New Liquor Curfew Ordinance

Mirador

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Apr 15, 2004
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The DR Government (Executive branch) today has decreed new ordinances, among them:

1) A curfew for all entertainment establishments including bars, discos, coffee shops, colmadones and others, which will be allowed to operate between Monday and Thursday, and Sunday until 12:00 pm, and Friday and Saturday until 2:00 am.

2) Drivers caught with alcoholic beverages will be fined and their drivers licenses cancelled.

3) Importation of all firearms is prohibited.

EL CARIBE DIGITAL
 
Nov 5, 2004
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Mirador said:
The DR Government (Executive branch) today has decreed new ordinances, among them:

1) A curfew for all entertainment establishments including bars, discos, coffee shops, colmadones and others, which will be allowed to operate between Monday and Thursday, and Sunday until 12:00 pm, and Friday and Saturday until 2:00 am.

2) Drivers caught with alcoholic beverages will be fined and their drivers licenses cancelled.

3) Importation of all firearms is prohibited.

EL CARIBE DIGITAL

Are they actually going to enforce this? It has been illegal to drink and drive for years, but they never enforce that.
I can't see this going over so well!! :ermm:
 

jrzyguy

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May 5, 2004
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heck..last time i was there i saw a guy getting out of his car to pay the toll booth attendant with a presidente in his hand!

ITs fine and dandy to write some new laws etc. but how do they plan on enforcing things with all the corruption in the police etc? Sounds like another way to get bribes from people.
 
Nov 5, 2004
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jrzyguy said:
heck..last time i was there i saw a guy getting out of his car to pay the toll booth attendant with a presidente in his hand!

ITs fine and dandy to write some new laws etc. but how do they plan on enforcing things with all the corruption in the police etc? Sounds like another way to get bribes from people.

They always drink and drive down there, very common. I'd be more surprised if I drove for 30 minutes without seeing someone pass by driving with a drink in hand.

Just what they need...more reasons or excuses to get bribes from ppl:paranoid:
 

Mirador

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PeachezNcream84 said:
Are they actually going to enforce this? It has been illegal to drink and drive for years, but they never enforce that.
I can't see this going over so well!! :ermm:

They already have! Yesterday there was a countrywide dragnet that netted over 1500 arrests, about 400 vehicles impounded (automobiles and motorcycles) and several 'extrajudicial' executions including a community leader in Navarrete that has produce two days of violent rioting in that town north of Santiago.
 

Janni

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:paranoid: Now that's going to put a real damper on things!! Half the time we don't even go out until 12:00!!!
We'll have to go on a discovery mission in September, won't we DRSherry & Baileyboy??@@!????
 

baileyboy

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Janni said:
:paranoid: Now that's going to put a real damper on things!! Half the time we don't even go out until 12:00!!!
We'll have to go on a discovery mission in September, won't we DRSherry & Baileyboy??@@!????

I'm up for the challenge! We will report our findings when we return.

Does this mean I have to bring more pesos for the policia rather then spending it on my precious presidente? :cheeky:
lisa
 

Janni

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Si Si Si....you know how the policia just love me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously though....can you imagine Mangu or even the Car Wash closing at midnight or 2:00 on weekends??? LOL :cheeky:
 

shellygirl327

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Someone here told me not to be suprised by the laws, but to be suprised if they are enforced. I watch the police and politur driving with Presidente grandes in their hands. LOL.
 

DRsherry

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Janni said:
Si Si Si....you know how the policia just love me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously though....can you imagine Mangu or even the Car Wash closing at midnight or 2:00 on weekends??? LOL :cheeky:

Si Janni, you are in due time for a run in with the law!:cheeky:

Please bring lots of pesos to get you out of jail! Everytime we go you are sure thing to bring the excitement and drama with you! ;)

I think that this is just another way to line the Policia's pocket a little bit more! Should be an interesting visit to see how much they enforce it.

I wonder if it's all discos. By that I mean, even the ones in Playa Dorada (Mangu's Hemmingways, Crazy Moon, and Roadhouse **not sure if this is the right name), for the tourists? If the law isn't applicable to the tourist areas, then I'm sure we'll see alot more locals hanging out there, if they DO enforce the new laws

sherry
 

DavidZ

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Aug 29, 2005
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The drinking while driving laws would be hard to enforce, uinless they really make an effort... but if bars are supposed to close at 12 or 2, that's easy enough to enforce... is this for real??? When is it supposed to take effect?
 

Hillbilly

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Jan 1, 2002
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Today's papers are talking about actual decrees limiting the sale of alcoholic beverages to 12 midnight during the week and 2:00 a.m. on weekends....

