To the OP-you messed up. First of all, you tried reasoning with the guy. Bad move. The less talk the better with these type of people. They're not going to listen to anything you say and you're always wrong, so keep it short and sweet. Bottom line, make it known you weill stand up for yourself.
You should have plopped down the money you owe, with no tip, and say "take it or leave it" and walk out. Or, if he feels like calling the cops, don't pay until they get there.
You are not legally obligated to pay any more than what you ordered on that day. If the cops are called, wait patiently and behave accordingly. Tell them he's lying and that he wants to overcharge you because he's a thief.
If you don't stand up for yourself, word will get around. This is why these business owners will continue to do this with impunity to others.
I had something similar happen to me in a disco in Sosua. One night, after several trips to the loo, the bathroom attendant, who was female, was being very nice to me and gave me a rose to give to whatever chica I was with. She was incredibly friendly.
Next night, her attitude changed completely. As soon as she saw me she accused me of taking something and not paying for it the night before. I told her to go screw herself, and if she had a problem go tell someone and I'll be right outside dancing.
What threw me off more than anything else was her attitude towards me. She was very angry and aggressive. I thought she thought I was going to back down or get scared. I found it surprising that a woman would get like this, but like I said she probably thought I was a sucker or would try to make amends.
Nothing happened. Don't get the whole "the natives are so friendly" mantra twisted. That's a gringo concept that has no basis in reality. Dominicans can be as surly as anyone else, and you cannot let your guard down.
You may think that $250 pesos is nothing, but it sends a bad message and reinforces an even worse precedent-that they can get away with this type of crap because most people would rather not deal with the hassle. You can't be that way with Dominicans. They see that as a sign of weakness, something they do not respect.
If you were a tourist, maybe I can understand not wanting to cause a scene. But you live there, so you gotta handle these situations differently.
You should have plopped down the money you owe, with no tip, and say "take it or leave it" and walk out. Or, if he feels like calling the cops, don't pay until they get there.
You are not legally obligated to pay any more than what you ordered on that day. If the cops are called, wait patiently and behave accordingly. Tell them he's lying and that he wants to overcharge you because he's a thief.
If you don't stand up for yourself, word will get around. This is why these business owners will continue to do this with impunity to others.
I had something similar happen to me in a disco in Sosua. One night, after several trips to the loo, the bathroom attendant, who was female, was being very nice to me and gave me a rose to give to whatever chica I was with. She was incredibly friendly.
Next night, her attitude changed completely. As soon as she saw me she accused me of taking something and not paying for it the night before. I told her to go screw herself, and if she had a problem go tell someone and I'll be right outside dancing.
What threw me off more than anything else was her attitude towards me. She was very angry and aggressive. I thought she thought I was going to back down or get scared. I found it surprising that a woman would get like this, but like I said she probably thought I was a sucker or would try to make amends.
Nothing happened. Don't get the whole "the natives are so friendly" mantra twisted. That's a gringo concept that has no basis in reality. Dominicans can be as surly as anyone else, and you cannot let your guard down.
You may think that $250 pesos is nothing, but it sends a bad message and reinforces an even worse precedent-that they can get away with this type of crap because most people would rather not deal with the hassle. You can't be that way with Dominicans. They see that as a sign of weakness, something they do not respect.
If you were a tourist, maybe I can understand not wanting to cause a scene. But you live there, so you gotta handle these situations differently.
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