Airport Shakedowns!!!

They are breaking the law

I suppose you simply refuse any request for money or your belongings. They are breaking the law - simply as that.

If you give them anything, you show them you're a pendejo and the will try it next time again.

Protest with a loud voice or call for their supervisor.

Exactly.....

locofoto said:

I suppose you simply refuse any request for money or your belongings. They are breaking the law - simply as that.

If you give them anything, you show them you're a pendejo and the will try it next time again.

Protest with a loud voice or call for their supervisor.

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If you are not entering with contraband you have no problem.

You can also ask for an official receipt to file with your government at the consulate in the capital or POP.

Knock on wood but I've never been searched nor my luggage or purse other than the scanner that you put your stuff through. That goes for leaving and arriving in DR but also anytime entering Canada.
Never been asked for a fee tip or gift but then I don't to smuggle a suitcase full of rum out of the country.

Shake-down for what?

i'm not quite sure what they would "shake you down for." The security people that check your bags before checking in for your flight don't care how much rum, cigarettes, or cigars you have. They laugh about it. The only thing I've seen people & myself get shook down for, if you can call it that, was my lighter that I was carrying. They must have a million lighters.

Pero tu casi eres Dominicano!

"Well you are almost Dominican", is what I was told by the guys in customs as they checked my travel documents and saw my cedula. "As such, you should know the procedure", they said.
The procedure being, 100 pesos tip to leave me alone and not f**k about with my personal belongings....

I always refuse to acknowledge that I know Spanish. When they ask me for "dinero para la cerveza." I simply go, "What?" "I don't understand" "Sorry" "I have to go now."

I just say 'for what? - NO' and its no problem. My friend who was visiting gave them $10. So aggravating that this happens, makes a real bad first impression for the country.

The DR will never be...

...a popular tourist destination until they can control these freak'n a$$ wipes they call policemen, security, customs agents or whatever. Even the Mexicans know the importance of the tourist industry and don't treat visitors like a bunch of pendejos. I hope the president will finally do something about all this corruption. It seems like a few honest "supervisors" could control these thieves and put a halt to this problem. But don't get me started.... :angry:

What's a popular tourist destination in your eyes?

Tourism is the #1 source of revenue for the island, that's come a LOOOOOOOOOONG way since the 80's when the tourism industry was virtually nonexistant.

Read this carefully!!!

This is what I started doing a few years ago and so far it has worked like a charm.

When entering the DR, the "aduana" inpectors are supposed to speak english so when they ask me (in inglish or spanish) "dejame algo para la cerveza/leave me something for the beer", I tell them: "I don't have any money right now because this is an emergency trip, but since my friend came to pick me up and he has some money with him, please write your name and badge number and I will make sure to send you some money right away". They will automatically say "no, it's ok, bye" because they feel that you will report them to their supervisor!!. I do the same when leaving the coutry but at that time I tell them that I would call my friend on the cell phone and he would send him/her some money right away. Works all the time!.

Better yet, befriend an inpector. That's what I did on my next to last trip. I befriended a woman inspector and within 3 minutes, with my charm, I had her whole schedule, home phone home and cell number. On my last trip, I called her by her name, she left her post, gave me a hug like we were old friends, went back to her post, asked me why I did not called her, stamped my passport, left her post and went with me to the gate and stayed with me for almost an hour!. She did asked me for something, she asked me if I was related to so and so person and when I answered "yes", she told me that we would be friends for ever as long as I told that so and so person that she was nice to me!. Now, whenever I go to SD, I call her and she tells me when she will be on and to look for her. Now, that what we call "turning the table"!!!!

NY1 said:

What's a popular tourist destination in your eyes?

Tourism is the #1 source of revenue for the island, that's come a LOOOOOOOOOONG way since the 80's when the tourism industry was virtually nonexistant.

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I'll add to that that we are NUMBER 1 in Caribbean tourism.

We also have more Hotel rooms than the rest of the Caribbean combined, Punta Cana alone has more hotel rooms than all of Puerto Rico or Jamaica!

So yeah, what exactly is a popular tourist destination for that person?

NY1 said:

What's a popular tourist destination in your eyes?

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From Atlanta and Miami there are many more flights to Cancun, Jamaica, Costa Rica and the Virgin Islands. I get emails weeky from Vacations Express on their specials. Lately they have not even listed Punta Cana or Puerto Plata. I don't have numbers or facts, maybe the DR is #1, but it could certainly be more enjoyable if people wouldn't get hassled. Sorry to digress from the original thread line...

Just think how much tourism would improve and grow if they started jailing these people like they should be and this obnoxious behavior stopped! Taxes on increased tourism to the tune of 2x would wipe out the debt of the Mejia Administration in 10 years.

Why not just make this a better and more respectable country and get rid of the people that do these things just for kicks and because it is good for the country?

Escottonasoapbox

According to TripAdvisor:

The complete ranking of Top 10 Winter Vacation Destinations researched by consumers is:
1. Cancun, Mexico
2. New York City, United States
3. Dominican Republic, Caribbean
4. Paris, France
5. Orlando, United States
6. Las Vegas, United States
7. Montreal, Canada
8. Jamaica, Caribbean
9. Playa del Carmen, Mexico
10. London, United Kingdom

tip of the iceburg

AtlantaBob said:

From Atlanta and Miami there are many more flights to Cancun, Jamaica, Costa Rica and the Virgin Islands. I get emails weeky from Vacations Express on their specials. Lately they have not even listed Punta Cana or Puerto Plata. I don't have numbers or facts, maybe the DR is #1, but it could certainly be more enjoyable if people wouldn't get hassled. Sorry to digress from the original thread line...

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AtlantaBob

Currently there are far more tourists from Europe and Canada coming to the DR than there are from the US. My theory is that too many Americans don't want to go to the trouble of dealing with a language barrier of any kind, even in the sheltered AI situations, and thus will pay more to go to places where English is more prevelant (which does include CR and Cancun, but especially Jamaica, Bahamas, and Virgin Islands.)

No doubt reducing this kind of BS would be helpful as well.

Sweetdbt,

As Robert and Grahame would say..."you're spot on", concerning the Americans and the language thing.

My own gut reaction to the OP was that the guy who took the watch was probably really surprised that this guy actually let him keep his watch. I could be terribly wrong about that, but that was my first reaction. What I would have done in that situation is to pantomime "ha ha, very funny. NOW GIVE ME BACK MY WATCH."

That being said, the only time when something like this might have been about to happen to me was one time when I was flying back alone. I had a box of cigars (the kind in the box with the glass top on it) and one security inspector took them out of my bag and showed them to the other guy, who shook his head (I guess they weren't good cigars ). They let me continue on.

Rose

Americans and foreign language

First, Spanish is becoming less of a foreign language in the US every day. Spanish speakers being the largest minority in the US, and Spanish being the number one second language studied (yes some americanos do learn a second, or even third, language).

Secondly, other places have instituted Tourist police, with language skills, to help out tourists with all kinds of problems, including language. I travel in Thailand and, although I have never needed the tourist police, it was comforting to know the resource was available if needed. Also, they get paid more for their language skills, and I haven't heard of any gringo gouging from them. I beleive that Jamaica has gone the same route, although I don't think english skills are a requirement for them. It is just something to consider.