A Nice Story

wow, nice to see people like her in the big city. many might be surprised to know, in santiago, its a common occurrence. I have seen strangers pay bar bill of other strangers. Once I was with an american visiting friend in a bar and met up with a friend of a friend (dominican). We had a little chat while my american friend drank black label whiskey. The bill came to 1500 pesos, but the bill never got to hand. the friend of my friend (dominican) already had told the waiter to not have us pay and had decided to pay himself. Mind you, I am not his close friend and the bill actually belonged to my guest.
When I first came to santiago, I had no furniture in the newly rented house. A businessman came to my office for a consultation. Unfortunately I was unable to help him as he as operated for a herniated disc. he paid the consultation and invited me to his business to buy a fridge. When I got to his business he showed me a nice used full size fridge. I liked it but before I even asked him the price, he ordered it shipped to my home. I quickly tried to ask him for the price and he laughs. Tells me, he won't charge me as I am new to the city and I need help; besides his best friend in NY was a pakistani fellow and I reminded him of him. Hahahaha, needless to say, he refused to take my money. The fridge is still working fine.
I usually pay for strangers when there is a similar situation like Mr. lu's. I know for fact many santiagueros would do the same for others. In fact this is so common, once I was driving on the tourist road to santiago and rain started to fall hard. All of the sudden a motorcycle blocked my way and a guys come off with a young man and a little girl. he didn't ask but actually opened my door and instructed me in desperation to take his little girl in my car as she is going to a birthday party and he doesn't want her all wet and sick. The young man also jumped in. I laughed and took them in. The motorcycle dad was in the front and his 2 kids in my car. My girlfriend tried to comfort the little girls as she seemed all shook up from the rain fall. We came to santiago and I dropped them off in a gas station where the dad joined them.
AZB

Mr. Lu said:

I have been down on Santo Domingo, lately. It's a tough town to live in and at times, because of the general lack of amicable exchanges so common in large cities, I find SD to be even tougher than normal. But today a nice thing happened to me, and it brought a smile to my face.

I took public transport home today, and it was a hell of a day. Rainy and dirty, as well as traffic jams, were the best way to describe today. I jump inside the first public car I see, and tell the guy let's go. As I go to pay, with a RD$200 bill, he says, "I don't have change and if you don't have change, get out."

He begins to pull over and I was dreading having to get into another publico, since they are extra hard to get on rainy days.

All of a sudden, the woman in the front seat says, "Oh, please, I won't let him get out for a few pesos!!! I'll pay for him." She proceeded to pay my fair.

I was shocked. She didn't turn around and wasn't expecting a Thank You. Still, I thanked her profusely for making my day a bit easier, and smiled at this gesture. It was a nice ending, to what has otherwise been a very hectic day.


Lu

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Great story, thanks for sharing. It certainly restores one's faith in humankind and reminds us that kind-hearted people still exist.

Pleased you had a good ending to an otherwise rough day.

I have a great story too. I came home a little bit worse for wear one night and the next morning realised I had dropped my purse somewhere outside my apartment when I had taken out my keys to open the gate. I then got a phone call from a man telling me he had all my documents. I was upset and assumed the worst...that he would ask me for money or something to get my documents back from him.

As it turns out, I could not have been more mistaken. As it happens, the night before someone had found my purse (containing my money, c?dula, bank cards, credit cards, etc.) in the middle of the road. He stopped, picked up my purse and then went out of his way to leave it at a police station about ten minutes from my house.

A policeman (a very young lad) then waited until the next morning, went out to buy a phone card with his own money and called me to tell me he had my purse and where to collect it.

I went straight there and picked up my purse. Thanks to the help of two complete stangers and by a stroke of luck, I got all my things back with everything in tact. I have had so many bad experiences here and been mugged a couple of times so this really took me by surprise. I will think twice before judging people in Santo Domingo again.

Geez Lu, that taxi driver in la capital is a real cretin. For the most part I have found people even to be generally more polite here in the DR than in the US, especially in the ciabo region.

For example, back in 2001 when my wife traveled to SD from Moca to pick up her spouses visa with our newborn in tow, they told her she had to pay RD1000 (a lot of money back then, the bus ride only costs RD75) but she had only brought a few hundred pesos so she started to cry. Fortunately a Dominican gentlemen there gave her RD1000 just like that. What a nice guy.

I have been spending all my vacation time (5 times) from work in the Dominican Republic in the last year or so because of a wonderful family I met while in Newark airport. I met them on my way to PP for a short getaway sometime in 2008. Nelson offered to take me around outside of the all inclusive I was staying in. He introduced me to his parents and the rest of his extended family. I was always picked up at the airport when I returned, his driver was always available to take me around if he couldn't go out in the evening, amazing kindness. I had the best time and met so many local people, I made friends as far as Santiago because of him, lately I have been going to Santiago because of certain interest :laugh: but I will not miss taking a Metro to PP to see my good friend Nelson. I told him if he were to visit NY they are welcome to stay at my place. This rarely or never happen in NY..

btw, this is angel and my previous handle was angelangel..i met frank,chris, robert,badpiece, berzin, and bronxboy in n.jersey last month...

In Santiago I once asked a carro publico driver where the Bartolome Colon avenue were (I know, I know I was a clueless capitaleno) and the guy stopped over 2 minutes explaining to me where the street were and what I had to do to get there, I thought the passengers were going to get mad, nop, they were helping me too giving me directions where to turn when I arrive at X street. I was amazed. In Santo Domingo they would have replied "Que se yo" or "dobla por ahi y preguntale a un taxista". The people in El Cibao stills gives me hope about the DR.

Mr. Lu said:

I agree. Big cities tend to be harsher, but the Taxi driver could have made an effort to get change. It was just a nice gesture, which I dearly appreciated. I believe in "paying it forward." Next time I see a person in need, I will be quick to help out as a way to "pay back" this gesture.

There are nice people in this city, and it's great to see them in action.



Lu

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Good for you! Karma is a powerful thing.

JDJones said:

I've never had a vehicle breakdown in Santo Domingo where I didn't get at least two or three offers for help..

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same here. my rentals have broken down in the past and people always help.

real nice story Lu!