btw, I checked with my girlfriend, and locals just turtle up (pull into their shells) when the police try to shake them down. Apparently, if you give them money, it's just a start of a bad habit and the police will be back. They make a lot of noise, gather an audience, and let the police search evertything untill they give up in frustration.
When I explained my Gringo position that I didn't want the police digging through my expensive cameras and electronics and a "tip" is just like paying a special gringo toll, she was emphatic that I was wasting money. I have yet to pay a "guancha" while traveling with her as we do a good good cop, bad cop routine and she's not a dominicana that you want to tangle with. Not like Ihave a choice, as she's generally out the door of the car before I say buenas tardes, so we're definitely light on the good cop thing.
Also, the poice (PN) are known for putting drugs in your pocket and then busting you. The reason they have such a hard on for drugs is that it's an instant 5000 peso 'fine' or a trip to the jail. Nice getting your rent paid in a single shift of work. For those trafficing drugs, it's the cost of doing business, but 5000 pesos to a working stiff is a lot of money.
When I explained my Gringo position that I didn't want the police digging through my expensive cameras and electronics and a "tip" is just like paying a special gringo toll, she was emphatic that I was wasting money. I have yet to pay a "guancha" while traveling with her as we do a good good cop, bad cop routine and she's not a dominicana that you want to tangle with. Not like Ihave a choice, as she's generally out the door of the car before I say buenas tardes, so we're definitely light on the good cop thing.
Also, the poice (PN) are known for putting drugs in your pocket and then busting you. The reason they have such a hard on for drugs is that it's an instant 5000 peso 'fine' or a trip to the jail. Nice getting your rent paid in a single shift of work. For those trafficing drugs, it's the cost of doing business, but 5000 pesos to a working stiff is a lot of money.