The President emitted three decrees last night in an effort to get some control of the violence and drugtrafficking.
1) Halt on imports of weapons and munitions (another place for blackmarketeers to operate)
2) Restrictions on sale of alcoholic beverages--yeah, right.!
3) Prohibition of consumption or transporting of alcoholic beverages in vehicles (part of which is already on the books but very seldom enforced!!) How will people get their beer and booze home?? Ridiculous!!

Stop gap measures at best but the best the "best' minds of the PLD could come up with.

HB:D:D
 

Rocky

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Apr 4, 2002
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I think they're pretty serious about this.
It's all to do with combatting crime, which is high on the agenda.
All the rats & coackroaches come out to play at night.
Closing the bars earlier, would make it easier for the cops to spot late night criminals.
Now, if you're walking around the streets at 3 am, you're excuse is you are going to or leaving a bar. It won't be that easy for criminals to hide in the crowds at that hour, if there are no crowds.
It's going to be interesting to see how they're going to sell this package to the disco owners.
Aroung here, in Sosua, the discos start up around midnight.
There will be some resistance.
 

Hillbilly

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Jan 1, 2002
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Good points Rocky, good points.

In Santiago and Santo Domingo, the young people start at 11 or 12 at night.
Three or four in the AM is normal....which might be very hard to do away with....

Of course, these activities are concentrated in just a very few areas, IMO, and these could be tolerated....same for the tourist areas, I suppose....

Gonna be interesting few weeks, me thinks..

HB :D:D
 

Mirador

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I estimate the government will sufer a drop in tax revenues of about RD$3000 million/yr from lost liquor sales. Many entertainers will become unemployed, since some of the very popular 'cervecer?as', 'car washes' and 'discos' hire entertainers in shifts, some starting their shows at 3:00 am. Maybe some of the popular 'bachateros' will turn to crime.
 

PJT

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Jan 8, 2002
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Curfew Ordinance

PJT's thought is like most any other edict from the government the curfew ordinance will be selectively enforced.

It will be another opportunity for some authorites to allow: establishments to remain open in conflict of the law and for consumers to operate under the influence ....for a price.

It will convert tourist zones into combat zones should these zones be exempted from the new law as bodies will flock there for the privilege to consume at all hours.

Another day in paradise!!!!

Regards,
PJT
 

baileyboy

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Buck69 said:
would they target vacation resorts as well?

I don't think it would target the actual hotel discos. Only b/c in order for someone OTHER then the guest, to go into the disco on the resort grounds, they have to pay money to the hotel. An example of this would be Iberostar, Coral Marien, that have their own private discos.

However, with that being said... the discos such as Mangu's, Crazy Moon, Hemmingways, and Roadhouse all in Playa Dorada complex, may be a different story. Technically they are on hotel grounds, however they are open to the public. This will be interesting to see what happens in these instances.

Just my two pesos.
lisa
 
Nov 5, 2004
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I agree if all the bars/clubs in Playa Dorada are allowed to stay open. There are going to be lots of Dominicans from the discos who had to shut early coming to Playa Dorada to party (more then usual anyways)...I think if anything this is whole situation is gonna end up causing more fights and problems.

And I just don't see how they can insist to close all the discos and such in Playa Dorada.

They are planning on taking away one of the largest sources of money income from the DR?? Less discos...less drinks...less happy tourists...less income.

People will end up drinking more on the streets then in discos too, and I can see even more problems with that.

We always leave between 10-12 when we are going out, like most people. I just really can't see this working, I think it's gonna just cause way more problems then it's worth. I bet many discos would loose so much money on it they will have to shut down...then we just have more out of work people looking to find ways to make money. Just a bad situation all in all.
 
Nov 5, 2004
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I agree if all the bars/clubs in Playa Dorada are allowed to stay open. There are going to be lots of Dominicans from the discos who had to shut early coming there...I think if anything this is gonna end up causing more fights and problems. I don't see how they can insist to close all the discos and such in Playa Dorada.

They are planning on taking away one of the largest sources of money income from the DR??

People will end up drinking more on the streets then in discos too, and I can see even more problems with that.

We always leave between 10-12 when we are going out, like most people. I just really can't see this working, I think it's gonna just cause way more problems then it's worth. I bet many discos would loose so much money on it they will have to shut down...then we just have more out of work people looking to find ways to make money. Just a bad situation all in all.

p.s. Not that I am FOR drunk driving, but some things just won't change. Unless they are willing to spend more money then I think they will setting up check stops and all that...get and use breathalizers..all the same things they do here, it's not gonna really be all that enforcable.