Hi folks;
Here is a nice story for all of us that have been robbed.
I was returning home last night from a 3 month contract in Chile.( I fly helicopters on forest fire contracts) I flew in to Santo Domingo and took a Caribe Tours bus to Sosua where I live with my Dominican girlfriend. At the second stop in Santiago I got off the bus for a quick smoke. I was standing about 10 feet from the bus when I noticed a young Dominican getting off the bus with a laptop bag very similar to mine. I grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and informed him that I believed the bag he was carrying belonged to me, at which time he handed it back to me and mumbled something about grabbing the wrong bag. He then proceeded to re-board the bus, in search of his own laptop bag.Now, I was somewhat tired after my journey of nearly 24 hours,but, I started thinking about how an 18 year old Dominican would mistake my heavy laptop bag,(containing a top of the line laptop and a digital camera) for his own. I must have had a strange expression on my face, because a fellow traveller with whom I had been conversing since S.D.(also a Dominican) and who also had exited the bus to stretch his legs, noticed the look on my face. I explained what had just transpired and he asked me for a description of the young fellow. He then called for the watchman and proceeded on to the bus, where he dicovered the thief tring to steal a backback belonging to him. My new friend threw a few great punches and with the help of the watcman, dragged the s.o.b. off the bus. Police arrived quickly and hauled him away, but, not before my friend got in a few more solid punches. What a nice welcome back to the D.R.
This was not my first such experience. Two years ago, there was a break and enter in my apartment( about $ 2000.00) and my girlfriend had 5 pairs of jeans stolen off the washing line on two seperate occasions this winter.
These experiences,combined with those that others have had, have squashed my dreams of buying a piece of property on the beach and building a house.
The Dominican Republic is a pesthole where one must live in a jail( bars on windows and doors, trained attack dogs and armed guards) in order to feel somewhat secure. I know that the overwhelming majority of Dominicans are wonderful, warm and honest people, but, for me, the pros are quickly being outweighed by the cons and I am making plans to complete my dreams elsewhere.
Here is a nice story for all of us that have been robbed.
I was returning home last night from a 3 month contract in Chile.( I fly helicopters on forest fire contracts) I flew in to Santo Domingo and took a Caribe Tours bus to Sosua where I live with my Dominican girlfriend. At the second stop in Santiago I got off the bus for a quick smoke. I was standing about 10 feet from the bus when I noticed a young Dominican getting off the bus with a laptop bag very similar to mine. I grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and informed him that I believed the bag he was carrying belonged to me, at which time he handed it back to me and mumbled something about grabbing the wrong bag. He then proceeded to re-board the bus, in search of his own laptop bag.Now, I was somewhat tired after my journey of nearly 24 hours,but, I started thinking about how an 18 year old Dominican would mistake my heavy laptop bag,(containing a top of the line laptop and a digital camera) for his own. I must have had a strange expression on my face, because a fellow traveller with whom I had been conversing since S.D.(also a Dominican) and who also had exited the bus to stretch his legs, noticed the look on my face. I explained what had just transpired and he asked me for a description of the young fellow. He then called for the watchman and proceeded on to the bus, where he dicovered the thief tring to steal a backback belonging to him. My new friend threw a few great punches and with the help of the watcman, dragged the s.o.b. off the bus. Police arrived quickly and hauled him away, but, not before my friend got in a few more solid punches. What a nice welcome back to the D.R.
This was not my first such experience. Two years ago, there was a break and enter in my apartment( about $ 2000.00) and my girlfriend had 5 pairs of jeans stolen off the washing line on two seperate occasions this winter.
These experiences,combined with those that others have had, have squashed my dreams of buying a piece of property on the beach and building a house.
The Dominican Republic is a pesthole where one must live in a jail( bars on windows and doors, trained attack dogs and armed guards) in order to feel somewhat secure. I know that the overwhelming majority of Dominicans are wonderful, warm and honest people, but, for me, the pros are quickly being outweighed by the cons and I am making plans to complete my dreams elsewhere.