Tourist in Cabarete Shot in Road Rage Incident

[Chip]

Driving faster will not keep you safe. Driving slower will not keep you safe. Not driving at night will not keep you safe [although it might keep you from running over a horse or motorcycle without lights].

Driving politely, avoiding aggression with vehicle or gesture, and remembering that Dominicans are often armed, frequently drinking, and absolutely unhesitating in using violence to avenge their easily-dinged "honor" is the best you can do. Apologies with gestures at imagined insults also helps. Actually, Dominicans are quite receptive to apologies and backing off, if they think you mean it. And don't expect a friendly wave. Be happy no one shot at you. I have been driving here day and night for four years, I've been lucky, but I'm always conscious that this ain't my country and a foreigner is completely unprotected here because you have no extended family that will kill to avenge your death. And every Dominican knows that.

No offense, but I have lived here for three years total, speak the language fluently and have not found the DR to be at all like you describe. Not only that, at least here in Santiago it is rare to hear of a road rage incident - it is a lot more common to hear of them back in Orlando where I used to live.

I add the "speaking fluent" part because I have met Americans living here in the DR who cannot speak the language sufficiently well and have all these crazy ideas about how Dominicans "really" are and how they act in so forth in such a such circumstances. With all due respect to these people, for the most part they are way off on their assumptions. Generally speaking, overall Dominicans are a lot less confrontational than gringos, period.

 

[senorblanco]

Back to gringos being shot.

There are some very very important issues here.

Dominicans shooting and killing gringos is the biggest.
We just lost a 29 year old girl managing a hotel here who was brutally murdered.
Now a local taxi driver, Jose ( Gago ) has shot and nearly killed another.
This guy has killed 4 people and continues to be allowed to carry a gun.
He has quite the reputation for being a bad person and everyone knows him.
He is connected politically and it does raise the question of how a taxi driver can be so connected, but it appears to be the case.

The man shot is a resident, has been here for over two years and is a friend of mine. It is true that he has not filed the complaint for two reasons. First, He is afraid that the maniac may come hunt him down especially now that all the police know where he lives. The second is that the guy probably will not ever go to jail anyway.
I am trying to convince him otherwise, as this type of behavior simply must not be tolerated by the powers that be. We are here in Cabarete investing billions of dollars that benefit the Domincans and their country.
This taxi driver drives gringos around, not Dominicans. He makes a direct living off us and has no problem shooting us for little or no reason.

I will clear up some of the mis-info and rather disturbing comments in SKY's rather disturbing post.

Here is SKY's post with my remarks.

"Last night a tourist from Alabama left the Casino in Cabarete and was driving towards Sabaneta when a car cut him off near the Texaco station east of Cabarete.
NOW YOU KNOW HE IS A RESIDENT BUT HAD TO THE JUMP THE GUN WITH MIS INFORMATION
Apparently he had cut the man off before.
HOW IS THAT APPARENT? NOT ONLY IS IT UN-APPARENT IT IS UN-TRUE,
They both stopped and the tourist screamed at the Dominican.
NOT TRUE AGAIN THERE WAS NO SCREAMING. THERE WERE 3 WITNESSES IN THE CAR. THE TAXI GUY NEVER SPOKE A SINGLE WORD, HE CALMLY WALKED OVER, STRUCK, SHOT, TURNED, GOT IN HIS CAR AND DROVE AWAY
They both got out of thier cars.
HERE IS THE BIGGEST UN-TRUTH AND PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF WHAT REALLY HAPPENED.
THE VICTIM NEVER GOT OUT OF HIS CAR. IF YOU WANT TO POST PLEASE CHECK YOUR FACTS FIRST. THE TAXI DRIVER WALKED UP TO THE WINDOW, HIT HIM IN THE HEAD AND SHOT HIM IN THE SHOULDER AT A DOWN ANGLE. THE PROOF IS CLEAR TO SEE IF YOU LOOK AT THE SEAT IN THE CAR WHERE THE BULLET ENTERED AFTER TEARING A HOLE IN THE VICTIM'S BACK THEN EXITING THE BACK OF THE SEAT. WE BELIEVE THAT THE BULLET IS IN THE CAR AS THERE IS NO EXIT HOLE ANYWHERE BUT WE HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO FIND IT YET.
The Dominican pulled a gun out and hit the man with it. When he did this the gun went off and the tourist was shot in the shoulder. Fortunately it was not serious and he will be OK.
A GUN SHOT WOUND LIKE THIS IS ALWAYS SERIOUS.
The Dominican has not been arrested yet as he never wanted to fire the gun.
WHAT??? WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?
HE HAS NOT BEEN ARRESTED BECAUSE HE DIDN'T WANT THE GUN TO GO OFF?
IS THAT RIGHT?
DID YOU ASK HIM ABOUT HIS THOUGHTS?
ARE TRYING TO PROTECT HIM?
THE GUY IS A KILLER AND KNOWS HOW TO USE A GUN AND HE USED IT BECAUSE HE WANTED TO USE IT.
AND FOR THE RECORD HE WAS ARRESTED.AND HELD YESTERDAY
ALTHOUGH HE SPENT THE DAY WATCHING BASEBALL IN THE AIR-CONDTIONED OFFICE OR CHATTING WITH THE GIRLS OUT IN THE FRONT YARD.
THE AMERICAN CONSULATE TOLD ME HE WOULD BE TRANSPORTED TO POP.
YOU GO TO JAIL FOR SHOOTING PEOPLE, NOT FOR WHAT YOU WANTED OR DIDN'T WANT TO DO, POR FAVOR.
I would assume he will be arrested anyway, as he did not run and is available.
AGAIN I AM DISGUSTED BY YOUR ASSUMPTIONS AND MIS-INFO.
HE DID RUN. THE POLICE TOLD ME THEY SPENT ALL NIGHT LOOKING FOR HIM.
HE IS AVAILABLE? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? HE CALLED THE POLICE AND TURNED HIMSELF IN BEFORE IT WAS EVEN REPORTED?
This is all I know and I am not interested in further discussion as I have no time, nor do I know more.
4 POSTS LATER BUT YOUR NOT INTERESTED IN FURTHER DISCUSSION?
THEN WHY DID YOU POST IN A FORUM?
But this did happen
NOT EXACTLY TRUE, IS IT?

 

[Robert]

And on that obviously "in the know" post, we will shut this down now we know all the facts.

Closed.

 

[Robert]

Generally speaking, overall Dominicans are a lot less confrontational than gringos, period.

Yep, ain't that the truth!

Many gringos have a problem distinguishing between what's normal here and what's not when it comes to driving.

Getting road rage behind the wheel is not going to do you any good, especially when most of the people around you cannot see the problem or even care that your mad.