One of the things I loved about this country when I first came here was the lack of rules and the sense of freedom. For example you could smoke in all the bars and restaurants – to be fair, most were outside but not all. People smoked in the colmados – corner shops. There was dancing on the bus, in the supermarkets. You could park your car outside any shop you wanted to go in and they were no yellow lines on the streets to stop you parking. No one wore a helmet on a motorbike, or very few, nor seat belts when driving.
People drove with a bottle of beer in their hands, and the backs of trucks were full of people standing up. You would see 5 or 6 people on one motorbike.
I am not saying that all of these things are good or right, but when you come from a country with rules, it is incredibly liberating to be in one without for a while.
Over the years things have changed a little. If you are caught not wearing a seat belt, the traffic police known as AMET might fine you – if you are in an area where they are working. There again they might not.
They tried to introduce breathalysers a while ago but I don’t think it actually worked, and the number of traffic accident deaths due to drunk drivers continues to be awful. So does the number of motorcyclists who die, often due to not wearing a helmet. Having said that they are also trying to make helmet wearing compulsory, with campaigns every so often, although just having something on your head is usually sufficient, even a saucepan.
There are now more and more restaurants, especially air conditioned ones which do not allow smoking or which have smoking and non smoking sections.
I can understand that a country has to have certain rules, but everyone I know who returns here from a visit to the USA or Europe or the UK relishes the personal freedom they feel once they touch down on Dominican soil.
The lack of rules does mean, however, that in some cases you have to adjust your behaviour for your own safety. I don’t drive at night for example (cars and bikes without lights on, more drunken people, cars with headlights on full and roads full of potholes). Nor do I venture onto the roads on public holidays when there will be more people driving drunk.
Overall I think I prefer the lack of rules, although I know it does drive several expats crazy - especially those who first arrive here, and want to know why things aren't done in the way they are 'back home'.
Actually, I'm with you, Lindsay. You have adjusted well, in choosing when to drive and when not. Those who don't avoid the roads when they're especially dangerous, or don't take precautions for their own safety - well, I'm afraid God has ways of getting their attention. Sad but true.
ReplyDeleteOne of the problems here is so many people have never had lessons let alone taken a driving test, and they have no clue how to drive.
DeleteI like it that people take responsibility for their own actions. Unlike the UK DR is not a Nanny State!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely not a Nanny State - I think, from what I can tell the UK is going a bit OTT.
DeleteI prefer some rules, at least I feel a bit safer, but I do understand the attraction and feeling of freedom. In Australia there are far too many rules, do's and don'ts but eventually you also get used to that, even though there are many people, mainly youngsters who insist on breaking the rules.
ReplyDeleteI never realised how many rules there were in the UK until I was in a place without rules. As someone said to me the great thing about being here is no rules for me, the worst thing about being here is no rules for anyone else!
DeleteWell, I can tell you this much, is all a question of perspective, I'm Dominican Born and Bread and I would Move to London in a Heartbeat (if I could) and finally have some Rules!!! I'm absolutely sick of living in the wild west!
ReplyDeleteI can totally understand that, but I promise you that the rules would start to drive you mad too.
DeleteI would have to agree with Guillermo. The lack of rules or rather the lack of implementation of rules in the DR is one of the reason why when I do go to visit family I don't really enjoy my stay. The last time I was there the guaguero that went to pick us up from the airport went to the petrol station to fill up and the had to turn back to the airport. Instead of driving up to the main road to then be able to do a legal U turn, the idiot just drove on the wrong side of the road until he could move over to the proper lane. It was a very terrifying experience.
ReplyDeleteThe lack of enforcement of the rules is why things go wrong and people do as they please because more than likely there will me no consequences for their breaking of the rules. Although many people move to the DR because they are attracted to the very lax rules, those very lax rules make life not so good for the average Dominican and this is not fair. I think that this only hurts the people of DR in terms of social development and also when they move abroad. Many struggle to adjust because they actually have to follow the rules and have to actually live in a more civilised manner.
Totally correct Jay. It is just sometimes in other countries the amount of rules are just becoming too much, especially in terms of political correctness, that when you have lived with those rules the freedom when you do not have them is liberating. I think that rules should be there to stop you harming other people - such as drink driving - and wish that was enforced here.
Deleteah!!! but do the Dominican policemen sometimes act like those in Croatia when they stop you for not wearing a helmet? see our post
ReplyDeletehttp://adventureincroatia.wordpress.com/2012/10/25/how-things-get-done-the-croatian-way/