There is a well dressed German/Austrian outside Tropical Supermarket in Puerto Plata. He appears to approach foreigners only, not Dominicans, asking for money. Story is that his credit card is broken & he needs the fare to get back to Santiago. He starts by asking if you speak German; I replied in German telling him I had a little German, but did speak English & Spanish. He has poor English but reasonable Spanish.
He says he's a tourist but knows enough to know there isn't a German Consulate in Puerto Plata. If you suggest the Consulate he tells you he's Austrian. When asked which tour company he's with, he says he's an independent traveller. He gets uneasy when you suggest solutions which don't involve handing him money - like how to deal with 'broken' credit card. When reported to the floor manager of Tropical, they said he had been outside the store all day yesterday as well, but they didn't know he was begging because no-one had told them. Now they do. The German/Austrian is observant - watched me like a hawk when I drove away, probably because he guessed it was me who reported him. His story changes under questionning - the 'tourist' became a 5 month resident.
Don't get taken in - there are far better causes here to devote your money to.
He is aged late 30's/early 40's, 5 ft 9 ins approx, stockily built, white T shirt with mauve writing on the back, cream coloured shorts to the knee, cream slip on canvas shoes and a white cap. Some blond hair sticking out from underneath cap.
He says he's a tourist but knows enough to know there isn't a German Consulate in Puerto Plata. If you suggest the Consulate he tells you he's Austrian. When asked which tour company he's with, he says he's an independent traveller. He gets uneasy when you suggest solutions which don't involve handing him money - like how to deal with 'broken' credit card. When reported to the floor manager of Tropical, they said he had been outside the store all day yesterday as well, but they didn't know he was begging because no-one had told them. Now they do. The German/Austrian is observant - watched me like a hawk when I drove away, probably because he guessed it was me who reported him. His story changes under questionning - the 'tourist' became a 5 month resident.
Don't get taken in - there are far better causes here to devote your money to.
He is aged late 30's/early 40's, 5 ft 9 ins approx, stockily built, white T shirt with mauve writing on the back, cream coloured shorts to the knee, cream slip on canvas shoes and a white cap. Some blond hair sticking out from underneath cap.