There Goes the Neighbourhood - Hell's Angels Bunker North Coast

[Ladybird]

If you would learn how to read, you would already see that I have stated several times "their impact on the north to minimal". At least their direct impact. The implications for Canadian travellers to the DR has implications for tourist zones. We live in a global society. It's great that you believe that Canadian policies are irrelevant to the DR, but that's not the case in actuallity. If people begin to have bad treatment upon returning from a destination, soley for being in a destination, they might not come back. If businesses begin to have complications, soley because of the country where they are doing business, they may look elsewhere.

The DR unlike Canada, doesn't have any standards by which to decide to let someone into the country - it's a great place for a criminal to hide. Unfortunately, 50 members of an organization known to have criminal elements setting up shop abroad, carries implications at home, and internationally.

Yes my beef is the the GoC, but if you have any clue, you'd realize that that effects the DR aswell.

Why don't you tell me about your freedom a little more. Like when the last time you were able to walk around for more than a few lit blocks, unarmed at night. List some examples.

I'm not trying to burst any bubbles - it just seems that people can't see through their rose coloured "paradise" bubbles. Sorry, the DR, as beautiful as it may be, is not paradise. The DR is not immune to goings on of the rest of the world. What is so hard to understand??

Absolute hysterical rubbish!!!!!!!!,, there are great decent chapters of HA in many countries and here on the North Coast of the DR, there is a group that have lived here for years, that are peaceful, helpful and good people. I do wish all you people would STOP exaggerating the dangers/crime here in the DR. I, like many, that have lived here for years, feel far safer here than I do in an English village in GB. Look at the dreadful violent crime going on in Europe, the US and Canada and other countries, its no comparison to the crime levels in the DR, yet some of you people seem to take pleasure in tearing this country apart, the answers simple..... dont come here, and if you are here - get out, go back to your peaceful lawful countries from whence you came.

Also I must say, Id rather have a dozen or so beautiful Harleys on these pot holed streets than all these annoying moto conchos, now those ARE dangerous.aranoid:

 

[fightfish]

I love motorcycles. I love walking around with a beer in my hand. The thing about oRGANIZED CRIME, of which the HA are a part of, is that it is hidden. You don?t see a banner announcing ?Hey, this is owned by so and so,?or ?money laundered here?.
Crime actually goes down sometimes in Org. Crime neighborhoods, but the oveall impact usually isn?t good for the community as a whole. I don?t think the Hells Angels need anyone standing up for them. They can take care of themselves, as they have proven thus far. But who wants an underlying, hidden criminal element profitting in their community? At least we know the politicians faces from their billboards!

 

[Ladybird]

I love motorcycles. I love walking around with a beer in my hand. The thing about oRGANIZED CRIME, of which the HA are a part of, is that it is hidden. You don?t see a banner announcing ?Hey, this is owned by so and so,?or ?money laundered here?.
Crime actually goes down sometimes in Org. Crime neighborhoods, but the oveall impact usually isn?t good for the community as a whole. I don?t think the Hells Angels need anyone standing up for them. They can take care of themselves, as they have proven thus far. But who wants an underlying, hidden criminal element profitting in their community? At least we know the politicians faces from their billboards!

I was defending the DR, not the HA. Your post is funny.gre:

 

[fightfish]

Sorry to post twice in a row, but Ladybird?s comments took a while to sink in.
A HA isn?t going to mug someone, steal your wallet or cell phone...for what?
They can get their own. I think you are confusing a biker with an organized crime syndicate. These aren?t bottom feeders, quite the opposite. You won?t ever have aproblem with an HA. It is the lower tiers that will develope that will be the problem if ever. Hey, most likely I will neber feel the effects of an HA ?chapter?on the north coast either. Bit to paint the HA?s as some kind of recreational club is a bit ridiculous. They aren?t organized to trade moto parts. They?re an underground, highly developed crime syndicate and don?t do any good for anyone but their own-and joining for the bennies is just too costly...

 

[fightfish]

Good, defend the DR. I am all for that. I love it here, and have for quite some time. Let me ask you this: What benefit to gringos or dominicans would the HA?s bring?

 

[Lambada]

But who wants an underlying, hidden criminal element profitting in their community? At least we know the politicians faces from their billboards!

Unless you really have the 'in' on the organised DR drug industry I would say there already are 'underlying, criminal elements' here & they are Government sponsored in two ways:a) those who 'look the other way' & profit from the industry & b) those who are more actively involved & also profit from the industry. If only it WAS the faces smiling from the billboards.............then we would know. But it isn't and we don't. At least I don't.

One of the difficulties facing some of the longer term expats is that we no longer know who the honest police & military are (& in the past we did) - same goes for politicians, even some of the business community - we just don't know who is & who isn't in some way, even if only peripherally, involved in the drugs industry. So we already live with this situation, maybe that's why having a HA chapter doesn't seem like anything too out of the ordinary?

