recent medical emergency experience in DR
On the charter flight down (Apple Vacations' USA 3000), an otherwise enjoyable and efficient trip was tainted by having to overhear a flight attendant warn every passenger she could corral of the dangers of dealing with Dominican people. "Don't trust anyone; they are all out to get you, watch behind you all the time, etc etc."
During my trip, I had some disconcerting heart palpitations that caught me by surprise. In one town, at the end of a long walk, I had a furious heart beat and had to sit down. After fifteen minutes, I didn't feel much better and was actually afraid to get up and try to flag down a cab.
So I waved over a guy who was cleaning up and closing his "goma" shop and, in pretty rudimentary Spanish, I asked him to get me a cab because my "corazon" was not doing well. He immediately flagged down a motoconcho who went off to find a car because I don't do motoconchos even while healthy!
In a minute the motoconcho guy zoomed back to assure me a cab was en rouge. In another minute, the cab arrived, the "goma" guy ran to open the door for me and, as I gratefully got into the cab, I tried to press 20 pesos into his hand. They guy simply wouldn't take it and waved it off like "Why would he need a tip for helping me?" The motoconcho guy reacted the same way.
In the capital two days later, I took a cab to the Clinica Abreau and asked the cabdriver to take me to the emergency room because my corazon was again beating wildly. He got me there safely and then insisted on walking me through the doors, talking to the people to make sure I was understood and even hovered a bit at the door of the receiving room. I have been to the DR enough to know if a driver is just trying to get a second fare from me later--so this was not the case.
Just simple human compassion and concern.
Now, how do I direct that USA3000 flight attendant to read this post and change her mind about what awaits her passengers when they arrive in the DR?
On the charter flight down (Apple Vacations' USA 3000), an otherwise enjoyable and efficient trip was tainted by having to overhear a flight attendant warn every passenger she could corral of the dangers of dealing with Dominican people. "Don't trust anyone; they are all out to get you, watch behind you all the time, etc etc."
During my trip, I had some disconcerting heart palpitations that caught me by surprise. In one town, at the end of a long walk, I had a furious heart beat and had to sit down. After fifteen minutes, I didn't feel much better and was actually afraid to get up and try to flag down a cab.
So I waved over a guy who was cleaning up and closing his "goma" shop and, in pretty rudimentary Spanish, I asked him to get me a cab because my "corazon" was not doing well. He immediately flagged down a motoconcho who went off to find a car because I don't do motoconchos even while healthy!
In a minute the motoconcho guy zoomed back to assure me a cab was en rouge. In another minute, the cab arrived, the "goma" guy ran to open the door for me and, as I gratefully got into the cab, I tried to press 20 pesos into his hand. They guy simply wouldn't take it and waved it off like "Why would he need a tip for helping me?" The motoconcho guy reacted the same way.
In the capital two days later, I took a cab to the Clinica Abreau and asked the cabdriver to take me to the emergency room because my corazon was again beating wildly. He got me there safely and then insisted on walking me through the doors, talking to the people to make sure I was understood and even hovered a bit at the door of the receiving room. I have been to the DR enough to know if a driver is just trying to get a second fare from me later--so this was not the case.
Just simple human compassion and concern.
Now, how do I direct that USA3000 flight attendant to read this post and change her mind about what awaits her passengers when they arrive in the DR?