Don't Shake Hands With Strangers In Cabarete!

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Lambada

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Mar 4, 2004
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Sorry to have to report the latest scam but after years of telling tourists to always be courteous towards locals, I am having to revise that. Be courteous yes, but don't shake an outstretched hand if you don't know the person. At least for now & at least in Cabarete.

The scam goes like this: tourist walking along the street approached by one or two local guys who smile 'Hola my friend' and put their hand out to shake; the tourist shakes the hand, and finds a small packet of drugs in his palm. Immediately two police appear and haul gringo off to jail. So far 1 Canadian and 1 American have been snagged in 2 separate incidents in Cabarete. Get out of jail card costs anywhere between US$6000-US$10,000. Most tourists will pay rather than spend the whole of their holiday in jail waiting for a Court appearance. Cash then divvied up amongst perps and................on to next one.

Unfortunately this is going to lead to tourists being highly suspicious of anyone, including the vast majority of locals who would never dream of pulling a stunt like this. And if it keeps up, it will deter tourists from this destination which is not what the DR needs right now.

If it happens to you, get someone to contact your Consular rep. or Embassy immediately. But prevention being better than 'cure', don't shake hands. Probably best to smile & put open palms in full view in vertical position & walk on. That way they'll know you know what the scam is. The more we can get people not falling for this one, the sooner they'll stop trying.

BTW, 'strangers' includes the guy you met yesterday & who didn't try it the first time he met you.
 

jrhartley

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Sep 10, 2008
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pardonez-moi but couldnt they just as easily slip it into your pocket/bag etc and give a nod to the police

sounds quite an easy thing to do without the shaking hands bit(this is very worrying )
 

POP Bad Boy

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Jun 27, 2004
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Someone in Cabarete

should print a one page warning to tourists and post it on every telephone pole!!!!!.............

...........but the terrible part of this is that you know it and probably many others do too and nothing is being done about it...............

Aren't there ANY decent law officials that can be forwarded information like this so that THEY go to the Cabarete police department and tell them that they know what is going on and "it's over"??????

What about the director of Tourism? Don't they care? .........PROBABLY NOT...JUST WISHFUL THINKING...............
 

JRMirador

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Oct 15, 2008
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While reading this, I heard coming from afar the faint ring that always accompanies an urban legend. However, the story is probably bona fide, albeit, exceptional. How many victims are you aware of?
 

rsg

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Oct 21, 2008
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thats why the dominican republic will never be a top quality destination like aruba. the dr. is full of many great people but also full of many corrupt officials,starting with all the crooked police. If the great presidente fernandez dont protect the tourist that keep this very poor country afloat he will have more problems then he could ever imagine.all the countrys that help and work with the dr. and he cant clean up his corupt officials that are always trying to take advantage of the average tourist.he is not doing anything to protect tourist from his own public officials.i would never be forced to pay these thieves a dime.i would contact my embassy and stir up enough trouble that these cowards will move on to thier next victim.and a word to the wise,you should not be shaking hands or even talking to strange people in the streets.if it's not this scam it's another they are ploting.dont get me wrong,there is problems for tourist in most vacation destinations,but the dominican republic shows no effort to protect people,mainly from the crooked police force.
 
Mar 2, 2008
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Thank you Lambada. As Rattus said, that is a new one to me, as well.

And rsg, wasn't Aruba the place that young American girl was killed a couple of years ago? Although I agree with you about the police being a large factor in the encouragement of tourism, there are many tourist destinations which have suspect police forces, not just the DR.
 
Mar 2, 2008
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Sounds like B.S. to me.

Lambada is not in the habit of posting BS. If she posted it then I will most definitely take it into account.
 

rsg

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Oct 21, 2008
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Thank you Lambada. As Rattus said, that is a new one to me, as well.

And rsg, wasn't Aruba the place that young American girl was killed a couple of years ago? Although I agree with you about the police being a large factor in the encouragement of tourism, there are many tourist destinations which have suspect police forces, not just the DR.
yea and that was a very isolated incident. i live in the dr. half the time and am amazed at how many dominicans daily job is to scam tourist.yes there are problems everywhere,but one of the bigest problems here is the police..a quick example,i frequently travel between santiago and mao. On the main road near esperanza and mao there is always a roadcheck out at night.i have been stoped at least 10 times for one reason,CASH.when i travel these roads at night now i always have a few hundred pesos ready to hand out to my new adopted kids.
 
Mar 2, 2008
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i always have a few hundred pesos ready to hand out to my new adopted kids.

I certainly understand and appreciate that (and enjoy your humor). I agree completely about the DR police/military. I hope I didn't sound otherwise.

