You both have valid points.
[QUOTE=MrEnternational;2361204]And that is exactly how it became a hustle. Too many mongers rolling over and giving in. Sometimes not being able to communicate can be used to your advantage! You need to learn when to call someone's bluff.
In a case that you are describing the only word you need to know is embajada. I am sure you have seen shows where a person gets taken in by police and the only word the person will say if they are smart is lawyer. Well, if the police come to you in DR, all you need to say is embajada.
Of all the hookers on this planet that have threatened to call the cops on me, the only one that actually did it was in Sosua and that did not work out well for her. As many Dominican cops (at least 20) have pulled me over trying to get money from me, I have given exactly 0 pesos to date and have never been ticketed or taken to jail.
Don't just sit around and allow yourself to be extorted if you know you have done nothing wrong. Hustlers are depending on you to be scared. That is the only way the hustle will work. Scared money can't win.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Xpartan;2361091]I wasn't sure the exchange places would be OK with the copies. And surely, taking my Schwab to Merengue was a mistake and totally unnecessary. Good point, lesson learned.
I have to disagree about one point, though.
You can negotiate all you want, but it does NOT guarantee zilch.
Unfortunately, chicas feel like they have an upper hand. Whereas I would (and did) stand my ground in Brazil, Thailand, or Colombia, for example, I've read enough reports of chicas threatening AND CALIING the cops in Sosua to know that there is little you can do. If a chica demands money beforehand and threatens to call cops, I'll pay and kick her out. I won't risk spending a night at a police station in a country where I have communication skills of a 3-year old, whereas they'll probably make me pay anyway or worse. So it sounds great in theory (and you absolutely should negotiate everything), but it guaranties nothing.[/QUOTE]On one hand a monger may stand his ground because of the principle of an issue, and on another he may have to abandon the principle in favor of avoiding a more potentially unpleasant circumstance. So much of what a monger will do depends on how he assesses the situation currently in front of him. In some instances a guy may stand his ground and the chica and the problem goes away. In another instance, the situation could get ugly and costly. [B]There is no one size fits all way to handle a situation.[/B] A guy can and should discern how he thinks he can handle the situation based on what is going on and who he is dealing with.
The way some guys deal with it, is by cutting their losses rather than extend the drama only to end up feeling more miserable after the encounter. Cutting ones losses early is not always about avoiding an encounter with police, but about peace of mind. Whatever works to get rid of a troublesome chica quickly, sometimes that's the best course to take. Much easier to put that encounter behind you and move on. If he gives in, he can chock it up as part of the cost one may endure in the p4 p game. He just made an extra donation.
As I said before, a guy has to discern the situation in front of him. [B]I dont advocate automatically giving into a chica just because she's challenging you.[/B] But sometimes you have to use Travel Wisdom instead of sticking to a principle. It's like Lets Make A Deal. You have to make a decision based on the unknown. You have to weigh the potentials. If getting rid of a chick costs 500 pesos, as opposed to the possibility of corrupt or opportunistic cops being called to potentially fleece you, the 500 pesos is the better option. When a guy is faced with a situation, he shouldn't be concerned about how giving in is going to reinforce chicas trying to bamboozle mongers. He should be concerned about mitigating the problem by doing what he deems best in the moment. Calling some chicas bluff just might be the initial and satisfactory course of action. It's up to the individual to figure that out.
Didn't get the same impression.
[QUOTE=ChrisH;2361669]Havana, Cuba.[/QUOTE]By reading the last few pages in the Havana thread. From what I've gathered, things have gotten more difficult. I do plan to visit Cuba this winter, but mostly for travel purposes rather than the hobbying (but we'll see).
