I Got Pulled Over for Speeding on the Autopista Today.

cobraboy

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Jul 24, 2004
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So we're headed to Santo Domingo to pick up a new pup, munching on a healthy breakfast of PB&H on Lumijor, warm coffee in the thermal mug, cruise control set at 65mph (110kph), empty road, some three-headed chatter on 91.3, just past Pedro Brand...

...

...

...and some guy steps into the middle of the road 200 yards in front of us, points a weapon and he and his partner in crime motions us over...in front of an AMET truck.

We've been stopped before, so knew the drill.

An AMET agent comes to the driver's window. I drop the dark (but legal) tinted window. Behold! The radiance of a large, pale gringo!

We exchange pleasantries. He seems nice enough. I ask about his wife and kids. In Spanish. He smiles. He shows me the readout on his radar gun. 117kph. He points to it and says something.

I pointed at my speedo. "Cruise control, 65 miles an hour. Not 117." In English. He looks confused and points to his High Tech soundwave supervisor.

"When was that gun calibrated? It's required here isn't it?" In English. With a Cheshire Cat grin. More confusion. Alida suppressing a chuckle. He wrinkles his brow. Looks back at his partner. Looks at me. Wants to speak, but halts. Looks back at his partner again.

I'm still grinning.

He sighs. Wiggles his non-armed hand forward. "Buen viaje."

We re-enter the Autopista, and Alida breaks out in laughter.

If only it was this easy in the states...:cheeky:

But lesson learned: AMET is indeed trying to control the organized chaos known as Dominican streets.

I'll set the cruise at 62.5 next trip. Just in case.
 

ju10prd

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Nov 19, 2014
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So we're headed to Santo Domingo to pick up a new pup, munching on a healthy breakfast of PB&H on Lumijor, warm coffee in the thermal mug, cruise control set at 65mph (110kph), empty road, some three-headed chatter on 91.3, just past Pedro Brand...

...

...

...and some guy steps into the middle of the road 200 yards in front of us, points a weapon and he and his partner in crime motions us over...in front of an AMET truck.

We've been stopped before, so knew the drill.

An AMET agent comes to the driver's window. I drop the dark (but legal) tinted window. Behold! The radiance of a large, pale gringo!

We exchange pleasantries. He seems nice enough. I ask about his wife and kids. In Spanish. He smiles. He shows me the readout on his radar gun. 117kph. He points to it and says something.

I pointed at my speedo. "Cruise control, 65 miles an hour. Not 117." In English. He looks confused and points to his High Tech soundwave supervisor.

"When was that gun calibrated? It's required here isn't it?" In English. With a Cheshire Cat grin. More confusion. Alida suppressing a chuckle. He wrinkles his brow. Looks back at his partner. Looks at me. Wants to speak, but halts. Looks back at his partner again.

I'm still grinning.

He sighs. Wiggles his non-armed hand forward. "Buen viaje."

We re-enter the Autopista, and Alida breaks out in laughter.

If only it was this easy in the states...:cheeky:

But lesson learned: AMET is indeed trying to control the organized chaos known as Dominican streets.

I'll set the cruise at 62.5 next trip. Just in case.

They are in use everywhere. In the past two weeks I've seen them in use on Autopista Las Americas (80kph), Autopista Juan Pablo 2 Samana (80kph), the Santo Domingo ring road Haina to Pedro Brand (100kph) and Autopista Duarte (100kph). Off to Barahona region tomorrow and will be taking it easy knowing there are signs up to San Cristobel saying 80kph and that will probably be the speed to follow all the way.

Good tip by the way.
 

VJS

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Sep 19, 2010
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The biggest danger on DR highways are those 40 year old carcachas barely moving along at 25mph and seriously impeding the flow of traffic. I bet AMET never grows balls to take those off the street.
 

ju10prd

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Nov 19, 2014
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The biggest danger on DR highways are those 40 year old carcachas barely moving along at 25mph and seriously impeding the flow of traffic. I bet AMET never grows balls to take those off the street.

Now there has been news on this front in the last few days.

A suggestion of a tax break so new vehicles can be bought and replace the odd vehicles over a period of time.

Equally when I was driving down Independencia this afternoon I looked in my mirror and saw two relatively new such taxis with green union stickers and amazingly then another in front of me. Now for those that know the Independencia taxi route from Haina to the city will understand that some of those taxis are the most beat up imaginable and not to be challenged.

It can happen. There is hope. There was even a suggestion that the unions give up their fuel subsidy in the last week or so.
 

Bronxboy

Well-known member
Jul 11, 2007
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The H on a keyboard is next to the J so I think is human error.

lol
 

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
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Peter Pan Crunchy and honey...

In retrospect, I shoulda offered him a bite of my sammich...

In fact: new strategery. Carry bribe sammiches. Gotta be hard writing a ticket with honey drooling on your fingers...
 

bob saunders

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Jan 1, 2002
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I will be sure to slow down but I average about 75 mph up until I hit Santo Domingo outskirts. Hope your puppy search was successful.
 

bachata

Aprendiz de todo profesional de nada
Aug 18, 2007
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Peanut butter and honey? try talking your way out of a ticket with that in the roof of your mouth :)

Hi Benjamin, glad to heard from you again, my salutes to you and Felicia...

Let me know when you are coming to Raleigh, I owed you a Sancocho and some cold Presidentes.

JJ
 

oakmba

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Dec 10, 2015
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Try mayo on a PB&J...keeps it from sticking to the roof of your mouth...


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Guess on my next trip to SD from PC, I'll bring-out the trusty Fuzz Buster alongside the Dash Cam! Most Dominicans move at about 125-130 on the Autopista...if not faster!
 

beeza

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Nov 2, 2006
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I was flagged down by the AMET guys on the autopista Juan Pablo (Nagua - SDQ). I just drove round the guy who was standing in the middle of the road.

There was me thinking they would get me at the next toll booth, but I was wrong.

I also had the mind to ask about if their hairdryer was calibrated if I did actually get stopped.
 

SKY

Gold
Apr 11, 2004
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Guess on my next trip to SD from PC, I'll bring-out the trusty Fuzz Buster alongside the Dash Cam! Most Dominicans move at about 125-130 on the Autopista...if not faster!

I use a radar detector also. But on the Nagua road they always keep it off and try to get you on a long straightaway. The move
is to follow someone that is going the speed you want. This way of course when they turn it on him you have time to react.
Just stay the right distance and they can never get you.
 

william webster

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Jan 16, 2009
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You can actually see them on that road..... if you look far enough ahead.

They need that long, straight shot to get you.