Warning to tourists/Foreigners in Punta Cana area!

laurajane

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May 23, 2005
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Last night when one of my trucks was returning home to Higuey on the Macao road from Bavaro at approx 1am after the show, they were flagged down by a Canadian Gentleman alone just past the Hard Rock Hotel which those of you who are familiar with it know it is almost deserted at this time of night.

He had been outside the Flamenco Hotel which is a very busy tourist area looking for a taxi (to take him where i am unsure), he was picked up by one and taken to the secluded area i mentioned and was robbed of everything he had by five men, luckily he was not beaten which seems to me a real miracle.

My truck turned round and took him back to the Hotel he was staying at his request. Of course they urged him to go straight to Politur but i presume he was shaken up and perhaps wanted to report it to the hotel.

I am unsure if the five men were already in the taxi or if they were waiting for this so called taxi driver to bring them a victim, but either way i thought it was important to warn people to only use hotel taxi's from the resort if they are unfamiliar with their surroundings.

I do realize that we can all sometimes do stupid things and make silly judgements after a good night out on the town, but this could have turned out alot worse and i thanked my team for being so helpful and for going out of their way to help this man.

Be Warned!
 
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Anastacio

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Feb 22, 2010
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What???
A guy got into a cab, got taken to a secluded area where there happened to be 5 men, and was robbed?
Are you sure this wasn't a drunk guy who had used all his money on women and needed a good reason to be stuck in the middle of nowhere without any cash?

Seems a very odd situation/occurrance.
 

laurajane

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May 23, 2005
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No, It did seem very genuine. By all accounts he didnt seem drunk and i think it sounds quite viable, its possible he could live here and lives near the hotel where my boys dropped him, maybe he thinks he knows his way around or was just in one of those happy happy holiday moods, who knows but i have heard of similar problems involving Motos Concho drivers. My boys dont speak excellent english but maybe he was at a bar talking to some local boys and was "offered" a lift, who knows. All i know is he was robbed and pretty shaken up.

It doesnt seem too hard to believe to me.
 

CaptnGlenn

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Mar 29, 2010
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It's been my understanding that tourists in the P.C. area are generally safe from serious crime as long as they follow common sense precautions. This info comes from a trusted source, but could it be wrong? I'd say using a taxi.. even if you're alone and even late at night.. would be considered safe.

Maybe I shouldn't be telling people it's safe there???
 

Anastacio

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Feb 22, 2010
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It is pretty safe in comparrisson to elsewhere. The only seriously bad influence I have noticed has been the Russian younguns that apply thier somewhat outdated scare tactics on people. Making guns in bars seen, uncalled for eyeballing, oldschool bullying for the sakes of free drinks after a binge in some Americans bar. Dominicans and Haitians are for the most part cool and don't want any attention and so don't bother tourists, from what I've observed anyway. Any trouble between them is kept between them, no one is intersted in the mugging and so on BS other places see.

I do find it funny when I see the big raid trucks going past at 3am in the morning with a stack of white girls on the back after being raided at the local drug dealers home. That cracks me up. And I've seen this quite a few times:surprised
 

laurajane

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Oh i think generally it is, My boys are hazy about the taxi, probably wasnt an actual taxi and my team have no idea why someone would get into a taxi with 5 guys in it, i think it was more likely he was befriended by a group and taken for a ride, literally or was stupid enough to wave a car down...no idea.

The one of my team that speaks most english said he was very well dressed, shirt, suit trousers allthough even his shoes were taken, he wasnt slummin it in board shorts and flip flops so maybe they thought he was a good target.

I would never tell anyone its safe here, but as long as they take the normal precautions as you would anywhere else in the world that you are unfamiliar with. I have had some bad experiences here with thieves etc and know many people who have, as we are naturally a target for those odd few that cant resist.
 

bonny

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Feb 18, 2011
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I have a question? How come everybody here just talk in English and not in Spanish? I thought this was going to be a site to speak our language!:( Just wondering!
 

laurajane

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I have a question? How come everybody here just talk in English and not in Spanish? I thought this was going to be a site to speak our language!:( Just wondering!

Because this site is designed for Foreigners/Expats that have intersts in the Dominican Republic weather they be potential vistors, Business people, or people who reside and or holiday in the DR. Many members are Dominican and welcomed but it is primarily a resource for people with interests here, some if not most do not speak fluent spanish.
 

Anastacio

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Feb 22, 2010
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I have a question? How come everybody here just talk in English and not in Spanish? I thought this was going to be a site to speak our language!:( Just wondering!

I think you would be welcomed to write in Spanish, but you reduce your feedback from other users by around 85%, possibly less, I'm not sure on others Spanish fluency.
 

yanandu

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Jan 23, 2011
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I think you would be welcomed to write in Spanish, but you reduce your feedback from other users by around 85%, possibly less, I'm not sure on others Spanish fluency.

