Bizarre news story

Nothing about this sounds legit or correct.  It pure bull dingleberries.

My Dominican friend (born and raised here) thinks the same. She was so astounded by the amounts that she suggested maybe they got confused and thought the amounts quoted were in US$ while they were in RD$! That would be hilarious, if not so dramatic.

It looks silly but when you think about it, I suspect a good share of tourists who come to the country don't even know what our currency is since they never need to spend any money in those all-inclusive resorts. Then it's easy to be confused by the fact that Domincan Pesos is written "RD$", like DOLLARS.

A private cab ride from Gaspar Hernandez to Santo Domingo costs 8,000 RD$. That's a long distance as well. I know an ambulance is way more sophisticated than a cab, but more than 100 times more expensive? Just to give you a sense of proportions, they said they charterd an air ambulance plane with Skyservice to go back to Canada for 50,000 $. So, 20,000 US$ for 4 hours of ground transportation -vs- a private jet, flying especially for you from Canada and going back (that's 13 hours of flight in total), for 50,000 $.

They said the hospital looked so shady they feared they got trapped into an organ trafficking scheme. Doesn't sound like what a private hospital, asking for a 60,000 US$ deposit, would look like!

That almost makes sense that they confused pesos for dollars.  And if they were taken to a public hospital - they would be appalled. Any hospital could ask for 60,000 RD, that isn't even  US 1,500 these days.

That would make sense.

My Bull Sh*t meter is running very high and If this is in  USD and not Dominican pesos then it is off the wall.

Something very shaky about this story.

Bob K

As a Canadian I find the story shocking and completely unbelievable.

I think there are a couple of possible explanations:

Either the writer is just totally confusing figures given in pesos and converting them to USD;

This couple is so mentally deficient that they couldn't even understand the difference in currency and simply ASSUMED it was to be paid in USD;

or (an much more sinister)

They're actually trying to run some kind of scam on the Québec provincial health program, hoping that they're not going to notice the difference.

James,  all of that is possible. But it does a huge injustice to this country!  And you know the retractions won't be happening....

That's for sure! No matter what it's journalism at its very worst, which surprises me since Canadian journalists are, for the most part, famous throughout the world for verifying the W5 which is their moto.

WHERE, WHAT, WHO, WHEN and WHY

Looks like the writer simply didn't do his homework before rushing to press, sad to say. It really can do a lot of damage sometimes.

Just looked at the article again and my BS meter is not broken beyond repair.  Need to go shopping for a new one

Bob K

Only part ringing true is the Air Ambulance cost. AND of course they are going to say it is best to medivac as soon as possible!  They are in the business.

The rest is pure BS unchecked facts.  Sounds highly likely they confused dollars and pesos!

Yes the med evac info is right on. We had to med evac a friend to Canada last year the cost was $47,000 US

Bob K

The fact that the couple is now everywhere on TV claiming the Quebec government should "at least" repay them the equivalent of a delivery in Quebec according to the public healthcare system fee grid (15-20k$) is ringing bells.

Another nonsensical fact is that the father, in the same interview, said they talked with their private health insurance company and supposedly they "were cooperative". Knowing how insurance companies systematically deny coverage for pre-existing conditions, I don't see how they could possibly "cooperate" with a claim based on a late-stage pregnancy when the woman knew even before leaving she'd need a c-section. It looks like they're trying to pressurize the Quebec government into paying them something.

What I dislike about this story, aside from the fact that it sounds false, it that it's used in Canada to tell people the DR is a crazy country and they would be safer staying in Canada after all. Well, we all know the DR is not quite as easy as Canada for healthcare but what do you think of a person who travels here...

- in late pregnancy
- knowing she'll need a c-section to deliver
- not knowing anything about local hospitals and emergency transportation
- not speaking a word of Spanish?

It's a catastrophy waiting to happen...

No I would call that an idiot with a passport

I feel sorry for her kids

Bob K

Ass-holes abound good sir.   It is an affliction  freely given by ignorant or even worse, uncaring parents. It is endemic to our society,  would rather have everyone suffer from bunions then this apathy.   Surrender you Gods unto me.  Listen to the wandering gypsy chef..    HARK....HARK!!!     Laugh wise ones,  & damnation to those who can't !!!           "On the road", page # 71, reference to ketchup pkg. - to soup.   Mason Hoffenberg a very wise heroin addict.  Read my book to learn, no mean to say.... KNOW MORE.    You see more by looking askance.           Pe4rchance you require a dictionary,  I think you need a pictograph instead.   ( none of this is directed towards anyone in particular, only to those to whom it applys.   We all know who you are, look in the mirror.

university degrees  PHD-----MS----BS=  bull shit.  great compost,  lousy conversation.

