Dominican Ingenuity

[william webster]

I have posted before about various 'fixes' I have encountered here...

Sloppy hydraulics on the engine hood... fixed in a flash - permanently !!

This one is a keeper -
I had an older model iPhone that seemed to talk only with the loudspeaker on... no regular speaker
I took it to the Apple store in Canada - Dead meat
T took it to a USA store - dead meat

My housekeeper asked about it - lying around...
I explained the problem... she took it.

She just came back from Sto Dom where they installed a new speaker... regular speaker
CONTRARY TO MY NoAmerican Advice...

Works like new
I had installed a new battery and IOS upgrade already
Apple had a deal last fall.... new batteries $30 not $80/90

Never ceases to amaze me what can be fixed here

[cavok]

I agree - they can fix almost anything here. In the US and Canada we have too much of a "repair by replace" mentality.

[Farmer]

My rental car's battery dies. A group of Dominican men gather around and then start stopping passing vehicles. Open hood, look, close hood, wave on. This happened about 10 times before there was a cheer. They told me to get in my car and turn the key and they flipped the other guy's battery upside down and touched the posts. Who cares about battery acid dripping all over the place. Fired right up. Its what you do when nobody carries jumper cables.

[william webster]

I have seen that.... who'd believe it ??

You & I would !!!!

[jd426]

Saw a group of guys once Hotwire a Fuel Pump ( in tank) with Telephone wire for a lady who had the car battery almost dead trying to start it .. it was obvious that no fuel was getting to the engine, as the pump was making no sound at all .
.wire like an extension cord right into the window and through the car ... got the car running.. Sure it had to be properly fixed later ,but at least she got it off the street and where she was going.
A Guy who flies his own plane, myself, and 2 other guys with engineering and auto mech skillls we just shook our heads and said " yep , that'll work I guess " ... amazing on the spot ingenuity ..

[william webster]

My 'piston' fix was a beauty

The little piston that holds up the hood was shot.

My local mecanico said-
I'll give you a Dominican fix'

Took the piston off, cut a little PVC tube the right length and slid it on

Up goes the hood.. touch the PVC tube and it holds against larger sleeve of the piston

Good for life.......

and free !!!

[CristoRey]

I once saw a prostitute in Sosua have a blow out with one of her flip-flops
whist on an evening stroll down PC. She stopped for a minute, pulled a
bobby pin out of her hair, heated it up with a lighter then pulled the strap
tight through the bottom of the sole and pushed the hot bobby pin into it
to secure the strap... and off she went.

Its no different in any of the other developing countries I've visited or lived in.
I guess when you grow up without the means to replace things, you learn how
to fix them out of necessity.

[william webster]

Now that is GENIUS..... yikes !!!!!!!!!!!

My watchyman has a radio ... no plug
He sticks the 2 wires into the outlet.... Shazam !! Musica !!!!!!!!!!!

[Wishing you well]

I once saw a prostitute in Sosua have a blow out with one of her flip-flops
whist on an evening stroll down PC. She stopped for a minute, pulled a
bobby pin out of her hair, heated it up with a lighter then pulled the strap
tight through the bottom of the sole and pushed the hot bobby pin into it
to secure the strap... and off she went.

Its no different in any of the other developing countries I've visited or lived in.
I guess when you grow up without the means to replace things, you learn how
to fix them out of necessity.

Exactly.

In the USA labor is too expensive and for the most part is cheaper to replace/buy new than to repair anything.

[Juan Bosch]

My mechanic is a magician.....