, say something, repeat often. Others will note your efforts and might eventually join the crusade. At some point a critical mass of public opinion is achieved and it becomes more awkward to litter or behave in ways that annoy the general public. Editorials in the media spread the message much quicker.

Apathy achieves nothing.

Bingo!

It took 10 years in the US from the inception of Ladybird Johnson's "Beautify America" before littering became a moral issue.

There were five people witnessing the kid kicking the dog, four other people in the concho and three guys (plus a few witnesses) who parked in a handicapped space.

 

[william webster]

Canada went through this with recycling and deposit bottles.

The USA is a long way from what Canada does.

It takes time, training and patience

 

[CristoRey]

This is also my country, too, as I am a legal resident, applying for citizenship, and have lived here for 10 years. I will be buried here. I produce & contribute here. I pay taxes here. I've crossed the line from occasional gringo in a tourist enclave to being part of what makes the Dominican Republic tick. I'm no fan of confrontation, but will do so when necessary.

I'm not policing morality. I'm "policing" idiocy. I did the same in the states x 5.

But if I can make a difference by putting an exclamation point on poor behavior as needed I will.

Kicking a dog? Yes, I'll say something.

Throwing trash out a window on a busy street? I've about had enough of that behavior, so I'll say something. I've done it before, giving the trash back to the person who dumped it. Admittedly, dumping the contents inside the concho was not something I suggest doing every day, but IMO the punk had it coming after throwing the trash out again after I returned it to him. I truly get tired of garbage being thrown out.

Handicapped spaces? I get the lack of enforcement and blatant thoughtlessness some Dominicans display. Once again, this has been burbling for a while. Usually there is one available space so it's not a big deal (although we've pointed it out before.) But there were none available that day, and the three punks parking in one with none other available hit a raw nerve.

To say "but you'll get shot" and "payback" is nonsensical hyperbolic absurdity. I'm not going into hiding out of fear.

I spoke aboiut "leading by example" in this thread: Expats, Snowbirds & Tourists : Lead, Follow or Ignore?

I will also say that I've yet to have one Dominican say "stay out of it." Just the opposite. When I say "I don't want to get involved" I have gotten lectures from folks, including a Cabinet member, about how important it is for foreigners to get involved, that many Dominicans respect that more than a Dominican getting involved. I've been admonished for NOT getting involved. My wife

That said, it is not wise anywhere on the planet to go looking for trouble. One must choose when and how to act wisely. I also understand being a large human gives me an edge that not all possess.

I respect people who stand firm in their convictions. I usually tell people
that "change comes from within"... So I'd say ya got ya work cut out for ya
partner but I'll definitely give ya a "A" for the effort.

 

[cbmitch9]

Cobraboy, I commend you. If I see someone mistreating an animal, then I will first have some words with them, very calmly. If I see someone wailing on their female companion, I'll try to stop them and have some words with them. Too many times when people intervene physically when couples are fighting, the one who intervenes ends up getting the wrong end of the stick with the female companion helping her friend kick that person's ass. Just ask a cop what happens and they'll tell you. If somone is hitting a child, then all bets are off. I'll be willing to accept the consequences whatever that might be.