Would appreciate your honesty, getting a little concerned

Wow,  I just don't even know where to begin on this.  I have been here 10 years and I assure you it is not that bad.  Yes we have petty crime. Yes we have more then that.  Major crimes happen because people associate or do business with people they shouldn't.  There is no reason you can not be friendly!  I always am, I talk in line, I get to know the teller at my bank,  I speak to almost everyone without issue. I am very very careful who gets to see where I live or gets into my house!

You will be fine in the Cortecito area.  Don't got out on the streets at night - if I do I get into a taxi and out at the restaurant,  return home the same way,  the driver will wait till you are safely inside.

Don't flash money.  Don't over tip but certainly tip where it is warranted.  Helping others here is awesome.  Get to know a charity or two and help out!!! It will be very very welcome. 

Keep reading and keep asking questions!  I've not felt unsafe in this country,  just act with care - just like you would at home!

Thanks so much Planner, as you might notice (I had not seen your post yet), I rewrote my post as I had no idea it was so long since I forgot to preview.  I took the time as you will note to look at other countries and warnings are much more severe for Mexico and a little about Belize warnings but I get the impression that the State Dept site must print out the very worst and as I could find nothing that matches that  horrible site that I first posted about (murders) as there would be Alerts at both the US and DR Consular sites, I deleted that... As I thought, has to be an unhappy person trying to scare people away!!

I really think I wanted to hear what you have just said and that is that with precaution, I can get a little involved.  I just wanted to make sure that my habit of talking to bus drivers, taxi drivers, etc., doesn't get me in trouble..So thank you very much.  There is another forum out there as well and there was some negativity and I wonder if it's from people whose experience was not as expected and they did not try to familiarize themselves with the country which is exactly how expectations can fall short.

I am feeling better about this and hopefully will get my list of detailed questions together for a post about the PC area and places to see, charities, etc.

Glad to be of help!  I am very outgoing and have learned that Dominicans appreciate our attempts to interact.  As long as we are polite and interested they will go out of their way to help!  I am blessed to have some amazing local friends!!!!

Thanks so much... Feeling so much better.  I should really have known better.. My main reason for joining this forum was to hear from people like you who actually live there.  The State Dept. does come very close to many comments (and remember they are talking about the entire country on that site so it is more generalized) about police (don't depend on them too much), yet they also include a lot of positive info that matches closely to what is said here.

So far, by doing the on the ground, first six months stay.. with a return home for 3 weeks at 2 1/2 months for doctor visits (which I will have to do due to my concern over keeping my health in good shape and having 2 grandchildren I would love to see), I will be in a great position to choose a town, a unit, (owner whose condo I didn't take said she would set me up with attorney to do the lease if I want)....seems like I will just keep verifying info with the Dominican and US consular sites and from there just need to narrow down my questions with this expert group.

Again, Thanks

You are very welcome!!!!  Please keep us posted, ask questions and keep us updated on your experiences.

Syringles, I'm in Puerto Plata as a write, to be exact Cabarete. This country is no more dangerous than any other in the U.S. We have had a string of murders and mass shootings back home, and have yet to see anything like that here.  Was out til late last night at a free beach concert and this evening went out for drinks and live music, totally cool and relax atmosphere, kids and all were out til late with lots of beach sevurity.  To be very honest, I feel safer here than in N.Y. Where I have to worry about terrorism.  I will give you the same advice that Bob on this forum gave me when we met earlier this week on the beach.  Don't say anything bad about anyone, since you do not know who knows who.  Keep what you say about your personal life to a minimum and be careful who you talk to, in other words be friendly and polite, but keep financial status under the radar, try to blend in as much as you can.  My own personal one is: try not to be flashy, in other words no need to tempt a possible misguided individual.
      As planner said, you can use a taxi or car company with a driver you have come to trust, but once again never flaunt any wealth.  Common sense that would be used back home, applies the same here.  Enjoy the island and its people, but be sure to exercise common sense. I wish you the best of luck, I'm sure you will do just fine.  Try to build a base of expats who can school you and the do's and dont's of being here and all will be fine:-)

Some very good advice here on this thread. Keep private life, finances, purchases etc close to the vest and chose you friends slowly and with thought. YOu will quickly build a system of people you know and interact with, friends, and a very small circle of "good" friends and folks you trust and can turn to for help.

