It's so lovely and quiet in Santo Domingo

MariaRubia

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Jun 25, 2019
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For the first time that I've seen, they were at the airport peaje around 430 this afternoon. They had ticket books in hand. My guess is they were checking for marbetes because I didn't have a seat belt on and they ignored me. Also, they did not f up traffic, which is greatly appreaciated. I think they reserve that for the imeciles who can't read/understand Spanish and get in the wrong lane.

I've passed through a couple of times in the last two weeks and they were there both times. They were on the Malecon near to Lincoln this afternoon stopping cars, and yesterday they were on Independencia stopping motorbikes.
 
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NALs

Economist by Profession
Jan 20, 2003
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Gosh, where was that? I'm guessing on the highway from Barahona to Azua. There must have been an accident or something to block the traffic that badly.
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They still had quite a way to SD. The South needs the road to be a divided highway all the way to San Juan and Barahona, IMO. It doesn’t seem that will be the case anytime soon. Simply looking at the beltway the government built around Azua and is building around Bani, these are tight roads (one lane in each direction.)

The following video is of aerial look at the Azua Beltway. It should had been 4 lanes in total + the shoulder lanes for emergencies. They are going to have to spend more money in the future to widen that unless they plan to eliminate the shoulder lanes and somehow accommodate 4 lanes even if shortening the width of each lane. It’s the DR, anything can be expected.

DR government money grows on trees, don’t forget that. It doesn’t comes from the people, of course not. :censored:

[youtube]Zf-Fb25n2oc[/youtube]

Another pet peeves, why so many street light fixtures? One row of light fixtures would be enough to iluminate the road (when apagónes are not occuring.) What a waste. Imagine the electric bill for that stretch. DR government money grows on trees. (n)
 

MiamiDRGuy

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May 19, 2013
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Damn, they made mistake doing that small road, we need 4 lane highway then this would never been happened
 

reilleyp

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Dec 12, 2006
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whenever traffic stops in Dominican Republic people assume you can use either the lanes on the left or the right because they are more important than anybody else on the planet. They fail to take into account that traffic may be coming in the opposite direction. The people on the berm of the road, and the people sitting in the lanes facing opposing traffic could sit there for several weeks or months, and they will still not understand that they made the wrong decision. I am not sure what is the solution. Driving school? Traffic enforcement? Divided highways? Land mines?
 

tee

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Sep 14, 2007
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I went to Santo Domingo last year during Semana Santa and it was pure bliss, like a ghost town. There were huge traffic jams for those leaving the city at the toll and also when we were leaving the city there were huge traffic jams for those coming back to the city. The only reason we did not go to Santo Domingo this year was that we are going this weekend as we are going to see the Van Gogh Experience which starts this weekend. I think it lasts for about 3 weeks. Google it, it certainly looks amazing.
 

reilleyp

Well-known member
Dec 12, 2006
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I went to Santo Domingo last year during Semana Santa and it was pure bliss, like a ghost town. There were huge traffic jams for those leaving the city at the toll and also when we were leaving the city there were huge traffic jams for those coming back to the city. The only reason we did not go to Santo Domingo this year was that we are going this weekend as we are going to see the Van Gogh Experience which starts this weekend. I think it lasts for about 3 weeks. Google it, it certainly looks amazing.
Do they cut off your ear with a machete?
 

NALs

Economist by Profession
Jan 20, 2003
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whenever traffic stops in Dominican Republic people assume you can use either the lanes on the left or the right because they are more important than anybody else on the planet. They fail to take into account that traffic may be coming in the opposite direction. The people on the berm of the road, and the people sitting in the lanes facing opposing traffic could sit there for several weeks or months, and they will still not understand that they made the wrong decision. I am not sure what is the solution. Driving school? Traffic enforcement? Divided highways? Land mines?
The same people don’t dare do the things behind the wheel when they are in the USA vs the DR. Seen it many times. It isn’t about their education of driving. If it was the same people would drive the same in either places (good drivers in the USA are good drivers in the DR and vice versa, but that is not often the case) since their education doesn’t change by simply getting in an airplane.
 

NALs

Economist by Profession
Jan 20, 2003
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Btw, this change is also seen in other peoples. Take expats as an example. Many of the expats that simply enter the DR with a tourist card and simply pay the fee when leaving instead of applying for the correct visa would never do the same if they were to need a visa to enter the USA/Canada. Essentially, the moment the time the tourist visa allows is up until they leave, the person is an illegal immigrant in the DR.

You can also see this with many other things too. For example, the same person that in the DR don’t think twice before paying bribes, while in the USA would not even think about paying bribes to anyone.
 

NanSanPedro

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Apr 12, 2019
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Btw, this change is also seen in other peoples. Take expats as an example. Many of the expats that simply enter the DR with a tourist card and simply pay the fee when leaving instead of applying for the correct visa would never do the same if they were to need a visa to enter the USA/Canada. Essentially, the moment the time the tourist visa allows is up until they leave, the person is an illegal immigrant in the DR.

You can also see this with many other things too. For example, the same person that in the DR don’t think twice before paying bribes, while in the USA would not even think about paying bribes to anyone.
As an illegal immigrant myself, I tend to agree. But, that's the Dominican culture. We bitch about the things we don't like about Dominican culture but never praise the things we do like.

Regarding bribes, I've only been shaken down twice since 2018, all for a total of 250 pesos. My first visit in 2006 was a different story. I think it was $20USD twice, but I'm not sure.