Ammended bar closing times....view from Jarabacoa

Larry

Gold
Mar 22, 2002
3,513
2
0
I was in Jarabacoa yesterday and after enjoying a visit to Salto Jimenoa and a few other places with AZB, I decided to spend the night.

I went out to a bar right on parque central. Anyone familiar with the area knows where I am talking about. At night, this place comes alive with young people from around the area who enjoy the cool night breeze of the mountains while listening to music playing from car stereos around the parque. A few bars are open in this location where people gather to drink a few beers and socialize. As I sat in one of these bars, I watched all the young kids in their late teens and early twenties (man, I feel old), singing, dancing, drinking and having a good time. I realized that the majority of them, from the poor areas immediately surrounding the parque, probably have no other outlet to enjoy themselves. The vast majority or them weren't even drinking as I assume they didn't have any money but they danced to the music, boys flirted with girls, girls flirted with boys, etc. There was no violence, no crime, just young people having fun.

At about 11:30 pm, I asked the bartender if she had to close at midnight as per the new restrictions. "No", she replied beaming, "the restricion is lifted tonight because ot the holiday tomorrow". "Ah, that's good", I thought to myself. But then, suddenly, at the stroke of midnight, police cars with flashing lights came down the streets and the bars were ordered to close. Within 10 minutes, they were completely shut down and the young people who had been enjoying themselves were left in the street with almost no light (as the lights from the previously open establishments had been providing most of the illumination) and before too long, they all headed off in small groups in different directions until the area surrounding the parque was empty. I assume some of them went home while others, with their only outlet for enjoyment taken away, probaly got into some kind of mischeif or other as young people do when there is nothing else to do.

Sad.

Larry
 

sweetdbt

Bronze
Sep 17, 2004
1,574
70
0
So, did the Jarabacoa cops not get the memo?? You'd think they'd be happy for a break from being the "ultimate party poopers!"
 

Beads

Bronze
May 21, 2006
607
30
0
thanks for the report. its amazing how much well they can enforce this new curfew but couldnt patrol or enforce anything else very well before this.
 

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
40,964
936
113
thanks for the report. its amazing how much well they can enforce this new curfew but couldnt patrol or enforce anything else very well before this.
Maybe they think their big bosses are serious.

BTW-I didn't see a thing about the police rounding up the kids. He reported the kids left voluntarily.

It isn't a "curfew".
 

Beads

Bronze
May 21, 2006
607
30
0
if you force EVERY establishment to close including places not serving booze its a curfew. If its a liquor hours issue they should allow 24hr stores/restaurants not selling liquor to be open. Everything I have seen points more towards a curfew.
 

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
40,964
936
113
if you force EVERY establishment to close including places not serving booze its a curfew. If its a liquor hours issue they should allow 24hr stores/restaurants not selling liquor to be open. Everything I have seen points more towards a curfew.
You don't mean "seen". You mean "read".

A "curfew" means people are being forced, at the point of a gun, to be inside. This is not the case.

My friends in country who I speak and correspond with daily have told me than not EVERY establishment is being FORCED to close at midnight. You are perpetuating a rumor. Martial Law is not in force, dude.

I don't know where you're getting your info, but you may want to find some new sources.
 

Beads

Bronze
May 21, 2006
607
30
0
i stand corrected "read". and a "curfew" means being told to go indoors you are correct. Read some of the other information on the board. It says they are closing all establishments not just liquor related ones.

You might want to read more of the board and take the blinders off.
 

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
40,964
936
113
i stand corrected "read". and a "curfew" means being told to go indoors you are correct. Read some of the other information on the board. It says they are closing all establishments not just liquor related ones.

You might want to read more of the board and take the blinders off.
No blinders on me, Beads.

Just unbiased logic, good friends and family on the scene and exceptional observation skills.

No matter how you want to spin it, it ain't a curfew, and not all establishments are closing at midnight.

Don't pass on exagerated information. It just makes you look uneducated.
 

Larry

Gold
Mar 22, 2002
3,513
2
0
They didn't tell anyone they had to leave. They just told the bars to close.

I was in Boca Chica last week and everyone was ordered off the streets. Not the case in Jarabacoa.

Larry
 

Robert

Stay Frosty!
Jan 2, 1999
20,574
341
83
dr1.com
You might want to read more of the board and take the blinders off.

