Worst night of my short Dominican life.

Koreano

Bronze
Jan 18, 2012
1,546
0
36
Yesterday night might be the worst night of my short Dominican life.

Yesterday night I arrive at my house around 8ish my wife rushed out of the house and put my son in the car. She wanted to go La Serena to shop. She said we had nothing to eat and must go shopping now for upcoming church friends gathering and others. I was sitting in the car busy with my son as she was closing the door.
"Ooops!" she said.
"I took the wrong key."
I said no problem since I made a copy and it was in my wallet. I tried both copied keys and one worked but one she locked didn't work. She said she took the wrong key and gave me one for the padlock at the backyard. I opened it and looked around and it looks like with pair of screwdrivers and hammer I think I could open the backdoor from out side. So I called my wife's friend and asked for tools. I picked up the tool and on the way back my wife still wanted to stop by La Serena. So I dropped them off and told her I'll be back in about a hour to pick her up. I gave my wife my phone since she lost her HTC Sensation recently. So around 9ish I arrived at my house. And with great effort(I didn't realized that the doors was that heavy) I opened the door and I took the key and called my wife but she didn't picked up. I replace the door and called my wife again and no answer again. So I changed my shirt since it was soaked in sweat and called again. No answer again. I didn't think of it much because I thought either she was getting no signals or my son was playing with my phone. I went to La Serena and my wife was at the near of entrance and was in very frighten/confused state. I asked and she said somebody took her bag from the cart. She said she lost everything except passport that I kept. I want to service desk and they said a guy named Frank speaks english so I waited and the Frank came around and I told him that someone stole my wife's bag. And the answer was what I was expecting. "Usually thieves take the contents and leave the bag so if they somehow find it they will call me if they find anything." So "tough luck" is all he said. So I left my business card and asked them to call if they find anything. So we returned home and called card companies and wife's home. I had to stay up until 1 AM to sort everything out. and I was late for work.

Ahh...
Women...
Living with them is like spending three weeks in heaven and one week of hell...
 

Koreano

Bronze
Jan 18, 2012
1,546
0
36
Oops.
I forgot to ask...
Does anybody have US consulate number?
I think I should call and let them know that my wife lost her expired green card and the one year extension letter.
 

La Rubia

Bronze
Jan 1, 2010
1,336
28
0
Glad she and son were safe, which is the most important thing.

Sympathies all around, for sure.
 

Koreano

Bronze
Jan 18, 2012
1,546
0
36
Glad she and son were safe, which is the most important thing.

Sympathies all around, for sure.
Yeah...
This is what I said to my wife. Nothing worse happened to them, I told her this things happens everywhere, so let's be thankful no harm were caused against you and our son. She calm down around 3 and went to sleep. :p...
 

Koreano

Bronze
Jan 18, 2012
1,546
0
36
You can no longer call the embassy or consul you have to send them an email. They are getting so helpful.
Great...
With all the taxes I paid thus far, when I needed them they want to stay as far as possible. I hope at least they enjoy their life here in DR... I'll search again.
 

Koreano

Bronze
Jan 18, 2012
1,546
0
36
I see lots of people n la sirena just leave their purse/bags in the trolley while they look at shoes..........I spoke to a few people that it is not a good idea........
I see this all the time too. But I think my wife was target from the start. It was just few minutes after she entered and in Fruit/Vegetable area someone stole the purse.
 

Koreano

Bronze
Jan 18, 2012
1,546
0
36
Sorry buddy, sounds like a miserable evening. I'm glad everyone's ok.
I was angry at first but I calm down in the store as there's nothing else that will be done. I am going to tell her to carry less cash next time and absolutely no jewelry. It was tiresome ordeal from the time I arrived home but it's all passed now. I still have several things to sort out like changing all my passwords on my phone's app and consulate. Plus I needto recopy the key and check next time so things like this won't happen again.
Thanks man...
I didn't write in a greater detail but it was tough one. :(
 

Koreano

Bronze
Jan 18, 2012
1,546
0
36
Glad the fam is ok. You live, you learn anyanghaseo!
I prefer Saludo...
J/K...
Annyonghasaeyo.
Now that I think of it. I am going to consider this incident as tuition fee of life in DR. But my wife is still ****ed about her purse and few clothes and underwear that disappeared from our cloth lines. I hope this period pass quickly so I can rest...
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
0
my only suggestion here is that you think hard if your wife had any keys inside her bag: house, gate, car, anything. and if she did - change those locks. will cost you money but bring some peace of mind. your wife was being watched inside the shop. she/you could have been followed from there, thieves wanting to get something more of that one sting.
 

