Hello everyone. I have not been around here in a while with my starting a new job and moving to a new apartment has taken up so much of my time. Anyway, if you live in the capital, I think you should here what happened to me the other night....
I left work around midnight and decided to go for a ride down the malecon as I was not tired and with the stupid laws in place, I could not go to any establishments because everything closes at midnight. While driving down around the Hilton, I was pulled over by the police. Theywere PN, not AMET. I had done nothing wrong. Anyway, when I pulled over, they p?lled up next to me and when they (2 seargents and one cop) saw that I was a foreigner, they immediatley scowled at me in an effort to put some fear into me, no doubt. They got out of the car and one of the seargents asked me for my paperwork. I gave him a copy of my matricula and my American license and began looking for my insurance card as I had misplaced it in my wallet somehow. He asked why I didnt have a Dominican license. I told him that I had not gotten a chance to get one yet. Then he asked me how long I have been living here. A year an a half, I replied. He then told me I was driving without a license to which answered that I was out of the country and returned 10 days ago (a lie). He asked to see my passport and I told him it was home and that I live on the other side of the city. Then he asked where was my insurance card and I told him I would find it to please give me a minute. Then he oprdered me out of the car and one of the other assholes searched my vehicle from top to bottom. At this point, I still had not found my insurance card and the seargent who was interregating me gotn my passanger seat and told me to get in and drive. The others followed in their car.
The seargent directed me down a dark street in Gazcue and told me to pull over. throughout the ride to this location, he kept rubbing his nose and snorting and his hands were shaking. It was obvious that he had done a lot of coke this particular evening. When I puled over, the others, who had followed got out of their car and got on either side of mine. Now the three of them told me I was going to jail for having no license and no insurance. I then took my wallet back out and found my insurance card. Theytold me then that I was going to jail for no license and that in the moring, someone would have to come with my passport as proof of what date I entered the country last. Now, I know that PN are not supposed to make traffic stops and I also know that I cannot be taken to jail for driving on an American license. I have also heard that the fine for driving without a license is 25 pesos. I told them that no, I was not going to jail. They said that yes I was. I admit that I was a little nervous but I knew that i had done nothing wrong so at this point I said, ok lets go then, take me to jail. They all looked at each other dumbfounded and again, I said, lets go, take me. I figured I would just call their bluff or worst case senario, I would call the lawyer I have retained for something else when we got there. At this point, They told me I could give them a gift and then I would not have to go to jail. I told them I would give them nothing. Then the 3 of them started arguing amongst themselves and finally, the cokehead seargent yelled at me that I could not drive around there again. Then they drove off and left me.
So, I decided to go home so I went back to the malecon and turned towards home. About 2 minutes later, by the Hotel Santo Domingo, I get pulled over again! Initilly, I thought it had to be the same guys but it was 2 different guys. They asked for my paperwork and when I produced everything, they told me to pull around the corner onto independencia. I did and then one of them asked me for 100 pesos because he was hungry. I told him I had no money. He scowled at me and I just sat there. Then after about 30 seconds, he gave me back my paperwork and drove off. I made it home in 1 piece.
I have heard this kind of thjing has hapened to a lot of people lately and that during the 1st year of Leonels administration, it would have never happend but that things are going downhill in a hurry.
Be careful out there.
PS sorry this post was loaded with typos but I am on a keyboard in a internet cafe and it is harrible. Also, I couldnt locate the quote key.
Larry
I left work around midnight and decided to go for a ride down the malecon as I was not tired and with the stupid laws in place, I could not go to any establishments because everything closes at midnight. While driving down around the Hilton, I was pulled over by the police. Theywere PN, not AMET. I had done nothing wrong. Anyway, when I pulled over, they p?lled up next to me and when they (2 seargents and one cop) saw that I was a foreigner, they immediatley scowled at me in an effort to put some fear into me, no doubt. They got out of the car and one of the seargents asked me for my paperwork. I gave him a copy of my matricula and my American license and began looking for my insurance card as I had misplaced it in my wallet somehow. He asked why I didnt have a Dominican license. I told him that I had not gotten a chance to get one yet. Then he asked me how long I have been living here. A year an a half, I replied. He then told me I was driving without a license to which answered that I was out of the country and returned 10 days ago (a lie). He asked to see my passport and I told him it was home and that I live on the other side of the city. Then he asked where was my insurance card and I told him I would find it to please give me a minute. Then he oprdered me out of the car and one of the other assholes searched my vehicle from top to bottom. At this point, I still had not found my insurance card and the seargent who was interregating me gotn my passanger seat and told me to get in and drive. The others followed in their car.
The seargent directed me down a dark street in Gazcue and told me to pull over. throughout the ride to this location, he kept rubbing his nose and snorting and his hands were shaking. It was obvious that he had done a lot of coke this particular evening. When I puled over, the others, who had followed got out of their car and got on either side of mine. Now the three of them told me I was going to jail for having no license and no insurance. I then took my wallet back out and found my insurance card. Theytold me then that I was going to jail for no license and that in the moring, someone would have to come with my passport as proof of what date I entered the country last. Now, I know that PN are not supposed to make traffic stops and I also know that I cannot be taken to jail for driving on an American license. I have also heard that the fine for driving without a license is 25 pesos. I told them that no, I was not going to jail. They said that yes I was. I admit that I was a little nervous but I knew that i had done nothing wrong so at this point I said, ok lets go then, take me to jail. They all looked at each other dumbfounded and again, I said, lets go, take me. I figured I would just call their bluff or worst case senario, I would call the lawyer I have retained for something else when we got there. At this point, They told me I could give them a gift and then I would not have to go to jail. I told them I would give them nothing. Then the 3 of them started arguing amongst themselves and finally, the cokehead seargent yelled at me that I could not drive around there again. Then they drove off and left me.
So, I decided to go home so I went back to the malecon and turned towards home. About 2 minutes later, by the Hotel Santo Domingo, I get pulled over again! Initilly, I thought it had to be the same guys but it was 2 different guys. They asked for my paperwork and when I produced everything, they told me to pull around the corner onto independencia. I did and then one of them asked me for 100 pesos because he was hungry. I told him I had no money. He scowled at me and I just sat there. Then after about 30 seconds, he gave me back my paperwork and drove off. I made it home in 1 piece.
I have heard this kind of thjing has hapened to a lot of people lately and that during the 1st year of Leonels administration, it would have never happend but that things are going downhill in a hurry.
Be careful out there.
PS sorry this post was loaded with typos but I am on a keyboard in a internet cafe and it is harrible. Also, I couldnt locate the quote key.
Larry