Sure, we might have our suspicions but sometimes it just isn't wise to ask too many questions. Sometimes it is better to assume a dumb gringa face & change the subject.

 

[fightfish]

Well said Lambada. But my question to Ladybird and anyone still stands....What benefits does an organization bring to the community, either local, expat or both? Of all the organizations that might wind up here, why defend the HA?s ? To me it is a simple calculation of benefits versus negatives. The guy that tries to sell me an eightball leaving the bar I can remember, keep track of, avoid; but what I can?t see I can?t prepare against, watch out for, etc. In a community like we have in the DR, it is so easy to exploit the local mules.

 

[DavidZ]

Who said anything about the HA bringing benefits to the North Coast or that these guys are big-hearted philanthropists?? Someone posted a link to an article about the HA being in Cabarete and a handful of people start freaking out claiming they are going to ruin Cabarete, build meth labs, kill people, traffic prostitutes, and...oh yeah, make it difficult for all Canadians returning to Canada...and of course kill tourism in the whole country...

Please!!!

The HA are here...they're not building schools or feeding the poor, but they're not bothering anyone either. Where are they congregating and causing a scene in Sosua? At the Massage parlor/whore house?? Does that bother you? Everyone who lives in Cabarete has stated that they are around and are not causing problems.

There are WAY more powerful, connected, and wealthy Thugs here than the HA, and there's plenty of bad stuff being done already. Anyone who wants to keep on harping about the ruination of Cabarete, or the North Coast, the loss of personal Freedoms for Canadians, or the decline in tourism or real estate values, go ahead, you're just coming off as reactionary idiots...and please, stay in Canada or wherever you are...we'll keep an eye on the HA and report back.

For those whose lives have been personally affected by meth, or your local chapter of HA, I truly feel for you, but don't assume that because there's an HA Clubhouse in Cabarete, it means the DR is no longer a nice place to visit...or live.

 

[fightfish]

And that makes it a positive thing.....Let?s give the Hell?s Angels another name, just for psychological effect. The Klu Klux Klan is opening a chapter in Cabarete. Just members of the group who want to relax, go on some tours and really love winsurfing... good. They?re polite individuals, say yes ma?m, no ma?m, have a few beers and are nice to be around. Any problems?

 

[fightfish]

So, the KKK are accepted? After all, they aren?t affecting anybody, just vacationing, no burning crosses or hoods..They aren?t organizing anything, just want to have a bungalow here for their members to enjoy. What, no problems? A KKK beachfront bunker shouldn?t be a problem,,,just suntan lotion and a boost to the local economy...
What say you Ladybird, DavidZ. It is just a club with a local hangout...I would like your thoughts on the matter.

 

[Lambada]

Any problems?

They'll need to take the hoods off before they go windsurfing................

 

[DavidZ]

As long as they're not out burning crosses and hanging innocent people, they can live anywhere they want to. I wouldn't pre-judge them or assume they were here to turn Cabarete into the Deep South cerca 1956.... Why would I have a problem with them living here? There's bad people and organizations everywhere...everyone seems to get upset and start speculating about the negative impact it will have on life in the DR when the news reports about bad things or bad people here.

Do people think this is truly paradise and only good things and good people should be here?

Ultimately the DR is a very nice place to vacation, and for some people, to live. Like everywhere else in the world, it's far from Nirvana. I've never met anyone visiting or living here who expects it to be perfect...and I've yet to meet anyone who actually lives here who gets freaked out by "bad news" or silly statements made on internet forums.

I think just about everyone who lives or travels here cares about what's going on around us and around the world that affects life here, but I for one just don't "get" the way so many people, usually those who don't live here, constantly speculate on what life must be like here or how outside factors affect the life of a Dominican or DR resident...(and now Canadians too!)

OK, I'll get off my soapbox now...time to go put on a sheet and start a story about a new "social organization" invading Cabarete...

 

[Robert]

The thread is about HA's not the KKK, so let's leave it that way.

Can a member of the local HA chapter please post on DR1 and let us know how they handled Aduanas with all those shiny custom choppers

 

[DavidZ]

The thread is about HA's not the KKK, so let's leave it that way.

Can a member of the local HA chapter please post on DR1 and let us know how they handled Aduanas with all those shiny custom choppers

maybe they bribed the Aduanas guys with meth and hookers...

 

[marliejaneca]

For those of us who moved to the DR 14-15 years ago - remember the zero-tolerance policy on drugs? Do you remember the people who were sent to jail for being caught for passing a joint on the malecon? Do you remember the signs up all other the DR stating its zero tolerance policy?

I certainly do.

David Z, Sky and others have stated that the HA have been in Cabarete for years now - I would be interested to know just how many?

Now could it be that the influx of drugs that have bombarded the country in the more recent years, may have something to do with these guys? A ring, so to speak, involving the local authorities and government personnel? I know that there are also drug cartels involved with the more serious drugs, but maybe, just maybe, they could be a part of what is happening.

