how do you guys deal with it?

lisagauss

Bronze
Feb 16, 2011
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I've been here, in santiago, for 2 weeks with my wife and 2 kids. We came to hopefully stay but the more I talk with family members and people I know the more I want to go back to NY. Just about every person I ask they themselves have been victim of a robbery or know people who have been victimized. Every time I go into a store I see people stare at me funny; I've always wondered why, but now I see that they are probably thinking I'm a asaltante. Stories I've heard include purse snatching, armed robbery, home burglary, home invasion. My question is: how do you do it? How do you deal with knowing that your changes of being a victim is so freaking high here. I go out during the day and everytime I see 2 guys on a motorbike I worry and think they are robbers. This happens 5 times per day.
 

Castle

Silver
Sep 1, 2012
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Well, it's not that bad. You can get robbed, sure. Bad things happen everywhere. But I go out on the streets and never feel threatened of afraid. Keep your eyes open, don't go for a walk showing off expensive jewelry or electronic devices and you should be ok. 12 years living in DR, been to the worse places of Santo Domingo, not even a scratch. And come on, man, you're from NY...it's not like you are from the Falkland Isalnds...
 

Ken

Platinum
Jan 1, 2002
13,884
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Probably cause they are concerned about being robbed.

I feel like a sitting duck when I'm out here.

There has to be more reason than that. The alternative is that you have gone yourself so psyched up that you are seeing
danger/alarm where none exists.

I have been living in the country for about 27 years and have never once thought people were looking at me like I meant to do them harm.

Just based on what you wrote in your first post, it sounds like you and your family should take the next plane back where you came from if you can't relax and enjoy life.
 

Givadogahome

Silver
Sep 27, 2011
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Probably cause they are concerned about being robbed.

I feel like a sitting duck when I'm out here.

This is not the place you should be if this is how you feel. Find somewhere you are not paranoid. I think you will find people don't deal with it because they don't feel like you do, if they did then they would be idiots for considering moving here, even considering vacationing here, thats daft.

Most people who end up in trouble put themselves there, yes there are victims, but not a huge amount, nothing to concern yourself about unless you are a loudmouth drunk of which there are plenty.
 

Castle

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Sep 1, 2012
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i feel much safer to walk around in Santo Domingo than in New York city.

I've never felt more threatened than the day I stupidly decided to leave early from a night game at Yankee Stadium (the old one, that is). I was alone at the subway station and when I boarded the train there was a gang of 7 or 8 already inside, and nobody else. They pointed guns at my head and took my camera and money. So...
 

Bronxboy

Well-known member
Jul 11, 2007
14,107
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I've never felt more threatened than the day I stupidly decided to leave early from a night game at Yankee Stadium (the old one, that is). I was alone at the subway station and when I boarded the train there was a gang of 7 or 8 already inside, and nobody else. They pointed guns at my head and took my camera and money. So...

Year?

161st is my old neighborhood!!!!
 

DRob

Gold
Aug 15, 2007
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I've been traveling there for 10 years, all over the country. The only "crime" that happened to me was a 1000RD ticket for doing 102km on a 100km road. I so wish I was kidding.

Other than that, I don't know of anyone who has experienced an assault or robbery or anything remotely serious (stealing a DVD that was bootleg to begin with doesn't really count).

I don't know if running back to NYC (of all places) is the best way to enhance one's safety. Basically, a little personal situational awareness, coupled with basic common sense (don't walk through dangerous barrios alone at night) will go a long way.

Relax. You're in an amazing country. Take that deep breath, ignore all the "doom 'an gloomers," and try to enjoy this experience.
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
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how do i do it? i tell you how. i just do not care. i go on living. with paranoid frame of mind one is not fit to stay here. do you have good locks? bars on windows? dogs? alarm? a gun maybe? then you are set. you have done what you possibly can in those circumstances. don't stand in your door waiting for the bad s**t to happen.

i whatsapped a friend yesterday: to walk dogs or not? it's darkish, i am alone, the doggies are big. she says: are you scared someone may attack you? i said: hell no! i am scared they will see a cat and take off dragging me behind them face down in the dirt! who on earth will attack someone walking with two dogs who could eat a minivan?

the key is to KNOW. to be aware of what you can and cannot do. then it is easy.
 
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lisagauss

Bronze
Feb 16, 2011
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I see what you guys are saying. It could be me being over paranoid. I got to stop reading the news. I guess life changes once you have kids. You start thinking about there safety.
 

Givadogahome

Silver
Sep 27, 2011
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how do i do it? i tell you how. i just do not care.

With all due respect, not caring is not dealing with anything and certainly not the best way to go about daily life in a new country. Yes I get the point you are a feisty little eastern European fire cracker, but you have to care in order to have respect and to earn it, and to have fundamental survival instincts.

Anyone moving here with these considerations at the forefront of their mind is making a bad decision, unless they suffer chronic paranoia, in which case it doesn't matter where they go they will suffer the same thoughts.

But in this case WITH KIDS, I can't get my head around it, the world is huge, why choose somewhere you are less than completely comfortable.
 

lisagauss

Bronze
Feb 16, 2011
721
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With all due respect, not caring is not dealing with anything and certainly not the best way to go about daily life in a new country. Yes I get the point you are a feisty little eastern European fire cracker, but you have to care in order to have respect and to earn it, and to have fundamental survival instincts.

Anyone moving here with these considerations at the forefront of their mind is making a bad decision, unless they suffer chronic paranoia, in which case it doesn't matter where they go they will suffer the same thoughts.

But in this case WITH KIDS, I can't get my head around it, the world is huge, why choose somewhere you are less than completely comfortable.
Good point. The answer is I was born here and actually lived here some time ago. I have family and so does my wife. It was always a dream of mine to come back to live here. I guess that was a time when in Dr you could walk the streets at 4am and not have to worry about being robbed.
 

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
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We moved to a safer part of the country, but we're aware that the bubble is not hermetic.