Even in the poorest third world country, there is a elite class who has wealth (by wealth, I mean wealth, since 1% owns 99% of the wealth). You don't think these people would be driving Honda Accord don't you ?
I think you are joking.
- Thread starter rickperry
- Start date
Not being too flashy for Santo Domingo
Even in the poorest third world country, there is a elite class who has wealth (by wealth, I mean wealth, since 1% owns 99% of the wealth). You don't think these people would be driving Honda Accord don't you ?
I think you are joking.
Luxury Cars Duty Free
... which can be acquired through privileges.
See the list at the bottom of this page:
PC denuncia fisco pierde m?s de 200 millones de pesos por exoneraciones a Legisladores
donP
... which can be acquired through privileges.
See the list at the bottom of this page:
PC denuncia fisco pierde m?s de 200 millones de pesos por exoneraciones a Legisladores
donP
You can be sure that anyone driving a 15K car will be a target if he doesn't keep up his monthly payments, 15K initial could get you a down payment on something you might clear over 3-5 years, maybe!
Do you have any idea what area of town you will be living in, what your rental budget is?
you'll need three cars. one, a daily beater for stuff around town. then you need a "good" car, BMW, mercedes, newer japanese, for trips out of town, you know, SD to PC for the weekend, then you need an L200 mini-pickup to take care of your "stuff", hauling furniture, tossing out the old sofa, bringing home tropical plants, rattan table, etc. the daily "beater" can be an 88 nissan, this way you can let any friends or help drive it, plus it's good on gas and easy to fix, already pre-dinged. it wouldn't hurt to get a small-2 wheel scooter to really cut down and save on the gas. instead of one expensive car, for the price of this expensive car, i could have all four vehicles. with a "beater" you'll get to learn the ropes as to who can and will fix what, make some friends at the same time, learn spanish. it doesn't cost more, it is just spreading your money, covering all bases. if you pull into my tire shop in Altimira with a flat on your "cayenne" who do you think will win? before you know it, one of those vehicles will be your lover and i can probably get 3 out of 4 for less than price of an 08 accord. many on this board will insist upon SUV, 4WD, to smooth over the bumps in the road. i've learned to drive the smaller toyota around the bumps, once i know the route. i was once on a rained out road in the mountains, the locals just picked up my 3 cylinder daihatsu, 4 dr, and carried it accross the the river. everybody in the land rover got no sympathy.....................
This must be a wind-up?
The last time I was in SD, there were two RR Phantoms, new model, next to each other and one RR phantom convertible being chauffeur driven with a DR baseball player and my poor car was parked between a new Carrera S and a Maserati. There are more Rangies and Cayennes etc.per square mile than you will ever see any where else.
Honda Civic? 2011, August?
Give me a break!!
The last time I was in SD, there were two RR Phantoms, new model, next to each other and one RR phantom convertible being chauffeur driven with a DR baseball player and my poor car was parked between a new Carrera S and a Maserati. There are more Rangies and Cayennes etc.per square mile than you will ever see any where else.
Honda Civic? 2011, August?
Give me a break!!
I believe there may have been 2 Bentleys outside the Bella Vista Mall, but that's "Nothing special in some areas of Santo Domingo"? What neighborhood is it that Bentleys are so commonplace that they don't raise an eyebrow?
I think we can all agree that there is a sector of the D.R. population that is wealthy and owns luxury vehicles, and another sector that is upper middle class who own nice vehicles, AND a working class sector, AND an impoverished sector. All as in any other place in the world.
There are a few posters that harm their credibility, (and appear as myopic as the OP), by insisting that there is some kind of OVERABUNDANCE of luxury vehicles, and by extension, wealth. I'm sure there are MANY places in the world with just as many or more "hot rides". It's also interesting to note the particular vehicles these posters use as examples, but that's a whole other discussion. I'm not sure why it takes overstating the facts to try to make a point.
There are a few posters that harm their credibility, (and appear as myopic as the OP), by insisting that there is some kind of OVERABUNDANCE of luxury vehicles, and by extension, wealth. I'm sure there are MANY places in the world with just as many or more "hot rides". It's also interesting to note the particular vehicles these posters use as examples, but that's a whole other discussion. I'm not sure why it takes overstating the facts to try to make a point.