This debate is going to go on and on, let's face it. I guess if the people who live and have investments in Cabarete are okay with having a chapter/clubhouse being set up there, then we should let it go. After all, they are the ones who have to live amongst them, not us.

We wish them well, and let us hope that they do not have to experience what a lot of us Canadians have had to witness.

Vaya con Dios,

Marlie

 

[SKY]

The only debate going on is in Canada, over here we have no problems. This is a FREE country, as stated before, you have to do something other than wear a jacket to get in trouble over here. And I sincerely hope it stays this way.

If you want to play detective you can come down here, otherwise nobody is interested in your assumptions.

 

[SKY]

Hells Angels

If you go to the HA Home Page and look on the right side under their locations you will see the DR listed as a Hangaround. They come for sun and fun here, not business.

 

[Jumbo]

Also on the website:

Hells Angels is the oldest , and biggest original
1 % motorcycle club in the world. The club was founded
in 1948 in San Bernardino

The 1 percenters:

The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HAMC) is a world-wide motorcycle club whose members traditionally ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles. In the United States, and Canada, the Hells Angels are incorporated as the Hells Angels Motorcycle Corporation. Members nickname themselves "one-percenters" in response to the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) claim that 99% of motorcyclists were law-abiding citizens, and the last one percent were outlaws.

As advised on this site do not move to the DR right away. HANGOUT. Come for a few non AI vacations. Rent a place for a few months. See if it is for you. Well Club 81 has done so. Bought some property. Had a road named for them and seem to really like the place.

This is not a simple vacation outlet. Years of thought, planning, organization and a good amount of money has been invested to get to where they are now in the DR. You yourself David have been talking about bringing your bike down from Fla. You know it is simple if you have deep pockets. Well i saw about half a million in Harleys outside the puta clubs in Sosua every night last week. Nothing wrong with them chasing putas or having fun........ But they are an organization of predators. If you feel comfortable having them in your backyard then all the power to you.

Many people have come to the DR on vacation and discovered opportunity. Some in real estate, bars or other businesses. David, why are you in Cabarete? You saw opportunity..... These guys have been building an empire for years. They are an organized business. The meth lab thing is pure BS. But to have a hangout on a drug transfer island is suspect.

 

[DavidZ]

Jumbo, while it's true that I chose to live in Cabarete partly because of a business opportunity, most people, no matter what their background, come here to enjoy themselves. Many of them buy property...and invite their friends...some of their friends wind up buying property here too. Some start businesses, or continue the businesses the had at home, most don't. I don't feel threatened or uncomfortable because the HA are here, and I wouldn't feel threatened if the KKK decided to open a chapter here (I'm Jewish, FWIW)..I wouldn't be excited, but I, for one, believe in a "live and let live" lifestyle...this is the biggest "opportunity" that drew me here.

You speculate that "Years of thought, planning, organization and a good amount of money has been invested to get to where they are now in the DR." Why? What benefit is there to making such a grand (and possibly (likely, IMO) false) assumption based on nothing more than circumstantial "evidence".

Speaking only for myself, as I stated before, I appreciate the fact that someone posted articles concerning the area I live in. I read what I could (the English ones), processed it, and moved on. When I read all of the replies about the demise of Cabarete, Tourism, personal freedoms, etc., I decided to speak up. I got a little too involved "defending" Cabarete and my opinion of the impact of the HA here, but I realize it's pointless. I'm not a politician or debater and am not trying to convert anyone's thought process...people will think what they want to think.

And as for having a street named for them, they didn't... They put up a sign that reads "Calle 81" on the end of their street which had no sign before...I did the same thing on the street my house is located on so people knew where to turn...I did it before they did by the way...as have many people I know here.

 

[Lambada]

I have to ask myself if The Winnipeg Sun is a cross between the US's National Enquirer & the UK's News of the World...........:cheeky: You are gonna LOVE their expos? 'Quebec Hells have literally taken over this small town of 15,000............(that's Cabarete btw) A Sun Media team spent a few days incognito by their side, bearing witness to their influence on the area'

and 'Oddly enough, the other tourists in the village did not appear overly concerned about the gang's massive presence. At the restaurant, couples in their sixties didn't even hesitate before they sat a few feet from the 25 full-patch Hells that were eating there, surrounded with mariachis playing their best merengue melodies. The rare times when the Sun Media team saw police, travelling salesmen and child shoeshiners fled like lightning. The Hells didn't move an inch'. :laugh::laugh:

Who writes this stuff? Notice there is no author byeline - can't say I'm terribly surprised, I mean who would want their name associated with this 'fearless expos?'............
winnipegsun.com - World - Hells Angels at home in Dominican

Intrepid 60 year olds not hesitating to sit a few feet away...........'mariachis' in Cabarete - must be the Mexican HA.

What a hoot! :cheeky: But I can now understand why Canadians up in Canada are getting a bit concerned (if they're reading this sort of stuff). Hint: change your reading material. :bunny:

So, what's next? Aliens in Cabrera?