Police brace for Punta Cana protests by evicted beach vendors

bronzeallspice

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Mar 26, 2012
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Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.- Dozens of police have cordoned off parts of the coast of Bavaro (east), to deal with protests threatened by beach vendors who were evicted from the resort area.

The Tourism Police has deployed agents along the most vulnerable spots to avert property damage and protect tourists.

The police agents are patrolling mostly the B?varo beaches of the hotels Kukua, Ocean Blue, El Cortecito and Majestic.

Throughout the year the Tourism Ministry has been evicting dozens of vendors who?ve been occupying the accesses to popular beaches, prompting threats of protests on the streets of Punta Cana to demand relocation.

Source: Diario LIbre

http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/lo...-Punta-Cana-protests-by-evicted-beach-vendors
 

ctrob

Silver
Nov 9, 2006
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I don't know this area, were the vendors were on the federal gov't beach setback?
 

InsanelyOne

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Oct 21, 2008
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I suspect the beach vendors have been operating on land they were never supposed to in the first place but were paying off the cops to leave them be. Not sure why the "rules" have suddenly changed.
 

bronzeallspice

Live everyday like it's your last
Mar 26, 2012
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Maybe tourists are fed up with the constant "harassment" from the vendors and have complained
about it by threatening not to come and vacation in the DR again. That's one way of applying
pressure to one of the country's means of support. Of course, this is my opinion.

I have personally heard of how some people are fed up with it.
 

the gorgon

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Sep 16, 2010
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Maybe tourists are fed up with the constant "harassment" from the vendors and have complained
about it by threatening not to come and vacation in the DR again. That's one way of applying
pressure to one of the country's means of support. Of course, this is my opinion.

I have personally heard of how some people are fed up with it.

this has to be handled with extreme caution and delicacy. some of these people have been doing this for several years, and it is their only means of earning a livelihood. if the authorities attempt to prevent them from earning a living, without offering worthwhile relocation alternatives, the repercussions could be ugly.

A hungry man is an angry man; Bob Marley.
 

bronzeallspice

Live everyday like it's your last
Mar 26, 2012
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this has to be handled with extreme caution and delicacy. some of these people have been doing this for several years, and it is their only means of earning a livelihood. if the authorities attempt to prevent them from earning a living, without offering worthwhile relocation alternatives, the repercussions could be ugly.

A hungry man is an angry man; Bob Marley.

I agree with you one hundred percent. They need to relocate them and make the tourists and the vendors happy or satisfied.
 

Criss Colon

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Jan 2, 2002
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yahoomail.com
In 30 years of beach going here, I never minded a vendor who walked by and "Showed His Wares", without pestering/bothering me.
But I HARED those who DID become aggresive!!!!!
I have even been "Woken Up" and had "$HIT" shoved in my FACE, on several occasions!!!!!!
If they don't get the "Index Finger Waved In The air", and move on, "F&#K 'Em"!!!!!!
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
 

pkaide1

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Aug 10, 2005
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I suspect the beach vendors have been operating on land they were never supposed to in the first place but were paying off the cops to leave them be. Not sure why the "rules" have suddenly changed.

I could say the same about the hotels. Most of them are in land that they were not supposed to. Most of the land in Punta Cana and Babaro was taken away from their original owner.
 

barker1964

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Apr 1, 2009
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In 30 years of beach going here, I never minded a vendor who walked by and "Showed His Wares", without pestering/bothering me.
But I HARED those who DID become aggresive!!!!!
I have even been "Woken Up" and had "$HIT" shoved in my FACE, on several occasions!!!!!!
If they don't get the "Index Finger Waved In The air", and move on, "F&#K 'Em"!!!!!!
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

Then you fine sir have been to Boca Chica beach.......LOL.. Everyone has something there to sell from clothes to "COMPANY"
 

barker1964

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Apr 1, 2009
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I could say the same about the hotels. Most of them are in land that they were not supposed to. Most of the land in Punta Cana and Babaro was taken away from their original owner.

