Why don't Dominicans ???

It's called education...

Why? Ignorance, indifference, and no motivation to change the behavior.

Robert, you can educate them, does not mean they will follow through. Sad and frustrating. Regards, PJT

The "Let George do it" syndrome is very alive and well here.

HB, who agrees 100% with you...

PJT said it all........!!!
Apathy,apathy,apathy.......????

Just what I thought when I came to this country the first time. I went to Punta Cana also. It was just amazing all the junk. Even old rusting cars on the sides of the roads.
Then when I came to Santo Domingo the first time and saw all the trash in the sea. I took fotos of it cause it was such a shocker and so sad. So beautiful and the people that live here don't seem to notice the garbage.
You should see the shape of the park here after a weekend night.Garbage everywhere!

It's all about the education and what people are used to. When most Dominicans see trash on the ground they don't think "Wow, that looks so dirty." As a matter of fact they don't think about it at all. Thinking about such things is an educated luxury.

When teaching kids at the orphanage in Esperanza, they were shocked that we were shocked that they would throw trash around like it was nothing. We had to actually teach them that it made the place look bad. A few trash cans were put up and voila, cleaner grounds.

That and all the stray dogs were the two most disheartening things for me since visiting, and eventually moving here.

I'm by no means accepting of it, but I guess I've gotten used to it. I just try and not let it bother me. I do my part and get on my students to do the same.

It's definitely part ignorance, but it probably goes a bit deeper than that.

Onaside, I was walking down the street the other day and I saw a cigarette box come out of a car window. I nonchalantly - and with a big smile - picked it up and threw it back into the car (she was waiting at a light - in traffic if you can believe it) and the woman went ballistic. I couldn't scribble down all the new words I heard fast enough.

Finally, I know what my students have been calling me all this time.

Bugsey, it is great what the children have been taught at Esperanza. But, it is idealism. I can safely bet, when you get the children away from trash cans and the teachers they wish to please, they'll revert to prior behavior, to the standards of those they keep company. Regards, PJT

Education is the key. Yes, but there are hardly any garbage cans, a lot of areas have no garbage pickup, you can dig a giant hole and bury it, but garbage blows around, it spreads quickly. There needs to be more done by the government on this subject, which of course will not happen quickly.
In the batey where I stayed, they don't have garbage pickup, so we taught them about putting it in one spot, digging a giant hole and putting it there, but how many holes can you dig in one area?

Here in Zona Colonial they seem to be doing better. There are people in the streets everyday cleaning up. They even had a cleaning day last Saturday. There are some cans in the park where I live and I do see some poeple using them. There is definalty a need for more cans in the streets. I sometimes walk a long way to find a place to deposit my trash. And whhen I'm with friends I will tell them about it if they throw something in the street!

Yes, but..

PJT said:

Why? Ignorance, indifference, and no motivation to change the behavior.

Robert, you can educate them, does not mean they will follow through. Sad and frustrating. Regards, PJT

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All of the above, BUT... if they get educated they will follow through.
The govt. will start a clean-up campaign education today but it will be short lived. The govt. WILL NOT follow through!

Then you have a rich class that won't give a damn. They have the power to press the govt. for more services but all they want is to be left alone in their coccons. Their opinion is: my house is clean, that's all I care. They are all guilty.

I agree that litter and garbage on the streets is a problem. Bad for health, bad for tourism, bad for the morale of the people.

But just to keep things in perspective, despite all the educational advantages enjoyed in the US, look at the amount of toxic waste that has been dumped into our rivers and lakes. Also, consider the litter problem. Though I think things much better in the US now, it wasn't too many years ago that the TV stations were running public service commercials re littering, showing an American Indian looking appalled at what was done to his once pristine landscape.

There needs to be a nationwide campaign; but who is to initiate it. Certainly not the present administration.

Nothing will ever change

It has been 40 years since Trujillo died. He kept everything clean with a strong hand. When democracy came in and the "tigueraje" or "the mob"took over , it was over. It all started with a guy named "Bala"(not for bullet, but with an accent at the end like..ballahh.) He was the leader of the mob that went around the entire country destroying Trujillo's statues and invading his family's properties and taking over government land. It was a mess. People got killed, burned to death. Tigueres who were almost extinct took over the country.

