It may not be as safe here as you'd like, or would hope to believe.

[Aguaita29]

On a piece of paper? I say bogus! They would be dropping the stuff out of airplanes telling the enemy to throw down their weapons and surrender. Or you could sprinkle some near a 3-star general and say, "take me to your leader". Of course, a tainted drink is possible, however no one is going to walk to an ATM or a bank and withdraw monies. Further more, if this magical substance is so effective, can I get a pound. I want to blow it in the face of my chica and tell her to wash the dishes.

There have been many reported cases, not only here but also in other countries, including Colombia and Spain. You do have a point, though. if it's true, why haven't they used it like you mentioned? No idea.

 

[JD Jones]

There is a guy with a bad leg that sits adjacent to the ATM at Banco Santa Cruz in Sosua. One day I gave him 100 pesos, then went to the ATM, withdrew money and then to Super Super to buy a Red Bull.
On the way back buy he asked me again, and I told him I gave you 100 pesos 3 minutes ago. He then asked for another 100. (Guess he figured since I hit the ATM I was flush with pesos.
Needless to say he never got any more from me.
I'm sorry his leg is messed up but he's off my people-I-help list.
Maybe he can learn to code ?

In the past I've had kids come up to me with their hand out saying "Tengo Hambre" while they're holding a plate of food.

 

[chico bill]

In the past I've had kids come up to me with their hand out saying "Tengo Hambre" while they're holding a plate of food.

Reminds me of a joke we gringos told in Puerto Rico. Puerto Ricans are the only people that will complain about the food at a dinner party then ask for a plate to go

 

[Big]

There have been many reported cases, not only here but also in other countries, including Colombia and Spain. You do have a point, though. if it's true, why haven't they used it like you mentioned? No idea.

well Sir/Ma'am. There are many security issues on the island for sure. I would rank this as one of the least safety issues to be concerned with. I would be more concerned with getting a sunburn while walking on the Malecon.

 

[DR fan1990]

In the past I've had kids come up to me with their hand out saying "Tengo Hambre" while they're holding a plate of food.

Lol, I was leaving La Sirena in the well-off sector of Altos Arroyo Hondo in SD, and these 3 kids were waiting outside telling passerbys "tenemo hambre"... all while looking completely bored and not hungry at all. Just bored and looking for something to do.
I was like who even starves in Altos Arrondo Hoyo??

 

[arete92]

Here's how I handle people asking for money.
When someone ask me for money I always respond in kind, "possibly, how much do you need", then after they tell me (usually never more than two hundred pesos) I say the following "sure no problem, I can lend you some pesos but you will need to give me your cell phone until you pay me back"
10+ years of living here full-time and not a single person has ever taken me up on my offer.

haha - i dont know why someone would be offended, banks do this all the time and loan sharks. you're going to pay it back right? ..

 

[CristoRey]

haha - i dont know why someone would be offended, banks do this all the time and loan sharks. you're going to pay it back right? ..

I don't know either. Offense is taken not given

 

[Aguaita29]

In the past I've had kids come up to me with their hand out saying "Tengo Hambre" while they're holding a plate of food.

Most of the time there's an adult sending these kids to ask for money. They tell you they're hungry, but sometimes if you offer to buy them something to eat from across the street, they'd say no.

 

[william webster]

Fagin by name ...perhaps???

 

[NALs]

Lol, I was leaving La Sirena in the well-off sector of Altos Arroyo Hondo in SD, and these 3 kids were waiting outside telling passerbys "tenemo hambre"... all while looking completely bored and not hungry at all. Just bored and looking for something to do.
I was like who even starves in Altos Arrondo Hoyo??

*Opening of tangent*

It's now called Sirena without the "La" and the old Super Pola are becoming Sirena Market.

*Closing of tangent*

 

[william webster]

Throughout the country or just Arroyo Hondo ??

 

[william webster]

We could change the title to -
It may not be as dangerous here as you think

and the posts wouldn't change much

 

[malko]

We could change the title to -
It may not be as dangerous here as you think

and the posts wouldn't change much

That is because danger/insecurity is--- thankfully, here in the DR---mainly a perception, hence everyone feels differently about it.

.....Until artillery shells start falling out of the skies, and then everybody agrees.

 

[NALs]

That is because danger/insecurity is--- thankfully, here in the DR---mainly a perception, hence everyone feels differently about it.

.....Until artillery shells start falling out of the skies, and then everybody agrees.

A lot of things about the DR is like that and the reason is how different it’s between social classes, between a rough neighborhood vs a nicer one, between tourists areas and small towns, even within campos and even entire regions.

Crime is higher in the DR than in much of the USA/Canada and even Europe, but it’s true that still the fear of crime is greater than the actual crime itself.

With thar said, there is that and then there is denial. That’s what Big is doing regarding the use of the dust for committing mostly robbery. This is certainly happening in the DR and there is simply no way to rationalize to the contrary. For example, it’s known that heroin tends to make their users completely incapable of doing anything while high. Look at the following video if a street in Philadelphia where drug users of this and other drugs waste their time.

Btw, many areas of the DR can be messed up, but nowhere even in the roughest neighborhoods will you see anything remotely resembling this.

It goes without saying that anyone in that state can be robbed in person. Why don’t the military inject enemies with those drugs while in war? Why not blow cocaine to a group of enemies, knowing well if they get high from it, it will be easier to capture them, even kill them if need be?