I live and work in the DR, so I have no blinders. Nobody has told me to get off the street or searched my jeep yet. Yes, I have driven around plenty of times after midnight.

Are people being stopped? Yes.
Are bars being closed at midnight? Yes.
Is it a curfew? No.
 

Larry

Gold
Mar 22, 2002
3,513
2
0
I live and work in the DR, so I have no blinders. Nobody has told me to get off the street or searched my jeep yet. Yes, I have driven around plenty of times after midnight.

Are people being stopped? Yes.
Are bars being closed at midnight? Yes.
Is it a curfew? No.

The only place I saw what can be categorized as a curfew was in Boca Chica but I understand that BC is a different animal altogether.

So it is not a curfew.

Larry
 

RHM

Doctor of Diplomacy
Sep 23, 2002
1,660
30
0
www.thecandidacy.com
I live and work in the DR, so I have no blinders. Nobody has told me to get off the street or searched my jeep yet. Yes, I have driven around plenty of times after midnight.

Are people being stopped? Yes.
Are bars being closed at midnight? Yes.
Is it a curfew? No.


Interesting.

I live in Santo Domingo too and have been stopped 3 times in the last 4 days. I ride a motorcycle...so the chances are greater. But I always wear a helmet and gloves...have all of my documents and follow the traffic laws. Thus, I gave them no real reason to stop me.

The bigger point is that it does not matter if "you" have not been stopped. The fact remains that people are being detained for no reason. This is not a long term solution to our woes. Yada yada yada...humma humma humma...same old story.

PS: I also have heard "from one of the horse's mouths" in the government that this in indeed a curfew. They can call it new liquor laws...but it's a curfew. If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck...etc etc etc.

Scandall
 
Sep 20, 2003
1,217
44
48
The only place I saw what can be categorized as a curfew was in Boca Chica but I understand that BC is a different animal altogether.

So it is not a curfew.

Larry

Why is Boca Chica different? Is crime there worse than other places in the DR?

Is Sousa in a similiar situation as Boca Chica? I thought crime was worse in Sousa.
 

AZB

Platinum
Jan 2, 2002
12,290
519
113
i have driven around in santiago after 12am many times and I have never been stopped or even looked at by police.
AZB
 

Chris

Gold
Oct 21, 2002
7,951
28
0
www.caribbetech.com
Arguing semantics I think. A curfew is if you are not supposed to be out at all, i.e, confined in your home or somewhere.

We are all free to go anywhere after closing hours. So, no curfew.
But you may be stopped and asked for your credentials. Not a big deal, if they catch a few criminals it is a good thing (here follows the disclaimer):rolleyes: ... provided they don't try to prove I'm a criminal, or provided they are not criminals themselves, and both of those are very likely here in our adopted country, depending how 'hungry' they are. We've been stopped even before 12.

Many countries have an accepted closing hour for establishments that serve alcohol. 'Last round' being called is something I remember very well from other countries in my travels. It is not the end of the world, and it is not a curfew. You're not going to be confined to your room if anyone finds you on the streets after closing time!

It also won't last as you all well know, and it is probably doing the wrong thing for the wrong reason and I cannot even guess at those reasons. Heaven knows, perhaps they studied and misinterpreted the famous Guiliani cleanup of New York.
 

Hillbilly

Moderator
Jan 1, 2002
18,948
514
113
Good to see that ignorance is still dominating the Police Force. there was a national memo, sent to all cops that modified the decrees. The news of this was in all the papers...front page.
But in a country of illiterates, who reads?? so nobody could pipe up and show the cops the front page of any of the newspapers that last night was a freebie...

Santiago was jumping all night long. Tonight, very quiet.

Oh yes. El Carrito de Marchena is open and has been open for several days.
it took major intervention by bigwigs, but it is open. Apparently some axxhole general was p!ssed off that he told the TV reporters that he was taking ALL the liquor out of the place so he could serve food 24/7.....

Oh well.....:p:p

HB :D:D:D
 

Rocky

Honorificabilitudinitatibus
Apr 4, 2002
13,993
208
0
111
www.rockysbar.com
Good to see that ignorance is still dominating the Police Force. there was a national memo, sent to all cops that modified the decrees. The news of this was in all the papers...front page.
But in a country of illiterates, who reads??
The laws are subject to interpretation, and in our case, better late than never, with a twist. ( See http://www.dr1.com/forums/showthread.php?t=53213 )