To Santiago? ?Ten cuidado, mi hijo!

[Lambada]

jet, there are two things going on: first is the reality that crime has increased in the DR in the last 7 years or so, so for a Dominican who lived here 30 years ago, yes, it is different now. But it still isn't like Ciudad Ju?rez (Mexico). And secondly, there's that (probably unconscious) game Dominicans play called 'If you think that's a scary story I can go one better'. Sound familiar?

 

[SantiagoDR]

In daily everyday life one does not notice any problems normally.

For some of us that live here 24/7 there is a difference in many areas.
But it usually is at the home front and not on daily activities.

I roam the city all day long, in and out of many barrios, including Cienfuego in Santiago, and many will advise you to steer clear of there. I have no problems,

Just be aware that if you look for trouble you will find it, and the population will side on the side of the Dominican normally. Remember, a Dominican will rather fight then admit being wrong. They do not want to lose face to anyone, especially a non-Dominican.

But on the home front, you need to be constantly on guard for ladrones.

So your friends and family are correct as they experience it close to home mainly in the form of themselves and their neighbors homes being robbed. Also they will witness many, many occurrences of drug dealings which they will not report because of fear that the police are being paid by the drug dealers.

These are some of the behind the scenes you as a visitor will not notice and the reason for their being cautious.

Everyone here and every place they live in is different, they tell what they have experienced and the others disagree.

Four of my neighbors homes robbed in about six months or so.
A scam artist tried to scam the neighbors, as I posted a video in another thread, etc.

From my experience, and my friends experiences in their neighborhoods, be careful of ladrones (Day or Night)!


Don

 

[Chip]

CHIP: The key words in your statement are:

In the D.R., it's ALL areas............
Now I know "somebody" will tell us how that is not rue of "their" area!!!!!!!

Not quite Don.

Also, you live near Bella Vista correct? Enough said.

 

[SantiagoDR]

Not quite Don.

Also, you live near Bella Vista correct? Enough said.

The ladrone that have been hitting the homes usually don't do so on their own turf where they will be recognized.

Even you Chip were robbed of a propane tank behind your HIGH concrete blook wall if I remember correctly.

Quote from Don:

In the D.R., it's ALL areas............
Now I know "somebody" will tell us how that is not rue of "their" area!!!!!!!

See, I told you "somebody" will tell us how that is not true....... yet they were robbed once.


Don

 

[RacerX]

A few weeks ago, I boarded a jetBlue flight scheduled to land in the Cibao International Airport in Santiago, Dominican Republic at around 4:00 in the afternoon. It wasn?t long before an excited Dominican gentleman shouted, ?Preparen las manos... ?S?benlas!? when right at that instant, the aircraft wheels hit the runway, and a massive round of applause invaded the cabin and almost hushed the gentleman?s loud expression, ?Prep?rate chivo, que voy pa?ll?!?

Right after the hand clapping was over, there was silence, and it was only then that my guts began to revolt and my thoughts became mush with the sound of my parent?s constant beating of the clause, ??Ten cuidado, mi hijo!?

A phrase roughly translated into English as, ?Take care, my son!?

And that saying represents only the tip of the iceberg, due to the underlying and deep horror stories contained within that construction, of people that somehow were either related to us or known to our family as friends, which have either been mugged, assaulted in some way, or even murdered in a cold-blooded fashion by either criminals or even the Dominican police themselves!

Roughly about an hour had passed since the landing when I found myself renting an SUV and exchanging some dollars into pesos when I suddenly realized that my turning of the guts and mushed thoughts syndromes were not going to leave me alone for the rest of the trip! I mean I was trembling with fear everywhere I stopped, pacing back and forth, with pupils wide open, and a tremendous ?flee or fight? adrenalin rush that could not possibly be described on paper or to a psychiatrist in any manner. It was that bad!

There seems to be a Dominican psychological terror attack amongst ourselves that is represented in every possible manner and way of living that we have, and it is invading the way that we construct our homes (With the fortified concrete walls, steel bars, and heavy locks), the ?Wild West? cantina scenes from old cowboy movies (Everyone carries a gun!), to the roughness of the terrain and the need of heavy, all-terrain vehicles that invades the city of Santiago.

What is going on here? Is it really that bad over there?

I hope that this experience does not only belong to me, and that there are others who feel the same way about this ?Cuco de la noche? that is taking away our paradisal and peaceful island livelihood!

Wow, those are some real constraints you have to enjoying yourself bro. I have never felt that way in Santiago. That is a real astute way of observation though I will admit. Your experiences may be different from mine but nonetheless valid. I will look to that next time.

 

[Frank the Tank]

Here is a foto taken of the Op as soon as he walked off the plane and found himself in that crime ridden hell known as Santiago......

And he was seen driving away in this rent a car........

 

[jet]

Ja ja ja ja!

Thanks for that, Frank the Tank! I can see that you got the picture -- literally!

I can't stop laughing! I guess I needed that

 

[AZB]

If jet thinks santiago is run by drug cartels imagine if he lands in colombia? I bet he would think colombia is an extremely dangerous country to travel.
Imagine if he was stopped by military packed with heavy-duty machine guns and search you like this? Hahahaha. this is my friend being searched outside of bogota city.