In America that's it.
In the DR they are a social status symbol, they can make the difference in whether you are treated good or bad whenever you arrive at a place. They can even make the difference on business deals believe it or not. People prefer to pay the guy with the Mercedes than the guy who roams around in taxi, besides it creates an illusion of leverage on negotiations.
FACT-Over 60% of the DR population earns less than 10,000 PESOS a month. That's pesos not dollars. You're talking at a rate of 40 to the dollar (pretty soon will be there) 250 measly US bucks per month. That's the top end of income on the lower scale. Many earn way less than that. DR population is 10 million so 6 million live in abject poverty supplemented with dollar and euro remittances.
FACT-No matter how many Mercedes, Ferarris, Porsches you see all of that wealth is a micro-percentage of the total population centered around a few square miles of this entire nation.
FACT-The DR gov't is teetering on insolvency as evidenced by my latest post in the RECESSION thread. When their Ponzi tactics of counting borrowed money as economic growth comes to an end, the realization of a covered-up depression will come to the forefront.
FACT-The vast overwhelming majority of Dominicans get around by public transport, motor bikes, walking and donkeys.
FACT-If you are at the few square miles where all the wealth is, you're safe. Anywhere else on the tens of thousands of square miles you risk terrain damage, environmental damage, damage from other vehicles especially heavy construction vehicles like dump trucks shooting rocks from their load which will crack your front window to pieces.
It happened to me as two brand new cars-one a SUV and another a 4 door sedan-were turned into junk after repeated clashes with environmental-terrain difficulties, other cars and dump trucks raining down pebbles cracking windshields to pieces.
SIDENOTE-All of those fancy shmancy SUV's and luxury cars look so immaculate and pristine because they drive around the same few square miles where they are environmentally safe to drive. If they dared to drive them around like I did, they would be turned into metal junk heaps within months. That's how I trashed a white golden emblazed Porsche Cayenne within two months and the 4-door sedan was not even operable.
Going up the mountains around Constanza and adjacent areas will turn any SUV no matter how expensve into junk. Other produce vehicles, those Daihatsu flatbeds will slice open your sides as oncoming traffic or as they pass you. One SUV I had was split on the side as a Daihatsu flatbed with metal pipes passed me and cut open the Toyota Landcruiser's side like a sardine box.
That's the innocuous environmental aspect. Then you got the criminals who will be looking at your- what others allege here as- a simple car one to be had since most Dominicans do not own a car. So, be aware of your surroundings and realize there aren't really too many places you'll be able to drive it if safety (environmentally, physically and monetarily) are a concern.
1. Obviously this person (troll?) is going to likely stay in those square miles. Most of us that live in the capital probably spend a majority of time in the same space.
2. No on cares how YOU drive.
If he stays in those areas, he'll be fine.
I was driving carefully. It was those around me that weren't driving carefully, LOL.
Most here shouldn't get all worked up over wealth. Many who have expensive cars have invested all their wealth into their expensive car. So, they really aren't wealthy.
As a an agro-family that we once were, we saw plenty of "campesinos" reap a good harvest making millions of pesos and then turn around, pluck down most of it on a fancy shmancy house and car.
The next year came around, the harvest was poor and they'd sell their belongings at a loss. There are many money-rich but brain-poor wealth around. It's a merry-go-round of wealth transfer within the DR on a continual basis.
Head lines....so much for her statis!!!
The BMW victim
News reports have identified a woman who was murdered on Tuesday evening as 29-year old Yesenia Altagracia Rivera Figuereo. She was parked outside the Politecnico Virgen de la Altagracia on Avenida Venezuela in eastern Santo Domingo when she was shot in the neck and then the BMW she was driving was set ablaze. Police say that the belongings found in the car included an ID 001-15437071.
The BMW victim
News reports have identified a woman who was murdered on Tuesday evening as 29-year old Yesenia Altagracia Rivera Figuereo. She was parked outside the Politecnico Virgen de la Altagracia on Avenida Venezuela in eastern Santo Domingo when she was shot in the neck and then the BMW she was driving was set ablaze. Police say that the belongings found in the car included an ID 001-15437071.