Originally posted by Fico:
when was the last time you visited??
SAFETY AND SECURITY: American citizens should review their security practices and maintain a low profile. Protests, demonstrations, and general strikes occur periodically. These disturbances have the potential to turn violent, with participants rioting and erecting roadblocks. In the past, police have used deadly force in response to violent protests. Although these events are not targeted at foreigners, it is advisable to exercise caution when traveling throughout the country. In urban areas, travel should be conducted on main routes whenever possible. Street crowds should be avoided.
CRIME: Petty street crime involving U.S. tourists does occur, and normal precautions should be taken. Visitors walking the streets should always be aware of their surroundings to avoid becoming victims of crime. Valuables left unattended in parked automobiles, on beaches and in other public places are vulnerable to theft. Cellular telephones should be carried in a pocket, rather than on a belt or in a purse. One increasingly common method of street robbery is for a person or persons on a moped (often coasting with the engine turned off so as not to draw attention) to approach a pedestrian, grab the cell phone, purse or backpack, and then speed away.
Passengers in private taxis (known locally as "carros publicos") are frequently the victims of pickpocketing. In some instances, the taxi drivers themselves have been known to rob riders. At least one American passenger on a "motoconcho" (motorcycle taxi) has been robbed by the driver. Visitors to the Dominican Republic are strongly advised to take only hotel taxis or taxis operated by services whose cabs are ordered in advance by phone and can subsequently be identified and tracked.
Burglaries of private residences have increased, as have crimes of violence. Some incidents of violent crime have involved foreign residents and tourists, including U.S. citizens.
Visitors should limit their use of personal credit cards due to credit card fraud and may wish to consider coordinating their trip with their credit card company so that only hotel bills or other specified expenses may be charged. Credit cards should never leave the sight of the cardholder, in order to prevent the card's information from being copied for illegal use. It is advisable to pay close attention to credit card bills following a trip to the Dominican Republic.
Automated Teller Machines (ATM's) are present throughout Santo Domingo and other major cities. However, as with credit cards, the use of ATM's should be minimized as a means of avoiding theft or misuse. One local scheme involves sticking photographic film or pieces of paper in the card feeder of the ATM so that an inserted card becomes jammed. Once the card owner has concluded the card is irretrievable, the thieves extract both the jamming material and the card, which they then use.
MEDICAL FACILITIES: Medical care is limited, especially outside Santo Domingo, and the quality of care varies widely among facilities. There is an emergency 911 service within Santo Domingo, but its reliability is questionable. Outside the capital, emergency services range from extremely limited to nonexistent. Blood supplies at both public and private hospitals are often limited and not all facilities have blood on hand even for emergencies. Many medical facilities throughout the country do not have staff members who speak or understand English. A private nationwide ambulance service, "Movi-med," operates in Santo Domingo, Santiago, Puerto Plata and La Romana; its telephone number is 532-0000 in Santo Domingo and 1-200-0911 outside Santo Domingo. "Movi-med" expects full payment at the time of transport.