Living here, though an adventure, is really very nice and I personally would not change it for a minute.

Bob K

Well said Bob and Messagewiz.   One thing I must stress,  here we do not TRUST automatically!!  TRUST is earned and it is earned over TIME.  Move slowly with ALL relationships and you are less likely to get burned.

Bob said it best, keep personal matters close to your chest!!!!

Well, somehow I missed these most recent replies and I want to thank you all so very much. I am astonished at the website I saw that was mentioning such horrible crimes that if true, surely would have even made news over here or at least multiple sources, and  since it is so very crude with basic old HTML it seems to be somebody very disgruntled who has created his own anti DR website!

As to being careful with what one says, perhaps I should have learned my lesson right here in Indianapolis as I used a taxi cab that has a division for wheelchairs, which I would generally never pay for but had to go somewhere at the last minute without the usual notice I give the bus company. The driver was an independent contractor for the largest cab company...Apparently my face showed the stress of what I was doing and the driver inquired why I was moving from such a large home  to the apartment complex he was taking me to review..., I had a mother-in-law suite in my daughters home and was going to look into an apartment. The reasons are quite private but he seemed very caring.  However by the end of the return trip he had gotten enough information out of me that his conversation was filled with quotes about me being a rose who needed to bloom and then said he was going to show up for my moving day (of course I told him that wasn't necessary as I had my brothers and thank goodness he does not know which apt.  I live in.  Unfortunately he practically begged me to let him fix me a New Orleans dinner and about five minutes of making every excuse possible, I was able to, as I thought, gently say no but thank him for such a nice day and of course the guilt inside me made me tip a little over 20%.

I went inside thinking that surely this was the end of my little ordeal which some might have felt flattering but clearly he went way too far in the curiosity and over the top in the help of a stranger.  I was sure that my generous tip and brushing him off for dinner would be the end of it. Yet, because he had my phone number for contact information that was required, he called and left at least 10 to 15 messages as I recognized the phone number and would not answer!! I still want to think that he had only the best of intentions but in describing the encounter with my brother, I was warned that I shouldn't be so friendly. I see myself as someone who is now 53, clearly slightly handicapped as even I told him I don't always have to use a wheelchair, but I probably should have drawn a line early on.

When I think about this incident, I imagine what would I do if I become my over friendly self in a similar situation in Punta Cana. Obviously your warnings make it clear that I should stick with hello Sir or Mam.  Are you having a nice day and I am going to assume most people, even here where I live, don't really want to know that much about me either. I know that had something transpired while in the cab here, I could have called 911 on my cell but I know ( even from the Dominican Consular page), that's not going to help me, as the police are not quick to respond if they do at all.  I obviously have a little more to learn and am preparing my list of what types of transportation I should take, etc. Hopefully you can understand why I had concerns after hearing some negativity about the people.

I still believe that hello and a smile is always essential to any human being but even if they ask, they don't need to know if I'm having problems, where I'm living at etc.  as far as my hope to help with the local orphanage, I will always put my trust in the innocence of children and I'm sure that they will accept any help I can offer..
Thanks again

Quite the experience,  he was clearly  targeting you for something! 

Here basic politeness is expected,  we smile at each other on the street, say hello and ask how people are.  It is normal here.  Beyond that you need to pick and choose who you get closer to - over time!!!!

Friendship and friendship is not the same thing in different cultures.
Here people will offer you their "friendship" within minutes after having met them. Nice, isn't it?
Will your civilized antennas be sensitive enough to sense the 'tigueraje'?

Anyway, in Africa we had Peace Corps people stepping off the plane and hugging the first Kenyans they met as their brothers and sisters.... After a few months many of them had become racists...
Not nice, isn't it?

Mind you, I lived in Africa for 4 years and have been living here for 16, no racist yet...
I tread carefully.

m'frog