Not Another Ugly American

[Cdn_Gringo]

I've had several in depth discussions with my favorite taxi driver on the concept of sharing the road and all vehicles have as much right to use it as any other. The concept of seeing any other vehicle as their equal is completely foreign to DR drivers. It's all about them, what they want to do and where they want to go.

Vehicles that are in the way or drivers who are doing something that in any way impedes their forward movement is seen as a personal affront worthy of a reaction that ranges from blowing the horn repeatedly all the way up to a beating or extreme violence. One just has to accept this as it will take generations to change. At home, it took what 15+ years for some to come to see mandatory seat belt use as anything other than unwanted/unwarranted Govt interference in our personal decision making process - some are still not convinced.

I also can't seem to get them to understand concept that two objects can't occupy the same space at the same time nor the fact that the time difference between 100 km/h and 160 km/h on a typical journey is measured in minutes not hours.

Save yourself the ulcer accept the things you cannot change and don't get upset, or stop driving here. Both will extend your longevity significantly.

 

[the gorgon]

I've had several in depth discussions with my favorite taxi driver on the concept of sharing the road and all vehicles have as much right to use it as any other. The concept of seeing any other vehicle as their equal is completely foreign to DR drivers. It's all about them, what they want to do and where they want to go.

Vehicles that are in the way or drivers who are doing something that in any way impedes their forward movement is seen as a personal affront worthy of a reaction that ranges from blowing the horn repeatedly all the way up to a beating or extreme violence. One just has to accept this as it will take generations to change. At home, it took what 15+ years for some to come to see mandatory seat belt use as anything other than unwanted/unwarranted Govt interference in our personal decision making process - some are still not convinced.

I also can't seem to get them to understand concept that two objects can't occupy the same space at the same time nor the fact that the time difference between 100 km/h and 160 km/h on a typical journey is measured in minutes not hours.

Save yourself the ulcer accept the things you cannot change and don't get upset, or stop driving here. Both will extend your longevity significantly.

i used to get all upset when i witnessed some of the more interesting artifacts of Dominican driving. now i just see it as comedy, and it makes my day much more bearable. i am now resigned to the reality that you cannot explain to a Dominican such abstruse concepts as a reasonable following distance, because that is in direct contravention to his belief that everything in front of him must be overtaken, even if by so doing he will have overshot his destination.

 

[Contango]

i day dream about slaughtering them with electric saw, crushing their cars for scrap, burning their houses and then ploughing the earth with salt. it brings some relief. highly advisable.

Now we are talking about making "Soylent Green"... Delicious..

 

[Chirimoya]

Poor padres de familia...

En promedio, los ingresos de un chofer oscilan los RD$2,500 o m?s, de acuerdo con los testimonios recogidos. Si se multiplica esta cifra por los d?as de trabajo ser?an RD$37,500, en jornadas laborales que normalmente se aproximan a las 12 horas.

En comparaci?n con el nivel de ingreso de algunos profesionales, los choferes de concho quedan por encima, y en algunos casos hasta triplican el monto mensual que reciben las personas con un nivel acad?mico universitario.

Por ejemplo el salario neto de un m?dico general es de RD$36,706.10; un auxiliar de enfermer?a gana RD$14,777.40; un maestro de inicial obtiene RD$13,016, y uno de media RD$15,518; en tanto que el salario de los periodistas puede andar entre RD$10,000 y RD$35,000.

http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias/2014/11/13/i880761_concho-duplica-salarios-profesionales.html

 

[dv8]

yeah, i saw this article in diario libre today. poor padres de famila my ass.

 

[zoomzx11]

This is not your country. You are not going to change a thing other than your position from vertical to horizontal.

 

[the gorgon]

That does not take into effect the cuota they have to pay the union every day, pay for the route each day, the fuel they consume, the rent on the car (yes, many of them pay rent every day) and a lot of other fixed costs they have.

Just out of curiosity, has anyone here ever had a conversation with a concho driver?

somebody told me that the license to operate on a route can run you 250,000 pesos.

 

[dv8]

That does not take into effect the cuota they have to pay the union every day, pay for the route each day, the fuel they consume, the rent on the car (yes, many of them pay rent every day) and a lot of other fixed costs they have.
Just out of curiosity, has anyone here ever had a conversation with a concho driver?

it does, actually:
deben pagar RD$100 por d?a de trabajo a sus respectivas organizaciones.
and:
Detalla que en este tramo hay compa?eros que pueden obtener hasta RD$5,000, de que algunos deben pagar RD$1,000 -si el veh?culo no es propio- y el gasto en combustible que puede rondar los RD$1,500 “cuando el d?a t? bueno”.

i knew a guy who was driving carro publico in POP, few years ago. he was making clear 20-25k pesos a month. rates in SD must be higher.

somebody told me that the license to operate on a route can run you 250,000 pesos.

yes, the licenses are costly. this is why many drivers ride under someone else's license or even someone else's car. hence the note about 1000 pesos daily rate for "renting" the car.