Punta Cana is dangerous - stay in hotel compound at night!


Yanandu
 

Anastacio

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Feb 22, 2010
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Punta Cana is dangerous - stay in hotel compound at night!


Yanandu

I can believe that anywhere is dangerous for you Yanandu, you do seem to attract negative attention.
How much first hand experience of the area do you have, daytime or nightime.
 

CaptnGlenn

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Mar 29, 2010
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Speaking from long experience with internet forums, the best way to handle antagonistic posters is to ignore them. They exist solely for the attention they seek. As someone in another thread aptly put it, "If you don't feed the fire, it goes out."
 

rebuiltbyGOD

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Feb 17, 2011
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Not only is Punta Cana dangerous for tourists, but also Cabarete and Santo Domingo. I surmise that there may be many cities that I do not know at this point on this island that practice this heinous crime. I advise and caution all tourists who are traveling to the Dominican Republic to never and I mean never use their ATM machines, for fear of being ripped off like I have repeatedly been done on several occassions all over this money-scheming island. The ATM machines must be rigged. Upon arriving back to my country, my bank statement reflected many unauthorized debits that I never consented to. All they need is your number; PINS do not even have to be known. These are professional crooks employed somewhere in the system that swindle us unknowingly though we trust them at their banks. Big mistake! BIGGGGG MISTAKE! I do not have money to throw away! I am having difficulty making contact with this particular bank, Banco Popular, to bring attention to their crime. I did notice that there was a thread sometimes ago on this forum addressing the same issue and several oral reports that this is a frequent practice with the banks over there. I really didn't want experience to be my teacher. It somehow has dampened my spirits to travel there and they wonder why their regoin is so poor! Ask someone who's been severely robbed over there. Perhaps that will explain why they will continously experience lack. Ill-gotten gain is a curse to anone! There are no exceptions, even for the crooked banks over in the D.R.! Tourists, beware!
 

Anastacio

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Feb 22, 2010
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Funny you should say that, I've lived in Sosua (cabarets neighbour and some may say slightly more dangerous), the capital (most would say the most dangerous area), and Bavaro (as safe as anywhere I have ever lived) and I have never really had any issue, ok just before Xmas me and my family got held up at gunpoint, but that was entirely my stupid fault for walking where we were in the dark, so that doesn't really count. I have used the cashpoint only for 7 years several times a week and not once had any trouble at all.

As said, some people just attract negativity and bad vibes, fortunately i'm not one of them.
 

Fernandez

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Jan 4, 2002
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A few years back I can recall reading about the ATM bandit.
He would stalk people walking up to ATMs all over the city, and at gunpoint force a withdrawl and then take off in a waiting car. Happened all times of day- so the guy (and accomplices) appeared to have a pretty aggressive plan. Once the Police started to show videos of the robbers in action, it basically stopped. Haven't heard about this resurfacing in New York since.
 
Mar 1, 2009
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I don't know how crime has gotten so out of control. I have been using atms in Santo Domingo for years now and nothing has ever happened. I have walked down dark, dark streets and nada. I try to dress like er'body else, wear chancletas and such. I have had rides from the airport and never been followed or tracked. I have been very alert to see if I am being a target, nothing. I have made stupid mistakes and made many faux pas as I am a Dominican York so I can relate to expats. I dunno this Canuck must've done something wrong.
 

dulce

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Jan 1, 2002
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Laurajane was providing a warning of what CAN happen. Yes, it CAN happen anywhere but it DID happen in PC. A taxi driver attempted to set me up to be robbed also. I was experienced enough to stop him THAT time. YES, robberies and scams can happen ALL over the world but it DID happen in PC. Whaterver did or did not happen to any of us ANYWHERE does not change that fact. Her warning should be heard so people can learn from it and be safer with her information.
I am glad that some of you never had any bad things happen to you but that doesn't change the fact that it is possible for it to happen to you in the future no matter how experienced you are. AND please stop blaming the victims in these scams and robberies.
It is the person doing the crime that is to blame and the victim can only learn from the bad experience.
Be careful out there and aware and always remember that on ANY given day ANYWHERE on earth ANY ONE of us could be the victim.
Please heed Laurajane's notice and learn what she wanted to teach and that is to be alert and aware of the dangers that COULD possibly lurk out there IN PC.
 
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Jerry Albers

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Dec 12, 2010
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Ya - well my cousin got robbed in Canada.. It can happen. My friend travels the world and he got robbed in Singapore and Africa.. He always takes just enuff cash with him to do what he has to do. If the robb you, just give it to them.. How cares about $100 . Not worth getting stabbed for..