 

[william webster]

That is because danger/insecurity is--- thankfully, here in the DR---mainly a perception, hence everyone feels differently about it.

.....Until artillery shells start falling out of the skies, and then everybody agrees.

I think you can argue that 'Safety' is a perception... and that's what we're talking about
Look at the words in the title... nothong definitive or concrete...... just perception

'As you'd like'......'would hope to believe'

 

[RDKNIGHT]

Bill - I enjoy reading, and writing. I grew up on the internet and in forums and enjoy the experience of correspondence. With youtube, and to a lesser degree reddit, I find that writing and responding has become more "short attention span" driven and that responses are of lower quality so I like to take advantage of the opportunity on a forum to write at length. Writing this post took me longer than 1 hour, but it is worth the time to me, plus I'm in the slow season for my business so I'm not prioritizing this above work or missing money due to writing it.

The entire experience, from start to finish was about 20 minutes. 1-2 minutes from standing up and leaving with her following me to engaging the initial security guard, 5 minutes spent with him until the supervisor came, another 3 minutes with the supervisor and initial security guard until going to the "private area", a 1 minute walk to the private area and 5-10 minutes tops in the private area. I cut the affair short when I realized that it would take the police forever to arrive, that the outcome would likely not be in my favor and that 500 pesos - around $9.25 would allow me to extricate myself from the situation. I made a judgment call based on my time valuation and ended it there.

I am quite certain that if I had "gone to the restroom" she would have followed me there and waited outside, and likely even entered the restroom. I do believe my best options for damage control would have been to tell her that I didn't have money on me but that I had it in my car (I arrived via uber, so I would have been lying, which I prefer to not do) and then to take the elevator down to the sub-basement parking level and outrun here there. However that comes along with the risk of her following me and potentially grabbing me, at which point I have fewer options to avoid physical confrontation, which is 100% not worth it in any way at all. I also, quite frankly, wasn't quick enough to think of that. I did start to get on an elevator but there were other people on there and I felt super uncomfortable boarding the elevator with other people with this crazy person on my tail. However in hindsight it would have 100% been better than exposing myself to hundreds of other people seeing her follow me around and curse me out.

I do agree that one must carefully weight various "principles" and make an informed decision. I feel I did a pretty good job of this overall. My primary failure was assuming mall security would act similarly here as they do in my home country. Here it seems like they really are on the lookout for violence or theft, and are present to protect THE MALL and the SHOPS that pay rent, not to play police officer or to protect patrons from each other. However you (or I) feel about it is irrelevant, that's how it is.


Malko - I think I went out of my way multiple times within the original post to clearly communicate that this was not "a date". There was no exchange of pleasantries on any level that wasn't indicative of my intentions - to meet and vet someone to help me clean my house. Unless you are referring to "Date" more like "cita" which is more open and has the connotation of "reunión" or "meeting" more than the english word "date" does, which is specifically romantically oriented.

be happy you didn't invite her to your house... you should of gave her the money and move on . .

 

[RDKNIGHT]

Reminds me of a joke we gringos told in Puerto Rico. Puerto Ricans are the only people that will complain about the food at a dinner party then ask for a plate to go

your on a roll billy boy funny stuff

 

[RDKNIGHT]

the average Dominican yes, Religious people are oddly corrupt here and normally are the ones that are the most weird like the pastor that likes to invite himself over to everyone's house and request certain meals. Hmm the women here are great - you just have to know how to behave around them and what they expect; you find one with solid education and it will be the best experience ever. In Dominican the girls have four choices. tigure with 10 kids, Juan from the church that loves jesus more than her, Jose from US that married a gringa and rents gold chains for his vacation and lastly 60 year old professional papi con cualto. if youre good looking under 45 have money and your "stuff" together and are assertive you will get the most beautiful and educated women.

even if you are 80 with cash you will get a beautiful women not from a hood rat area

 

[Big]

A lot of things about the DR is like that and the reason is how different it’s between social classes, between a rough neighborhood vs a nicer one, between tourists areas and small towns, even within campos and even entire regions.

Crime is higher in the DR than in much of the USA/Canada and even Europe, but it’s true that still the fear of crime is greater than the actual crime itself.

With thar said, there is that and then there is denial. That’s what Big is doing regarding the use of the dust for committing mostly robbery. This is certainly happening in the DR and there is simply no way to rationalize to the contrary. For example, it’s known that heroin tends to make their users completely incapable of doing anything while high. Look at the following video if a street in Philadelphia where drug users of this and other drugs waste their time.

Btw, many areas of the DR can be messed up, but nowhere even in the roughest neighborhoods will you see anything remotely resembling this.

It goes without saying that anyone in that state can be robbed in person. Why don’t the military inject enemies with those drugs while in war? Why not blow cocaine to a group of enemies, knowing well if they get high from it, it will be easier to capture them, even kill them if need be?

Sir NALS, I did not understand your post about heroin and fentanyl use in the USA. I do not deny that there is a significant crime problem in the D.R and the potential to have an unattended drink spiked rendering one unconscious. What I do deny is that there is some special dust that can be blown in the face of an unsuspecting person and render that person a zombie. willing to empty out accounts. More comical is the transdermal absorption from touching a business card. Either way tourists are immune to this science fiction unless of course the "devil's breath" also renders them bilingual and able to understand Dominican street Spanish.

 

[jd426]

I see a lot of posts have been deleted ... what exactly is the purpose of that besides alienating people from the site ?.