Re: tourist crime rate in the DR

Re: tourist crime rate in the DR

Actually, if look directly at the question by me on the prior occasion i did give thanks,and on every prior question which i asked. the fact is that i do appreciate the information on this board and i think that it is a wonderful forum for exhcanging information and ideas. i meant no disrespect to you or anyone else by my last question about crime. my only point was that the answers to "crime" and "safety" issues seems a bit cursory at times. maybe there is not that much crime? maybe people don't want to talk about it and frighten tourists like myself. but the bottom line is that people traveling to the DR, or any foreign country for that matter want to be safe. the guilligen's island comment, and your response in general heightens my belief that people on this board don't want to talk about crime. Example: look to responses on other topics and the answers are direct and often lengthy. when it comes to crime, the answers are short and cursory, look to your own response. i asked a legitimate question-- your response: see the archives. well i did search the archives and came up pretty "damn" (to borrow your language) short on the issue of crime in SD. to get a real answer, something that i could actually use, i had to go off this board and exchange e-mails with another- and to that other..i say thank you. with his information i feel much better about my upcoming trip. i'm not filled with grand illusions, but the truth, which is all i asked for!!!

again, no disrespect to you or anyone else on this board. just trying to discuss an issue important to me. i've seen enogh crime in Chgo--firsthand. to avoid it, we need to be smart and well informed. that's all i'm looking to do.

THANKS

Rick

Re: tourist crime rate in the DR

rick, I am glad posted that you noticed that this board is touchy about talking about crime in the DR. this shows you really have been paying attention, and I like the way you answered JCesar's challenge to you thoughtfully and intelligently and without resorting to personal insults.
This board does have a tough time with subjects like that. It has a history of being a tourist oriented board, and as such has often been biased to try to look like the DR is a garden of eden. If it had to admit to crime, the crime has always been attributed to Dominicans and has painted them out to me kind of monstrous boogey men. This has helped all-inclusives to encourage tourists to stay on the compound and spend all their money in the compound. So Roberto and JCesar are sensitive to that , and are trying to say that a lot of "crime" is white collar crime committed by the tourists themselves and the tourist industry against the Dominicans.
You, rick, are perfectly reasonable in wanting neither the tourist gloss, nor the back-lash, but wanting the truth, and you should get it. That means to sift through the posts, if DR1 doesn't censor them, ignore the extremes of both sides - which is what you are saying, and encourage balance and truth, which is what you are doing. kudos for you.
The truth has been posted, which is that it is rather like any other big city in the world, with good areas and bad, and like Chicago you have to be careful, and it is good to have a friend help you to know which streets are great and which streets to avoid.

Re: tourist crime rate in the DR

SR.
just to make it clear

my post did had nothing to do with you question

I did not saw question
My answer was to some others people who had start this tread
like 1 ore tows months ago

now let me make my point

The Dominican Republic

have A Very low Criminality
com pair with others Latin's/Caribbean Country's
I am very sorry I do not have the Url home page on that to support my comments

but I am sure that my friend
JC,that are in A better place then I
could give you A hand on that

Like MRS.Arcoirs said

we are very sensible on that matter not because we wan to avoid the topic because we have something to hide
it is just because

we have many foreigner who live in this country
that are very bad informed about they own country

they pretend to know this island better then us
by just reading a few Marco Polo books

and drinking Cuba Libre on the beaches with the people that does not care about they future
and don even knows how to spell they own name well

and every time they start having personal problems fore A reason ore others
they hide they self be-hide the keys board
and they over react and get every Dominican in one tight plastic bag
because of what ever they had saw

sometimes they do not even understand why

hope you understand
peace
Roberto

Question Fore MRS.Arcoiris
Are sujesting that the DR1 Sencion JC and I?

Re: tourist crime rate in the DR

MR.Rick/Arcoiris

just to make it clear

my post did had nothing to do with you question

I did not saw you question
My answer was to some others people who had start this tread
like 1 ore tows months ago

now let me make my point

The Dominican Republic

have A Very low Criminality
com pair with others Latin's/Caribbean Country's
I am very sorry I do not have the Url home page on that to support my comments

but I am sure that my friend
JC,that are in A better place then I
could give you A hand on that

Like MRS.Arcoirs said

we are very sensible on that matter not because we wan to avoid the topic because we have something to hide
it is just because

we have many foreigner who live in this country
that are very bad informed about they own country

they pretend to know this island better then us
by just reading a few Marco Polo books

and drinking Cuba Libre on the beaches with the people that does not care about they future
and don even knows how to spell they own name well

and every time they start having personal problems fore A reason ore others
they hide they self be-hide the keys board
and they over react and get every Dominican in one tight plastic bag
because of what ever they had saw

sometimes they do not even understand why

hope you understand
peace
Roberto

Question Fore MRS.Arcoiris
Are suggesting that the DR1 Sanction JC and I?