The country is going downhill in these terms because we have in power the party that promotes anarchy in government. We have a president who has no style. He gives an image of carelessness to his people. His cabinet and officials are all barrio boys and tigueres, thieves, and borrachones. They feel more comfortable in a colmado than a forest preserve. They hate trees and flowing water.

We have no hope. It would take another 100 years to even come close to the standards set by Trujillo. Or another Trujillo. Dominicans are not easily tamed in this regard. They only understand the power of fire by weaponry, heavy stick and death.

While you and I might feel guilty, sometimes even stupid(I have been known for carrying around an empty bottle of Coke for hours until I find a garbage can) for throwing garbage where it's supposed to go 8,900,000 Dominicans use the streets as their personal garbage dump. They just don't care. Get used to it!

TW

It definitely has to do with what you see other people doing. It just becomes so common that you don't even think about it before doing it. Take my example, for instance. I admit that I was one of those people who used to throw trash on the streets like it was not big deal. I ate a chimichurri...no problem just throw the wrapping right there on the street...Drink a presidente...no problem...just trow the bottle on some empty lot or right on the side of the street...That's how I grew up. Then I came to Michigan and saw how clean people kept the streets...saw how people will keep a bottle in their car until they find a garbage can, how even little kids at a county fair will eat whatever and go find the nearest grabage can, etc...Well now when I visit the DR I find myself cringing and getting angry at the carelessness of people, when it come to trash. I keep all my presidente and pop bottles in my car, until I find a place to dispose of them...by brother on the other hand still thinks nothing of throwing them out on the side of the road and we've had arguments over this.
On a previous post I talked about the dicotomy that exists in the DR, where everybody likes to have their property clean but don't care about the surroundings. Dominicans like to maintain very clean cars and houses, but since the streets are considered public property they could care less.

I think to eliminate this problem there needs to be athree pronged approach: Education, heavy handed prosecution of offenders, and a lot more efficient garbage pickup. I also think that it can be done, if there's a willingness to get it done. For instance I've heard of La Vega, being a very clean place, thanks to their mayor. In Cotui we had a mayor about 15 years ago, who cleaned up te city in a matter of months. As soon as he left office and a new mayor came in, Cotui went back to being just another dirty city in the DR. I'm sure that these two mayors had at least the same budget, so it was just a matter of one wanting to get it done, while the other didn't care.

suarezn said:

I think to eliminate this problem there needs to be athree pronged approach: Education, heavy handed prosecution of offenders, and a lot more efficient garbage pickup. I also think that it can be done, if there's a willingness to get it done. For instance I've heard of La Vega, being a very clean place, thanks to their mayor. In Cotui we had a mayor about 15 years ago, who cleaned up te city in a matter of months. As soon as he left office and a new mayor came in, Cotui went back to being just another dirty city in the DR. I'm sure that these two mayors had at least the same budget, so it was just a matter of one wanting to get it done, while the other didn't care.

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I think you made some excellent points, suarezn. And the first thing, it seems to me, is much more efficient garbage pickup. It is hard for anyone to take no-littering seriously when garbage is allowed to accumulate, be ripped apart by animals, and blow all over the area.

BTW, La Vega is a clean city.

Suarezn

Let's be clear on this:

suarezn said:

It definitely has to do with what you see other people doing. It just becomes so common that you don't even think about it before doing it. Take my example, for instance. I admit that I was one of those people who used to throw trash on the streets like it was not big deal. I ate a chimichurri...no problem just throw the wrapping right there on the street...Drink a presidente...no problem...just trow the bottle on some empty lot or right on the side of the street...That's how I grew up. Then I came to Michigan and saw how clean people kept the streets...saw how people will keep a bottle in their car until they find a garbage can, how even little kids at a county fair will eat whatever and go find the nearest grabage can, etc]

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You grew up like this because you were a chopo. Chopos get regenerated, educated and transformed by the policy of the big stick in the USA. You do this you get a fine or arrested. I bet you also park in legally designated spots too? Try not to and you'll see. But once Dominicans come back to DR they go back to their old habit. Chopos never die.

TW

No big deal because someone will pick it up. Thats why they have adopt a highway in America and we use prisoners to keep the highways nice.

It is really hard to worry about littering when the garbage pick up is not dependable.

The small town I frequent on the North Coast, has a good regular pickup and the trash/litter problem is FAR less then other places.