 

[Lucille]

Here is a foto taken of the Op as soon as he walked off the plane and found himself in that crime ridden hell known as Santiago......

And he was seen driving away in this rent a car........

Frank:You forgot.
What about an angry Black Dog escorting him? lol...

 

[jet]

All right! So I overreacted! But like I've mentioned, it's not my fault!

This was more of an attempt to understand the why of this wide-spread fear that's going around the locals in the DR, particularly in and around Santiago!

Argh! Una fr?a, vestida de novia, ?por favor! And a shot of Johnnie Walker... save the Barcel? and Brugal for when the Johnnie is gone!

(I believe the Polish people call that a "Boilermaker")

Jejeje

 

[AZB]

Why? its just because you only have family and friends in poor barrios of santiago. This is where its dangerous. If you live in a respectable residential areas, you will never see any danger anywhere.
AZB

 

[jet]

Woh! Is this a personal attack, now?

I don't believe that my family and friends live in bad areas of the city...

To be honest, I'm not quite sure of how specific I can be here, but until then, I will not name neither names nor places...

Oh, and try not to be so rude, next time.

 

[SantiagoDR]

Why? its just because you only have family and friends in poor barrios of santiago. This is where its dangerous. If you live in a respectable residential areas, you will never see any danger anywhere.
AZB

Come on now Aftab.

Even when you are home, you keep all doors and gates locked all the time.

 

[donP]

Tales from 1001 Nights

If you live in a respectable residential areas, you will never see any danger anywhere.
AZB

Just don't leave your house or your "area of the rich". :tired:

http://www.pasoapaso.com.do/noticias/2009/nov/23/cinco-muertos-en-santiago-en-24-horas/

donP

 

[AZB]

Woh! Is this a personal attack, now?

I don't believe that my family and friends live in bad areas of the city...

To be honest, I'm not quite sure of how specific I can be here, but until then, I will not name neither names nor places...

Oh, and try not to be so rude, next time.

its not a personal attack its a fact. I have (almost) never seen dominican yorks come to santiago to visit people in respectable residential neighborhoods. Their families usually live in the worst areas of santiago and this is why they think like this because 95% of crimes are committed there. The first thing a dominican york does, is: he rents a SUV (red montero), then he is taken to places like montebar, andy's ranch, other tipico bars and finally he ends up in pasion or ilusion night club. If they try to be fancy, they go to momy, or tete bar and order a greygoose vodka.
Most of their friends and primos are from cien fuego, buenos aires. monte rico etc and if they are a bit well off, they move to las colinas.
Things haven't varied that much in all those years I have been living here
Example: when I was visiting colombia, almost all the colombian living in USQ told me to be careful in bogota and other cities. Don't do this and that.
Oh boy, I can't tell you how wrong they were. Seems to me they are also from the bad barrios, no wonder they have moved to usa for a better life.
I stayed in top notch areas of bogota and medellin. Believe me, not only there was no danger felt on my part, non of the colombian that live there resemble any colombians that live in usa.
You want bad info and perhaps, more costly as well? go read the top notch website of colombia run by gringos. I followed their advise and it cost me more money. The experts there know crap. I was able to find better options on my own than the gringos who actually live there for many years.
AZB

 

[Chip]

The ladrone that have been hitting the homes usually don't do so on their own turf where they will be recognized.

Even you Chip were robbed of a propane tank behind your HIGH concrete blook wall if I remember correctly.

Quote from Don:

See, I told you "somebody" will tell us how that is not true....... yet they were robbed once.


Don

Home invasion and having something taken from your yard aren't the same.

 

[bachata]

Jet if you come back to Santiago, just bring A BIG BLACK DOG with you....para que te cuide.

Or next time he can do like me, my friend Rivas was waiting for me at STI. He carry a 9 millimeter all time with him (service weapon) and some time his personal colt 38 in the glove compartment.:cheeky:

JJ

 

[jet]

AZB

Actually, in most occasions when I come over to the DR, I am with my wife and two kids, and we are visiting a mass of relatives on highs and lows, something that does not correlate to their worth or value as human beings.

I think its funny that you feel so comfortable and proud of being part of the elite, which I could categorize (as you have done to me) as either being people born lucky, or as corrupt exploiters - if I'm feeling in a less charitable mood.

Perhaps the "elite" - the people in power should be concerned for the safety of regular Dominicans instead of looking down on them.

Because, remember that in the end, the wall of privilege and money will fall down, and you will find yourself living amongst all of your fellow countrymen.

 

[SantiagoDR]

Home invasion and having something taken from your yard aren't the same.

Makes you think hard about safety tho when that

"Yard"

is surrounded by a high concrete wall and high metal fence!

A thief in my yard to me would definitely be classified as a dangerous situation.


Don​

 

[Lucille]

With all my respect, I live in Reparto Universitario, we have our own private security and we are very lucky because besides them, we also have the Pucmm's private guards crossing by all day long through the reparto, but we stopped the security for a few months and Haitians and dominicans on motorcycles were pulling out purses, chains and backpacks, specially to the Pucmm's students who were walking.
The security guards stopped the robbers around here.
Bandits are everywhere. IMHO
Personally, I did not have any bad experience, but I take precautions. I do not carry any valuables in my purse.