Re: tourist crime rate in the DR

Rick, the last time i was in the DR when my wife and I were in Samana area the locals told us to stay away from one of the more isolated beaches because of robbers. And even in a small city like Jarabacoa there are areas that you don't go into at night, but compared to your home city, the DR is very safe. Common sense prevals. I have stayed in a number of rundown areas in Santo Domingo but felt safe because i was with locals. Have a good time.

Re:

roberto, I am so glad you participate in this board. your views are very valuable to me, and you present them very well. I suggest that dr1 commend you! JCesar's views are also valuable to me....I just hope that he changes from presenting those views with a squeeze of lemon to with a little more dignity. But I understand his macho need to give a double dose of the "medicine" he gets from others. His behavior is no worse than some of the others, though two wrongs don't make a right. We really need the perspectives of Dominicans on this board. It doesn't succeed very well if I am the only defender of Dominicans.
So....please don't stop, roberto, natasha, JCesar, and please get more Dominicans to participate.
And for the others...I didn't mean ignore JC, or roberto. I meant to take into account that many times the anger expressed is a response to something else. Foreigners that want to come to the DR should know that the anger is at some who have been very irresponsible and hurtful to the Dominicans. It is justified anger and they have valid complaints, though, if you have just tuned in and never been to the DR before, the anger is not at you but heed the complaints from now on.
Trash is a big problem in the DR. It does not have a well organized and efficient way to handle a large volume of trash, especially non-biodegradable and non-recyclables. Actually, I have taken to bringing my glass and metal trash home with me. The aduana must be puzzled as they x-ray my suitcases!

Re: tourist crime rate in the DR

(but felt safe because i was with locals. ?)

Hi MR.Bob
I am not sure I understand what you mean
and I would not like to make any coments on it
would you like please to splent it in A other way?
after all you know
ENGLISH ARE not my native lenguage

Thanks

Re: tourist crime rate in the DR

Roberto,
I think Bob means that any foreigner when in another country with a different language and habits always feels uncomfortable when in certain parts of the country or cities that may to him appear dangerous. When you are in the company of locals (in this case Dominicans) one will feel more comfortable as they are not likely to take you into a high risk situation since they know the area and also should any trouble occur they are more fluent in the language to help resolve the situation whether it be a confrontation with any angry taxi driver or an accident they have just become involved in (a BIG fear of foreigners when driving that any type of accident even if not their fault could mean people all around them shouting, going to the police station etc and not being able to communicate properly)
Also they are less likely to be taken advantage of by some unscrupulous person.

Re: Recyclables

Why on earth would you take home your glass "trash"??? Glass is one of the things which is reused/recycled most in the DR. Soda bottles are tradable for a discount on a new soda at any colmado (otherwise known as the informal deposit system). Relatively clean and unbroken Presidente bottles are bought back by Ceverceria Nacional, the bottler of Presidente. Every neighborhood in Santo Domingo (can't vouch for other cities) is visited by a botellero, who takes all types of bottles. Talk with one during your next visit (as I did more than once while residing in SD), and you'll be amazed about the "invisible" glass bottle recycling system SD has. Check out the bottles containing local-made honey that you buy at the colmado, or the combustible for burning in lamps that you buy at ferreterias -- chances are very good that you'll find the imprint of one of the DR's rums on the bottle (yes, rum bottles re-used as vessels for other products). Many households utilize the glass bottles for products bought at the colmado or supermarket once they are empty for keeping household commodities (such as salt, sugar or flour) clean and dry. As for other glass products, I've even seen glass doors replaced from homes subsequently taken and fitted into other homes. So you see, there is absolutely no need to haul glass "waste" in your luggage home, unless of course it's a broken glass statuette...
Regards,
Keith

Re: Recyclables

keith, you are right, and I appreciate your post. I have seen recycled glass bottles, and will check that out. I have noticed in la capital that trash is better handled. This is in an area that is more remote. I thought of putting the metal waste in one of the new bins in the capital, but was too embarrasssed to get out of the car with it. Any ideas, please, for metal waste? I heard there is a place that takes that too, but don't want to make a whole day's project trying to get there if there is something easier.