Ken

Platinum
Jan 1, 2002
13,884
495
83
If you want to call, try the number below and say you have an emergency.

"If you have an emergency involving the death, arrest or hospitalization of an American citizen, or a missing American citizen, please call 809-221-2171. When the prompts ask you to enter the extension, enter 0 and tell the operator you have an emergency. For general information you may e-mail us at SDOAmericans@state.gov."
 

yapask1

New member
Jul 23, 2012
477
0
0
my only suggestion here is that you think hard if your wife had any keys inside her bag: house, gate, car, anything. and if she did - change those locks. will cost you money but bring some peace of mind. your wife was being watched inside the shop. she/you could have been followed from there, thieves wanting to get something more of that one sting.


Kwikset have locks with both combination and/or smartkey - you can change the key instantly. Amazon etc. have the details. Even in London I only take one credit or cash card at a time and leave the others locked up. Amazon etc. have the details. A security box is good for spare keys. At least one combination lock to enter the house is prudent as is an alarm. They have ones that attach to metal gates. Pickpockets and handbag theft is a problem throughout the World.


yapask1
 

AlterEgo

Administrator
Staff member
Jan 9, 2009
23,142
6,307
113
South Coast
When I'm in DR, I usually use a small cross-body bag, so my hands are free in the supermarket.

In the US I use a big 'ole handbag, everything but the kitchen sink in there. When I go to supermarkets I put it in the child's seat BUT I clip the child seat-belt through the straps so no one can just grab it and run. I did that one time in La Sirena in San Cristobal, and a manager ran over to me and told me not to put my purse in the cart because someone will steal it. [Gringa with purse in cart = ladron magnet].

I showed him that it was strapped in, and he smiled at me and called me smart. Bet he passed that on.
 

Chip

Platinum
Jul 25, 2007
16,772
429
0
Santiago
My wife has gone shopping numerous times and left her handbag in the cart but she always keeps it in view.
 

santa110xyz

Active member
Oct 25, 2005
571
0
36
Only a woman does understand the extend of the loss of a hand bag!
In that bag usually there is half of our life :cheeky:
We always try to organise it, but it is impossible and when the hand bag
gets too heavy and we are almost unable to lift it anymore we tend to take
time to remove stuff from it what we really don't need in a hundred years....
 

davetuna

Bronze
Jun 19, 2012
1,071
0
0
Cabarete, Dominican Republic
quick story,

many years ago, my mum was moving house. I decided to do the move for her and so I rented a large van. A few other family members helped me load all the furniture and belongings in the van. There was a lot of stuff.

Just as we were double checking the house was empty she started to act hysterical and was saying that she couldnt find her handbag. She kept screaming that 'my whole life is in that bag'...............'my whole life is in that bag'

I was left wondering what the heck was all the furniture that took me four hours to load????????

dave

ps we did find the bag, It was behind one of about fifty houseplants that she wanted to take............
 

Koreano

Bronze
Jan 18, 2012
1,546
0
36
my only suggestion here is that you think hard if your wife had any keys inside her bag: house, gate, car, anything. and if she did - change those locks. will cost you money but bring some peace of mind. your wife was being watched inside the shop. she/you could have been followed from there, thieves wanting to get something more of that one sting.
Luckily she did not had any keys and we should be really be careful now since the thief saw her and our son and with all the goodies inside of the bag. I asked her why did she carried so much and she told me, with monthly payments are almost due, she was calculating the estimated utility and rents and figuring out what was left to spending on food. So our monthly food and entertainment budget of $15000 Pasos are gone at one shot along with imported makeups, toys for my son and my android phone. :(