These are my personal thoughts.
Everytime i walk down the main road of Cabarete i am bothered continuously by people selling all manner of crap and sh!tty art. If i am thinking about something, which is often, i can now guarantee that someone will go out of their way to REPEATEDLY try to get my attention disturbing my thoughts. I ignore them and continue to mind my own business, but then they position themselves directly in my path, and there is often very little space for me to politely walk around them.
I was walking the other day in Cabarete and a man stood directly in my path with his hand stretched out in front of him and towards me. I saw this as an commanding instruction to stop, which i did not and brushed past him. I got a mouthful of spanish. Inside i am thinking F#$k you... i am not responsible to you in anyway, i do not have to speak, look or walk over you.... leave me alone with my thoughts' and my coca cola.
I however get the impression from these people that i am in someway supposed to give them the time of day and my money. When really i don't care about their issues. I care about relaxing and me (in a nutshell). I am not their social support network, if all you have to eat is 2 coconuts and 1/2 a banana then that is your problem and the government that is supposed to care for its people, not me
My thoughts, i am not here in the DR to save anyone from their financial problems, i am here to relax. i have to say these people stress me. Its not just me either i see them launching themselves onto anyone that moves.
One man offered me a sh!tty glass bottle with a matchstick boat in it for $10us. i mean it deserved to be placed in the garbage immediately after purchase, or thrown into the sea. He even said to me, after i said 'i have no money'.... (he scoffed) 'you have money, i know, you can pay'. I mean its my choice to pay and these DR folks better learn that! Further do they really think people come here to buy $25us ashtrays from a man in a shirt with no buttons and different colored flip flops (another couple told me about their experience at being harrassed and then being strong-armed into buying this ashtray).
If these people want to increase their tourism then i ask the DR tourism officials to do this;
Train these people in their blue coloured shirts on Cabarete beach to remember that people come to Cabarete beach to relax.... That 'sales people" are not our priority. Every 4 minutes i was bothered by people selling fruit, necklaces, shells, shoes and a BJ.
Dont stand in infront of people (hoping they will change their minds and buy the 'shell; as they relax on the beach. These sales people are blocking my sun.
Don't STARE at people asking them to buy something whilst they are eating IN a restaurant..... that is wrong. if i am in a restaurant it is unlikely i will want to buy a sea shell from a haitian.
People simply wont come here, and you can see the tourist numbers are down in cabarete. I love cabarete, people should come, i even love the people, but the sales tactics used can destroy one's holiday experience.
Don't block the public walk way/path barring people from walking past your shop that sells eveything i don't want or need
Dont lift the price based on what you think i can pay.... e.g i used a massage service in Sosua.... excellent service. i am always charged 500rd for a therapeutic massage 1 hr. Well i went yesterday and they lifted it to 700rd... i walked out and they said 500 quinientos.... i said no and was a little ****ed off. This is bad business practice. I liked the service but they lost further business because they tried to scam me. i use the service 3 times a week... every week. Now they have NO business
one last rule.... the sales people should know; i am here for me, it is my vacation i worked for, dont bother me unless i call you over to assit me
If these people have to resort to aggressive sales tactics... then i object to that. I have heard many people speak of these problems... so its not just me
Cabarete truly is beautiful and well worth visiting .. apart from this
Everytime i walk down the main road of Cabarete i am bothered continuously by people selling all manner of crap and sh!tty art. If i am thinking about something, which is often, i can now guarantee that someone will go out of their way to REPEATEDLY try to get my attention disturbing my thoughts. I ignore them and continue to mind my own business, but then they position themselves directly in my path, and there is often very little space for me to politely walk around them.
I was walking the other day in Cabarete and a man stood directly in my path with his hand stretched out in front of him and towards me. I saw this as an commanding instruction to stop, which i did not and brushed past him. I got a mouthful of spanish. Inside i am thinking F#$k you... i am not responsible to you in anyway, i do not have to speak, look or walk over you.... leave me alone with my thoughts' and my coca cola.
I however get the impression from these people that i am in someway supposed to give them the time of day and my money. When really i don't care about their issues. I care about relaxing and me (in a nutshell). I am not their social support network, if all you have to eat is 2 coconuts and 1/2 a banana then that is your problem and the government that is supposed to care for its people, not me
My thoughts, i am not here in the DR to save anyone from their financial problems, i am here to relax. i have to say these people stress me. Its not just me either i see them launching themselves onto anyone that moves.
One man offered me a sh!tty glass bottle with a matchstick boat in it for $10us. i mean it deserved to be placed in the garbage immediately after purchase, or thrown into the sea. He even said to me, after i said 'i have no money'.... (he scoffed) 'you have money, i know, you can pay'. I mean its my choice to pay and these DR folks better learn that! Further do they really think people come here to buy $25us ashtrays from a man in a shirt with no buttons and different colored flip flops (another couple told me about their experience at being harrassed and then being strong-armed into buying this ashtray).
If these people want to increase their tourism then i ask the DR tourism officials to do this;
Train these people in their blue coloured shirts on Cabarete beach to remember that people come to Cabarete beach to relax.... That 'sales people" are not our priority. Every 4 minutes i was bothered by people selling fruit, necklaces, shells, shoes and a BJ.
Dont stand in infront of people (hoping they will change their minds and buy the 'shell; as they relax on the beach. These sales people are blocking my sun.
Don't STARE at people asking them to buy something whilst they are eating IN a restaurant..... that is wrong. if i am in a restaurant it is unlikely i will want to buy a sea shell from a haitian.
People simply wont come here, and you can see the tourist numbers are down in cabarete. I love cabarete, people should come, i even love the people, but the sales tactics used can destroy one's holiday experience.
Don't block the public walk way/path barring people from walking past your shop that sells eveything i don't want or need
Dont lift the price based on what you think i can pay.... e.g i used a massage service in Sosua.... excellent service. i am always charged 500rd for a therapeutic massage 1 hr. Well i went yesterday and they lifted it to 700rd... i walked out and they said 500 quinientos.... i said no and was a little ****ed off. This is bad business practice. I liked the service but they lost further business because they tried to scam me. i use the service 3 times a week... every week. Now they have NO business
one last rule.... the sales people should know; i am here for me, it is my vacation i worked for, dont bother me unless i call you over to assit me
If these people have to resort to aggressive sales tactics... then i object to that. I have heard many people speak of these problems... so its not just me
Cabarete truly is beautiful and well worth visiting .. apart from this
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