Welcome back to the DR
Just returned from a month back home. Landed at POP and two planes landed at once (a rarity at POP). Long lines and 5 minutes to get to the booth. Walked up to immigration booth and he says this form for locals (they handed it out on the plane for gringos?). He says, “ here is the right form, do you have a pen”, of course it buried in my carry-on. He says, “ no problem I will fill it out for you.” Hey a nice guy, wow.
Hold on, then he says, “how much you pay” Huh??? I say no, I’ll fill it out and then he says, well then back to the end of the line. Ahhhhh, I give him two dollars, he smiles, puts the notes in his drawer and just has me sign the form, and says, ok, go!
Welcome to the DR!
Now to my luggage …
I have my normal porter. He as telepathic when I arrive, there he is. He finds me in 30 seconds and we going looking for my bags. He remembers my bags, “where is the big one, priority, yes.” Yes but it doesn’t come. He gets nervous (lots of his buddies now have clients and moving to check out and maybe a return of them). He stars to mumble something, but alas there is my bag. Ok, lets go. Oh, I also have a box, he face turns to stone. In case you don’t know all boxes at POP and really big stuff comes to a locked door in the back, and it’s very very slow.
We go over there, no box. We wait and his friends are making a return for their second round. He starts getting annoyed and said he’s leaving for a while. HUH. I have a cart and two bags and he is leaving, this is my porter??
In the meantime a friend (long story, I made the mistake of inviting her over for lunch one day and then the texts never stopped) came over (she works for United in check in and baggage, only in the DR can 70 year old man pick up an attractive agent in the airport) and says why haven’t I returned her calls? I say, gee I didn’t see them and my phone has problems. Now to be honest I did see them and my phone doesn’t have problems, for we all know what she wanted (she got her visa for U.S and wants to bring her three kids, but no money). I never used to lie (well, mostly to my brother and Robert). But in the DR lying is liking peeing, everyone does it anywhere they want. Sad to say, now me too, part of life here otherwise the day would never end.
As she starts to mumble about how bad she is payed (in case you didn’t know, all workers for the airlines are contract employees and really don’t work for the airline and are payed like school teachers, nada) I say, look,they’re opening the door again, I have to go and hold up my phone (jijiji).
Ahhhhh, the door opens and there is my box (a tower speaker I payed 100.00 for and yes I have the receipt). But alas no porter. The baggage guy puts it on my cart for me and there I go rolling a cart I can’t steer with one hand and the other hand a roller with a hand bag with the other.
My porter sees me and come running over, he says (like he could say I’m sorry not being there) don’t worry, I know custom agents (he says that every time) but he also know I have the receipt (which I tell him) and its under 200.00, so no problem.
Now, I have to give him credit, over the years he has helped get me in with some doggie items (42” TV, $800.00 projector, batch of new cellphones, computers etc etc) and I have tipped him appropriately, but this not one of those times.
We put the bag and box on the scanner (is it really working or just a game, who knows?) and they wink at me and off I go.
Outside, he says, “see no problema” and I just shake my head up and down. He says, “we must help families of those nice men” and I just shake my head up or down.
Once outside there is my driver and they shake hands and holds he’s hand out at me. Sorry, I give him 30% less tip then normal, he frowns, but knows why.
Now I’m really in the DR and the stores really begin …..
Just returned from a month back home. Landed at POP and two planes landed at once (a rarity at POP). Long lines and 5 minutes to get to the booth. Walked up to immigration booth and he says this form for locals (they handed it out on the plane for gringos?). He says, “ here is the right form, do you have a pen”, of course it buried in my carry-on. He says, “ no problem I will fill it out for you.” Hey a nice guy, wow.
Hold on, then he says, “how much you pay” Huh??? I say no, I’ll fill it out and then he says, well then back to the end of the line. Ahhhhh, I give him two dollars, he smiles, puts the notes in his drawer and just has me sign the form, and says, ok, go!
Welcome to the DR!
Now to my luggage …
I have my normal porter. He as telepathic when I arrive, there he is. He finds me in 30 seconds and we going looking for my bags. He remembers my bags, “where is the big one, priority, yes.” Yes but it doesn’t come. He gets nervous (lots of his buddies now have clients and moving to check out and maybe a return of them). He stars to mumble something, but alas there is my bag. Ok, lets go. Oh, I also have a box, he face turns to stone. In case you don’t know all boxes at POP and really big stuff comes to a locked door in the back, and it’s very very slow.
We go over there, no box. We wait and his friends are making a return for their second round. He starts getting annoyed and said he’s leaving for a while. HUH. I have a cart and two bags and he is leaving, this is my porter??
In the meantime a friend (long story, I made the mistake of inviting her over for lunch one day and then the texts never stopped) came over (she works for United in check in and baggage, only in the DR can 70 year old man pick up an attractive agent in the airport) and says why haven’t I returned her calls? I say, gee I didn’t see them and my phone has problems. Now to be honest I did see them and my phone doesn’t have problems, for we all know what she wanted (she got her visa for U.S and wants to bring her three kids, but no money). I never used to lie (well, mostly to my brother and Robert). But in the DR lying is liking peeing, everyone does it anywhere they want. Sad to say, now me too, part of life here otherwise the day would never end.
As she starts to mumble about how bad she is payed (in case you didn’t know, all workers for the airlines are contract employees and really don’t work for the airline and are payed like school teachers, nada) I say, look,they’re opening the door again, I have to go and hold up my phone (jijiji).
Ahhhhh, the door opens and there is my box (a tower speaker I payed 100.00 for and yes I have the receipt). But alas no porter. The baggage guy puts it on my cart for me and there I go rolling a cart I can’t steer with one hand and the other hand a roller with a hand bag with the other.
My porter sees me and come running over, he says (like he could say I’m sorry not being there) don’t worry, I know custom agents (he says that every time) but he also know I have the receipt (which I tell him) and its under 200.00, so no problem.
Now, I have to give him credit, over the years he has helped get me in with some doggie items (42” TV, $800.00 projector, batch of new cellphones, computers etc etc) and I have tipped him appropriately, but this not one of those times.
We put the bag and box on the scanner (is it really working or just a game, who knows?) and they wink at me and off I go.
Outside, he says, “see no problema” and I just shake my head up and down. He says, “we must help families of those nice men” and I just shake my head up or down.
Once outside there is my driver and they shake hands and holds he’s hand out at me. Sorry, I give him 30% less tip then normal, he frowns, but knows why.
Now I’m really in the DR and the stores really begin …..