Most here know the names of the people responsible for that. Let's see who can guess the first name?
 

the gorgon

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Sep 16, 2010
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sadly for tourists, being hassled by insistent peddlers is the tourism equivalent of the cost of doing business. one constant in tourism is that it constitutes the juxtaposition between those who have, and those who do not have; rich meets poor. (relatively speaking). whenever have meets have not, have not will always look for a way to relieve have of at least a portion of his wealth, and appropriate it upon himself. some take it forcibly, some by stealth and stratagem, and others by attempting to sell something to someone. it is no different than the risk of being bitten by some grotesque bug, or catching some wonder virus, or just getting the sh*ts. brace yourself for it, and make the best of the rest of the vacation. you are never going to go to any third world poor country and not encounter these denizens.
 

Domdream

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Jul 26, 2014
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I have been in bavaro for almost 9 years. I spent the first 6 on the beach almost every day. All I can say is its about time. The stores have what I call" beach rats "working for them. They sit on the edge of the hotel property and wait to pounce on hotel guests. And it is everywhere from the rio down to barcelo premium. Mabe by eliminating some of the stores they exterminate the rats. They better have a large police presence because these people will not go quietly. I also see more of a police patrols (on foot mostly) outside of some of the hotel entrances to clean up the street predators.
 

greydread

Platinum
Jan 3, 2007
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They should offer these vendors U.S. work visas. The beach will be cleaned up in 3 days.

Note to self:

If you go into someone else's country and they begin to annoy you...leave their country.
 

the gorgon

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Sep 16, 2010
33,997
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They should offer these vendors U.S. work visas. The beach will be cleaned up in 3 days.

Note to self:

If you go into someone else's country and they begin to annoy you...leave their country.

you could add as a proscript;

because they are not going anywhere any time soon.
 

Africaida

Gold
Jun 19, 2009
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sadly for tourists, being hassled by insistent peddlers is the tourism equivalent of the cost of doing business. one constant in tourism is that it constitutes the juxtaposition between those who have, and those who do not have; rich meets poor. (relatively speaking). whenever have meets have not, have not will always look for a way to relieve have of at least a portion of his wealth, and appropriate it upon himself. some take it forcibly, some by stealth and stratagem, and others by attempting to sell something to someone. it is no different than the risk of being bitten by some grotesque bug, or catching some wonder virus, or just getting the sh*ts. brace yourself for it, and make the best of the rest of the vacation. you are never going to go to any third world poor country and not encounter these denizens.

As simple as that !!! :bunny:
Oh and with globalization, they can often be found in first world country (example Senegalese in Spain) ;)
 

PJT

Silver
Jan 8, 2002
3,562
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Get used to it

The government actions to clean up the beaches are more about the resorts wanting control as to who sells on the beaches. They have gobbled up beach space and now they want to gobble up vendors. They want their own vendors to do the molesting. They are the puppeteers behind the evictions.

Anyone who has spent time on the DR's beaches knows the proper way to send a vendor on his way is to wave a downward pointed index finger and say no while shaking your head at the same time and maybe smile. It works most of the time. If not swear at him.

Remember we are in their culture, even if you don't like it get used to it.


Regards,

PJT
 

ggparts

Member
Mar 20, 2003
210
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My first trip was in 1986, to Santo Domingo and the beach was Boca Chica.
My wife had to remind me that if I sent all the vendors packing I would go home with no souvenirs.
It was and is against my general life policy to do business with such an annoying approach, I did however pick up a few wooden carvings that I cherish still today (Thanks Debbie)
My question I guess, is, doe this approach actually work? What I mean is that I have visited DR in excess of 45 times since then and in at least 99% of all encounters with Tourist Vendors they have been annoying, overwhelming, not listening, blissfully unaware that they are obnoxious and friction filled. Are they incapable of learning? Has no one tried to explain that this game of touching and pulling and incessantly asking "my shop my shop my shop next" will result in an intimidated customer that will not generate any revenue? I would think that at least one vendor would have tried the "tranquillo" approach?? Therefore I have concluded that (although I clearly do not understand why) that the current business model must be effective in creating sales or they would have change the approach some time in the last 28 years??