Dragonfly32837 said:
Not all locals are bad. You are telling him to only hang out with expats from DR1. That's wrong. Yet foreigners say that the best part of living in the Dominican Republic is the people. What contradiction.
For all practical purposes EVERY Dominican man who speaks English and who will approach Gomer here with tips for finding girlies, bars, drugs or anything else wants to separate him from every penny he has, bar none. The advice stands as it is entirely true. Getting into a car is the stupidest thing one can do and I have helped out three at least who Opie'd themselves into the crap with these idiots.
They all were the same- no Spanish, first time, expressions like Gomer Pyle and money hanging out farther than their privates and tongues.
So Barney Fife here can get the straight dope from me without a lot of mincing of words. OK, he finds a university professor, on campus in his classroom with 3 deans to vouch for him he can go ahead and say hello.
I agree fully you happen upon someone who appears reputable, you can and do converse with them in their local tongue and maybe you strike up an interesting relationship with a local - I do it all the time where I go and on the plane as well, in either language. On the main drag in the daytime with a guy with 12 gold chains, I tell him to f-off.