 

[HUG]

Poor padres de familia...

El

I do not think those numbers are at all typical.

 

[drSix]

This is not your country.

I'm getting a little sick of seeing that. It's on FB alot too, anytime a gringo has the audicity to complain about corruption, gringo taxes, being taken advantage of by locals...

I pay an awful lot of taxes in this country, support local businesses, employ Dominicans ect.. and very rarely do I use any publicly funded services such as the schools or hospitals.

 

[william webster]

there is some truth to that Deep6

those w/ residency are akin to non-voting citizens...... like US Green Card holders
all the obligations and few of the privileges

still, courtesy dictates we defer in some cultural areas....
this may be one

 

[Chirimoya]

From today's DR1 News:

Taxi drivers make more than public hospital doctors
A report in Diario Libre today, Thursday 13 November 2014, reveals that drivers of the multi-fare taxis known as "conchos" or "carros publicos" can make up to RD$35,000 a month, tax-free. Of the total, they have to pay RD$100 per day worked to the business associations (so-called transport unions) that have de-facto control of the routes on which they work. Other costs include vehicle maintenance, if it belongs to the driver, and gasoline and other vehicle-related expenses.
As reported, most taxis in this scheme work on alternate days. That is, the drivers will work on average 15 days a month, having time off for other income-generating activities on the other days. The drivers of these often-ramshackle vehicles therefore earn more than many professionals in the Dominican Republic, including public hospital doctors (RD$36,706 a month), nurses (RD$14,777) and teachers (RD$13,016). The drivers charge fares of RD$25 for their short routes. The drivers will fit two passengers in the front seat and four to five in the back seat.

 

[HUG]

posted with quote!

 

[HUG]

I'm getting a little sick of seeing that. It's on FB alot too, anytime a gringo has the audicity to complain about corruption, gringo taxes, being taken advantage of by locals...

I pay an awful lot of taxes in this country, support local businesses, employ Dominicans ect.. and very rarely do I use any publicly funded services such as the schools or hospitals.

Absolutely, if you are a resident then it is your country. You are entitled to make judgement, share opinion, bitch moan and slate the daily bullsh1t we have to put up with. People making these kinds of comments of, 'we are guests' tend to have limited, blinkered or sheltered lives from reality in DR (live the bubble), are Dominican and feel only they can slate their country or are actually guests and have not committed to making DR home.
I never get it when people say these things, you are a guest when on vacation. If you live in DR then it is your home, you are not a guest in your own home, if you feel you are an guest in your own home then the issue lies with you.

 

[zoomzx11]

What you pay has nothing to do with it. If you find yourself enmeshed in the Dominican judicial system you will see just what a second class citizen you are. A normal person who to hears the phrase "this is not your country" a few times would stop and think but what do I know. Best of luck and let us know how it works out for you.

 

[AlterEgo]

Absolutely, if you are a resident then it is your country. You are entitled to make judgement, share opinion, bitch moan and slate the daily bullsh1t we have to put up with. People making these kinds of comments of, 'we are guests' tend to have limited, blinkered or sheltered lives from reality in DR (live the bubble), are Dominican and feel only they can slate their country or are actually guests and have not committed to making DR home.
I never get it when people say these things, you are a guest when on vacation. If you live in DR then it is your home, you are not a guest in your own home, if you feel you are an guest in your own home then the issue lies with you.

I agree with you HUG - ***if*** the person has legal residency in their new country [which I believe you have].

A lot of the biggest and loudest complainers don't bother to take that step.

 

[zoomzx11]

Expats who move to the DR are not and will never be on equal footing with a Dominican. Act appropriately and you will not have a problem. Try and teach these Dominicans a lesson and you will end up the pupil eventually.

 

[HUG]

What you pay has nothing to do with it. If you find yourself enmeshed in the Dominican judicial system you will see just what a second class citizen you are.

The same could be said for how we are dealt with in our native countries, many leave their native lands as they feel like second class citizens.

 

[HUG]

Expats who move to the DR are not and will never be on equal footing with a Dominican. Act appropriately and you will not have a problem. Try and teach these Dominicans a lesson and you will end up the pupil eventually.

None of what you are saying could possibly mean we are guests in our own homes where we are resident. We have to respect our adopted country, for sure, but I wouldn't treat an adopted child as a guest in the family home, just as I do not expect to be treated as a guest in my adopted country. To the contrary, most expats put a lot more into the country than we take, and so if anything we should be made to feel pretty damn welcomed and comfortable.

 

[barker1964]

Expats who move to the DR are not and will never be on equal footing with a Dominican. Act appropriately and you will not have a problem. Try and teach these Dominicans a lesson and you will end up the pupil eventually.

Your statement is true. However it's the same no matter what country you move to. Not exclusive to the DR