Be aware:  A snarff eats dingleberries  with gusto !

This idiotic story is now making the rounds on most of the different DR forums with the same responses by board members.  These folks are so sad.

Bob K

This is total nonsense - never happened, never would

I have seen lots of news on (or primarily against) the DR circulating in Quebec newspaper these days. Just a few days ago it was said that 2 Quebeckers returned to Canada from Punta Cana with malaria. No other countries in the world seemed to have reported similar problems. The news emanated from a council that basically works hand in hand with vaccination clinics. One has to suspect there is some fear-mongering at play here. Then 2 days ago a prominent newspaper from Montreal made its first page with an article station that Canadian criminal bikers were hiding in the DR (mainly in Cabarete). I wonder why this news, why now? We have known that fact for years, probably a decade.

Not hiding, own or have owned beach hotels there.

The Biker story is old news and they were not hiding at all, used to see them on Cabarete beach, and riding their Harley's up and down the main road all the time Maybe someone has reason to not encourage Canadian travel to the Island???? Or just maybe they are invested in newly opened Cuba.

Bikers.... VERY old news and in fact Interpol did a sweep a couple of years ago
Malaria in PC....total rubbish but helps the drug companies who tell all to talk the damn pills. Especially the travelers form UK and Canada.

Bob K

We see this fear mongering often.  Often it is instigated by someone with a different agenda -  drug companies, other tourism destinations etc.............

IT blows over when the next "crisis" occurs.

I am also amazed how it is always the Canadians (and Canadian press) that has all the problems.  They are the only ones catching malaria, being robbed, assaulted, injured, cheated, taken advantage of and so on.  Anyone else see a pattern here?????

Bob K

Hmmmm Bob, you are on to something. And it seems to be in the French based press more often.

In my restaurant, The French Canadians were always the loudest, rudest & cheapest of any of my patrons.  It seems that their attitude  encompasses their total personal & international being.  Of course there are exceptions, though no of a sufficient number to change my perception of them as a whole.  Notice, I said FRENCH  Canadians.  The vast majority of the citizens are fine ,normal folk.  I sometimes think that they still regret that the Germans lost the war.  They also hated the Gypsys & still castigate them at every opportunity.  ( my personal opinion).

Lets be careful here how we lump together and make comments please.   

We can make comments about almost any group but is it a good thing to say on a public forum?

Being myself a French Canadian I'll rebound on what Gypsy said. I think the behaviours decribed are more typical of past generations. I've travelled extensively to Florida in the past 6 years, a destination that is heavily frequented by Quebecois. In Florida there are still remnants of the past in the Hollywood / Hallandale area, where often unilingual Quebecois stick together like a flock of seagulls. Their shops, restaurants and hotels, in that area, are clearly subpar and clients are not particularly classy. However if you move to other areas (like I always did) such as Palm Beach County (Delray Beach, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach), you'd have a hard time telling the difference between French Canadians and other caucasian North Americans, especially if they drive Florida-plated rental cars. Actually one of the most acclaimed restaurants in Fort Lauderdale is owned by Quebecois from the Montreal area (the Canyon Southwest Cafe).

A month ago I spent a few days at the Grand Bahia Principe Punta Cana and while there were many French Canadians, I couldn't really identify them until I heard them speak French. However, wherever I go, including in the United States, I always find that the Americans have let themselves slip in the last two decades. Lots of Americans are fatter and fatter, dress sloppy and the younger generations tend to emulate the cheap overnight-starlet culture and speak with a cynical, spoiled baby, know-it-all kind of voice. Surprisingly, if you travel to Montreal or Quebec you'll find that young Quebecers in general look healthier and more elegant than their American counterparts. I don't know if that feeling is shared but following my observations, the American culture seems to be on a steep downward slope.

Bringing us back to our main topic, Bob K and Planner, you are right stating that the French Canadian press is the champion at spreading fear and discredit on the Dominican Republic. My explanation is that French Canadians tend to be very gullible in face of the establishment, such as big press and the government. In that regard we are really far from the Americans, who have a cultural tendency to fear the government and suspect the press of spreading propaganda (which is an excellent thing IMO).

