What would you have done in this situation?

[flyinroom]

Has nobody else been troubled by the OP's use of "I somehow forgot my wallet"? I asked myself....what the heck does that mean? How does someone "somehow" forget something. You either forget it or you don't.
Could this be a sign that he is already, at that point in his narrative, attempting to shift responsibility for some unknown act.
What immediately sprung to mind was the old "me thinks he doth protest too much".
Did the OP spend the $100.00 and then, having to face the consequences, is concocting some cock'nbull story about being robbed? You know, the "no es mi culpa" defence.
.......Just another angle to consider in this conumdrum for the ages.

marcelm,
I hope you didn't take offence......none was meant.
It was just me in my "no sh!t Sherlock hat" trying to add another dimension.
But hey.........Thanks for the special mention.
I'm honored,

 

[Dark_Scorpion]

Hi,
here's the story: I was in a carrito alone on the back seat. There was another passenger on the passenger seat. I got out and noticed that I somehow forgot my wallet inside of the car. I jumped on the next mototaxi and followed the carrito. It took some time to reach the carrito since I did not notice it right away.
I told the driver to stop and he did. I told him that I forgot my wallet, opened the back door and there it was. I was pretty happy so I just took it and the driver drove off immediately. Then I noticed that my money was missing (100 USD and 400 Pesos). The rest was still there. I followed and stopped the carrito again.
I asked him where my money was. He said he doesn't know anything and confirmed the fact that after me noone else enter the car on the back seat... So it was pretty obvious. The guy on the passenger seat got out of the car and got aggressive asking if I was calling him a thief... It was going back and forth a little because both the driver and the passenger said that they have nothing to do with it. One reason they told me was, if they had stolen it for real they would have thrown away the wallet and would not have left it in the car, which is not a valid argument.
It was at night and there were some dominicans coming over, listening to the argument. I was telling everyone was happening, not saying that the actually stole it, I just asked everyone how 100 dollars could just disappear. Not a single guy said "well, they obviously stole it!" they rather did not say anything or even said "well, be happy that your ID and other stuff is still in there". sure, I am happy, but it's in my opinion very sad that no-one was willing to help me at all in this totally obvious situation, except for the mototaxi driver, who was my opinion...
Well, I wanted to go to the police with both, but the passenger just left while I was talking to the driver. Finally we (the driver and me) drove together to the police station. As I expected they just told me that I was my fault, since I left my wallet inside. Sure it was my fault at some point, but since it was so obvious that they (the driver and passenger) took the money, they could have done something. They driver confirmed the story as I told it (I was the only passenger on the backseat and after me noone entered nor left the vehicle), but of course always said that he had nothing to do with it.
My idea now was, assuming that the police here is quite corrupt, that they did not want ME to help, because they knew that they would get some money from the driver.
If that is true, I assume that the driver knew that this was going to happen. Therefore I had the idea that I might have gotten at least the 50 USD the driver took, by telling him on the way, that I would say on the police station that there were 300 USD in my wallet! This way he would have to bribe the police according to the amount of 150 USD stolen, not 50...
What do you think?

Just to make this clear: I'm not crying or very angry because I lost 100 dollars. Of course it's sad, but what actually makes me sad is that they stole at all in the first place and that no one of the dominicans coming to see what was going on were helping. Why do they support thiefs?
And the second thing about the police and the bribe I'm just curious if you think that would have worked?

If I were you, once I realized the money was missing, I would have accepted the loss and blamed myself for not paying attention. I would have never argued with the driver and passenger. Not only is arguing with people a violation of Law 9 of the 48 Laws of Power, you also invite a negative machismo response by being confrontational. You also seem to know little about Dominican culture, because you pleaded with other nearby Dominicans when, had you read the recent book I read on Dominican culture, you'd know that Dominicans consider you an outsider and your pleas to them will fall on deaf ears. Dominicans have loyalty to their immediate family first, then their extended family, city, province, and country. Being an outsider, you are the one who will be regarded with suspicion even if the cab driver took your money. The reason for this is because the DR has been invaded and occupied once by Haiti and twice by the USA, and they've had far more stolen from then than the money you lost. So as an outsider you will be held suspect and your pleas generally will fall on deaf ears.

Your decision to go to the police was another mistake, one I wouldn't have made.

Dominican police can be corrupt, and going to them with any problem sets the stage for you to have more problems. I come from a culture where talking to the police is taboo. The last thing I would ever do is go to the Dominican police over money taken from my wallet. I wouldn't ask the Dominican police for help even if I got jumped on the street and got my ass beat. I would go to the hospital, get treatment, reflect on how it happened, and vow to never let it happen again, but I would never, ever, go to the Dominican police because the police in this country are corrupt and I would draw unwanted attention to myself and could get into more trouble.

I'm assuming like most men, you keep your wallet in your back pocket, right? If you do, that was another mistake. My wallet always stays in my front pocket near my groin. Much harder to pick pocket or for the wallet to slide out. I would also consider buying pants with zip up pockets to. The reason the Dominicans implied you should be happy you still had your wallet is a cultural thing. Dominicans have tough lives, and many have resigned themselves to being poor and powerless. Therefore, Dominicans tend to look on the bright side of things.

 

[rice&beans]

If I were you, once I realized the money was missing, I would have accepted the loss and blamed myself for not paying attention. I would have never argued with the driver and passenger. Not only is arguing with people a violation of Law 9 of the 48 Laws of Power, you also invite a negative machismo response by being confrontational. You also seem to know little about Dominican culture, because you pleaded with other nearby Dominicans when, had you read the recent book I read on Dominican culture, you'd know that Dominicans consider you an outsider and your pleas to them will fall on deaf ears. Dominicans have loyalty to their immediate family first, then their extended family, city, province, and country. Being an outsider, you are the one who will be regarded with suspicion even if the cab driver took your money. The reason for this is because the DR has been invaded and occupied once by Haiti and twice by the USA, and they've had far more stolen from then than the money you lost. So as an outsider you will be held suspect and your pleas generally will fall on deaf ears.

Your decision to go to the police was another mistake, one I wouldn't have made.

Dominican police can be corrupt, and going to them with any problem sets the stage for you to have more problems. I come from a culture where talking to the police is taboo. The last thing I would ever do is go to the Dominican police over money taken from my wallet. I wouldn't ask the Dominican police for help even if I got jumped on the street and got my ass beat. I would go to the hospital, get treatment, reflect on how it happened, and vow to never let it happen again, but I would never, ever, go to the Dominican police because the police in this country are corrupt and I would draw unwanted attention to myself and could get into more trouble.

I'm assuming like most men, you keep your wallet in your back pocket, right? If you do, that was another mistake. My wallet always stays in my front pocket near my groin. Much harder to pick pocket or for the wallet to slide out. I would also consider buying pants with zip up pockets to. The reason the Dominicans implied you should be happy you still had your wallet is a cultural thing. Dominicans have tough lives, and many have resigned themselves to being poor and powerless. Therefore, Dominicans tend to look on the bright side of things.

Wow, I'm impressed! It's a good thing you read that book. Looks like you'll be living a mistake free life in the Dominican Republic.

I'm a little jealous.....

And all this time I thought all you needed was common sense, an over abundance of confidence, and a pocket full of money.....