To the idiot on the pasola in front of Playero...

[cjewell]

I was crossing the autopista out of the Batey entering the Playero parking lot on a GREEN light this afternoon. You were a older caucasian man with a hatian chica on the back of your pasola - speeding down the highway with no helmut on. You had a RED light and as you blew through the red light nearly hitting my car - you and your chica laughed away like c'est la vie hahaha.

Well I have news for you sir. Apart from nearly hitting me causing me injury and damaging my car - your head could have been mashed potatoes all over the highway because you are too stupid to use a helmut and dido for your chica. Bet your faces wouldn't have been smiling then? You would have been the 3rd foreigner I have seen in 3 months with your smashed bloody head splashed all over Detras Del Rumor.

Perhaps if you don't give 2 ****s about the life of yourself and your passenger, consider the lives of others via a vi me and my passenger. Things like this happen sometimes here but this was so close that I had to post to you to let you know what a complete prick you are.

Cheers

 

[AnnaC]

Do you know if the idiot is DR1 member?

Glad you are ok

 

[cjewell]

No idea - but hoping so because he will know who he is and what he did was beyond ridiculous. Apart from crapping my pants - that hurts my heart because people lose their lives here all the time needlessly. Never mind him or me but others crossing the street and how about peoples families... like dude needs to give his head a shake.

... and thank you for the well wishes

Do you know if the idiot is DR1 member?

Glad you are ok

 

[DR Solar]

I think that when driving and having do deal with the idiots card and rating is about 50/50. Dominican's vs privileged Gringos. I share and agree with cj's observation 100%

 

[Mauricio]

Helmut Kohl is almost 90, I don't expect him to ride along on a pasola , which Helmut did you mean?*

Lame, I know, sorry

 

[joe]

Unfortunately that description fits a lot of f#@*ing idiots here. Hope he wipes out and hurts himself, I really do. At least you're ok.

 

[cjewell]

Typo - meant helmet

Helmut Kohl is almost 90, I don't expect him to ride along on a pasola , which Helmut did you mean?*

Lame, I know, sorry

 

[Bronxboy]

Typo - meant helmet

And maybe:

you are too stupid to use a helmut and dido for your chica.

You meant:

dildo!!!!!!

 

[cjewell]

Haha - guess I should have proofed my post Typed it on the fly while angry - never a good combo

And maybe:



You meant:

dildo!!!!!!

 

[PeterInBrat]

Ha! Knew a woman who was stopped at the red light there wanting to make a left turn towards Playero. She got rear ended and SHE got arrested and had to pay $400 damage bc she was *blocking the intersection.*

The rules are different here.

 

[cjewell]

Can't comment on her but I know a woman (me) who has received 2 multas here in the past year both for passing through yellow lights. One I went straight through on a yellow because I couldn't safely stop and the other I was waiting in the intersection to make a left and due to traffic and turn on the yellow - once in Sosua and once in POP and both times the Amet told me in no uncertain terms that it is illegal to pass a yellow or red light.

Ha! Knew a woman who was stopped at the red light there wanting to make a left turn towards Playero. She got rear ended and SHE got arrested and had to pay $400 damage bc she was *blocking the intersection.*

The rules are different here.

 

[Mauricio]

The 'best' thing is when suddenly they apply developed world rules to the traffic chaos, like blocking intersection. I've had my done for turning in green with 20 seconds to go and not being able to finish the turn because a carro p?blico decided to unload passengers and block the free lane, when I could finally go on the light had changed and I had to wait in the middle of the intersection. Amet had seen everything but gave the fine to me.

 

[DR Solar]

I understood this as being more a "a problem with Gringos driving" thread. Anyone here for any time understands the Dominican lack of any sort of driving concern or safety. Listing our observations is futile and never will end.

But some/many/a lot of gringos driving put the locals to shame concerning aggressive and unsafe driving. At least the locals know how to avoid a major problem ... some of the time and get away with it. I don't know how?

But some of the Gringo drivers are way beyond them.

Go to a different County with your bags packed but leave your brain at home.

 

[Cdn_Gringo]

A race to the bottom for some. It's all too easy to see "them" get away with it and figure you may as well too.

 

[DR Solar]

A race to the bottom for some. It's all too easy to see "them" get away with it and figure you may as well too.

??? what?

 

[the gorgon]

I understood this as being more a "a problem with Gringos driving" thread. Anyone here for any time understands the Dominican lack of any sort of driving concern or safety. Listing our observations is futile and never will end.

But some/many/a lot of gringos driving put the locals to shame concerning aggressive and unsafe driving. At least the locals know how to avoid a major problem ... some of the time and get away with it. I don't know how?

But some of the Gringo drivers are way beyond them.

Go to a different County with your bags packed but leave your brain at home.

there are some gringos here who drive like crap, but the difference is *that they have basic notions about driving a car. Dominicans have none. at least in places like North America and Europe, you learn that if you rear end a stopped vehicle, it is your fault. that kinda teaches you to follow the car in front from a safe braking distance. in the Dominican Republic there is no such thing as fault, so guys just drive like animals and hope they dont hit anything.

 

[PeterInBrat]

I have to take a video of some of the intersections here during rush hour.

Passolas, motorcycles, cars and trucks all go at different speeds and vague lanes in both directions.

Seems like at least one expat gets run down every year at Janet's in Caberete. Expecting traffic to yield or be in the right lane down here can get you killed. Very often a car will stop for a pedestrian then the car behind will pass and clobber them bc they were going to fast to stop.

I got grazed by a moto about a year ago crossing bc they went into the oncoming land to make a left onto a one way street. I thought I was safe bc there was so much cross traffic so crossed in front of a stopped truck and a bunch of motos. As far as the moto driver was concerned, I popped out in front of him(in his left lane). He was watching the cross traffic, not for gringos.

Be careful out there.

 

[windeguy]

Incidents like this are such common occurrences here that they fail to register as important unless blood is drawn. Please note that I am not trying to dismiss the OP's issue as insignificant , I am just stating what is reality here. I could post three separate incidents like this every time I travel from Cabarete to Puerto Plata.

 

[Cdn_Gringo]

A race to the bottom for some. It's all too easy to see "them" get away with it and figure you may as well too.

??? what?

Some foreigners here, who would never consider pulling some of these boneheaded driving maneuvers in their home country, seem to be in a race with the indigenous population to set the bar as low as possible.

In other words, if you can't beat them, join them, or if they don't have to stop for a red light, neither do I.

 

[sanpedrogringo]

Some of you "north coasters" seem to be involved a bit more in community meetings and such, as opposed to us "south coasters"....is there ever any mention of possibly installing speed bumps up there? At least in the zones where there is traffic volume. There are tons down in Juan Dolio, and although they annoy many, they have undoubtedly saved countless others.