In Quebec, when the government says something, it must be true. Look at the Punta Cana malaria story for example. The malaria cases were supposedly reported by the "Comité consultatif québécois sur la santé des voyageurs" (free translation: Quebec Advisory Committee on Travellers' Health). Sounds very official, right? Well, look at the membership composition of that committee: http://www.inspq.qc.ca/sante-des-voyageurs/ccqsv.  Out of 11 members, 3 are from "La Cité Médicale" a private clinic providing medication to travellers. Others are mostly state workers whose job is specifically to handle medical problems related to travelling. We cannot be sure, but one can legitimately suspect the two said cases were either made up, or that the committee quickly jumped to the conclusion they were infected by malaria while in fact they suffered from other conditions. The committee would sure have an incentive to do such thing.

You have reinforced what I have suspected about Canada and the Malaria issue.

As to the French as a whole it is funny when in France last year we got "attitude" from  the older generation and not nearly as much from the under 40 crowd

Bob K

Ahhh Bob french Canadians and French from France are two different breeds.

All that being said, lets get back on topic.  I like the explanation about the  media and reporting.  Sounds believable.

On the bikers story, it reminds me of a conversation I had with a fellow Montrealer before I came here:

- Aren't scared that there are so many Canadian criminal bikers in Dominican Republic?

Me: No, are you?

- I sure would!

Me: Well, if you are scared of Canadian criminal bikers, you should run out of Canada as fast as you can, because nowhere on the planet you'll find more "Canadian criminal bikers" than in Canada!

I recant with a humble heart.  Yes Bob, I;m of the older generation & my experience  was in the past with elder snow birds.   With regards to the bad ass bikers:  I served them many times in Sosua, chicken wings & burgers in the old, now defunct "Passions".   They were always polite, quiet & great tippers.   I agree with the rapid slide to oblivion that the US seems to be on.    Planner, I apologize  for venting uncalled for opinions.    Perhaps my mood  is because I reject the fact that I'm an old fart.......75 years old today.  Hard to accept until I look in the mirror.  Hale & hearty but... still 75.

I'm not nearly offensed by the opinion you uttered, Gypsy. Blind emotional patriotism has never been my cup of tea. Although I don't much recognize fellow Quebecois in the behaviours you described, speaking for myself I deplore our tendencies to live in a state of constant fear and cultural exclusivity fueled by the fact that many Quebecois don't even speak English. For many, even venturing into the United States any further than Plattsburgh or French Canadian ghettos such as Hollywood FL is unthinkable; yet that trend is receding. What is still very present is our blind approbation and depency towards big government, and gullibility in front of the establishment. In that sense we have a lot to learn from our southern neighbours. Living in the DR is quite an eye-opener on the virtues of letting go, rehabilitating human beings as the masters of their lives (as opposed to a big welfare state) and trading additional risks for increased daily happiness and sense of purpose.

Happy diamond jubilee, good sir. 75 has to be the age you settle your camp on the paradise island. I travelled to Cabrera not long ago and could easily imagine your casita sitting in a quiet street with its own plantation and fogón in the backyard. I won't say platitudes on age and how no one cares, because I know my grandmother would care. If you tried to date her, she'd reject you for being too young. Mind you, she's 95 and still going strong, not handicapped, not sick, not senile. Oh, she was quite an angel... a good drinker who quit smoking at 75. Come rock the Dominican boat again, Gypsy!

Happy birthday you old fart

Bob K

Happy Birthday Honey!!!!!  you are quite remarkable and I look forward to meeting you!!!

I most certainly plan to rock the boat!    May is around the corner & I'll be wending my way along the north shore.    Have made contact with a very responsive realtor.    Answers ??'s in hours, not days or more.    In the low 30's again tonight.    Can hardly wait to have some Of Bob's  "sheen".    Will gladly show off my skills on the B-B-Q at the fiesta in Gaspar Fernandez.    Bringing hot sauces for you.    Hope you all can tolerate this curmudgeon's  antics.    Especially the lovely Planner!    Having a couple of R/C's, though not Barcelo to commemerate (sp) this momentous  day, one to never to happen again.   Unless I make it to 150,...fat chance.   Thanks to you all.

Happy Birthday Gypsy