I was just saying other places have their problems as well, but also that a little publicity goes a long way.
 
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Ricardo900

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Jul 12, 2004
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Two or three weeks ago, I was riding a friend of mines Honda 929 sport bike, and I was talking to someone on the street and here comes policia nacional:tired: hopping out of their truck asking for my "papeles", I told them do you ask motoconchos for their "papeles", my friend said just go and so I left them standing there. They wanted a hand-out.

A week ago a couple of more policia cruising around in their little paddy wagon truck called me over to their truck and I shook their hands and ask how are things? They said bad, really bad. I said oh oh, hand-out time and I waved goodbye and left.
 

JRMirador

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Oct 15, 2008
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....when i travel these roads at night now i always have a few hundred pesos ready to hand out to my new adopted kids.

You have become part of the problem, not the solution. You are making it difficult for the rest of us who dont/cant bribe. It's like feeding the dogs while you eat. They become a pest and become almost impossible to shoo away.
 

dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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A week ago a couple of more policia cruising around in their little paddy wagon truck called me over to their truck and I shook their hands and ask how are things? They said bad, really bad. I said oh oh, hand-out time and I waved goodbye and left.

this is where it is good to adopt eastern european approach of always answering negatively to "how are you" question :cheeky:
i live in POP and i feel ok to go out here. those who know me also know it is better not to bother my family and those who do not see a gringa in jeans (not a touristy outfit) walking purposefully. or driving erratically ;) - either way they will not approach me.
but i dislike going to places like sosua alone. i never take my bag with me, i have my money (just enough), cedula and phone in the pocket, i walk fast, i do not stare and i do not stop when people talk to me or honk their horns. i never let others bother me. yes, i may miss a friend trying to say hello but i do not care.
 
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rsg

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Oct 21, 2008
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You have become part of the problem, not the solution. You are making it difficult for the rest of us who dont/cant bribe. It's like feeding the dogs while you eat. They become a pest and become almost impossible to shoo away.
your partially correct,but lets be honest. a few hundred pesos is not worth the the headaches with these walking toll booths...i mean police-military.do you really think that if everyone stopped giving donations to the local police locustl club that they would stop asking? NO, They would proboly just be harder to deal with.Hey no problem anyway.it sort of reminds me of my high school days and getting shooken down for my lunch money by guys like you. :rambo: just jokeing
 

JRMirador

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Oct 15, 2008
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your partially correct,but lets be honest. a few hundred pesos is not worth the the headaches with these walking toll booths...i mean police-military.do you really think that if everyone stopped giving donations to the local police locustl club that they would stop asking? NO, They would proboly just be harder to deal with.Hey no problem anyway.it sort of reminds me of my high school days and getting shooken down for my lunch money by guys like you. :rambo: just jokeing

Reminds me of my last trip to Azua. A few kilometers outside of Bani there's this perennial police roadblock (alcabala). Well, it so happens that they stopped me for the very first time in my life. They actually forced me to stop by standing in the middle of the road. I was extremely incensed, and they asked me for my papers. After a short bout with speachlessness, I yelled at the top of my lungs: "What the *@&~?!, don't you *@~&?! recognize me?. The officer immediately replied: "Sorry, we didn't recognize you behind those sunglasses".
 

Reidy620

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Mar 30, 2008
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I have a (I think valid question).

but lets be honest. a few hundred pesos is not worth the the headaches with these walking toll booths...

So, if I am stopped by one of these uniformed/un-uniformed individuals claiming to represent the authorities; I should just hand over whatever they demand?

If I do, how do I know that who I am being stopped with are the local police making a "legitimate peso" or someone who has decided to imitate them because they have seen it's easy money. Pretty soon everybody will be stopping everybody with the "toll booth" mentality. . . Is that really what the DR is about or have got the wrong end (again).

Regards

Reidy

anpalmisl.gif
 

La Mariposa

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Jun 4, 2004
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this is where it is good to adopt eastern european approach of always answering negatively to "how are you" question :cheeky:
i live in POP and i feel ok to go out here. those who know me also know it is better not to bother my family and those who do not see a gringa in jeans (not a touristy outfit) walking purposefully. or driving erratically ;) - either way they will not approach me.
but i dislike going to places like sosua alone. i never take my bag with me, i have my money (just enough), cedula and phone in the pocket, i walk fast, i do not stare and i do not stop when people talk to me or honk their horns. i never let others bother me. yes, i may miss a friend trying to say hello but i do not care.

With that description of Sosua and I believe you, I don't want to go there. I am not blaming you though. I felt the same way in other D.R. towns
 
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