Noise and the DR - Be Warned

With the de-escalation of curfew, some can expect uncomfortable evenings ahead and especially at weekends as the party begins. Get your ear plugs ready.

I do think we may have forgotten how noisy it can get at nights especially Sundays when Dominicans love to have fun.

In my small part of DR curfew has gone already.

The bars don't bother me but the roosters do. LoL

I was commenting over the weekend that it's like the curfew is already gone!

I already bought a bigpack earplugs in advance, but on the other hand it would be great to finally have the chance to dance again.
Missed it for more than a year, a bit longer and I will become rusty, I fear.

Yes I try to warn all my friends and family that visit about the noise issue. Yeah music plays even with the covid curfews was still going till about 2 to 3:00 a.m. and then you had the morning noises started like 6:00 the fruit vendors and the trucks that drive around with a huge speakers. I love when I see a car going nice and slow with these huge speakers of back both side windows and they just blare it to the max. One of the other expats when we were having a nice quiet dinner told me you remember back in the 1980s when that was huge in the US I'm like no not really. He goes it seems like everything that was once popular is popular here now. The bigger the speaker and the louder the speaker the better your car is and the fanny packs that returned all of a sudden. But yeah it's crazy the noise pollution here. Even the Chinese motorcycles that are everywhere it's like they don't even have mufflers on they're so loud. It was hoping they put in all the speed bumps around here that that would kind of lower a little but now  it seems like they've gun it between the 15 and 20 feet speed bumps. But yes I would say that noise pollution and volume here is the worst I've seen around the world. I'm thinking coming back here 25 years you're going to have a lot of people with hearing issues. Volumes in certain towns and ticketing a lot of people but that hasn't really took effect up here in the North Coast yet.

I feel like a broken record but I cannot stress this enough....carefully vet anywhere you are looking to rent or buy property!!  The noise will eventually drive you insane and there is little you can do about it!  Unfortunately here in Las Terrenas there are few places to go to escape the noise but outside of town.

Noise is part of the culture.  It's one of the items on your list to check when looking to rent or buy here.  And even after checking, things do change!

Daytime noise is never going to go away. It's part of the culture.

I think we are in for a rough few weeks as freedom is "enjoyed" to the fullest as our curfews are eased and almost eliminated!

DR_Tom wrote:

I already bought a bigpack earplugs in advance,

You will need the '3 ring' silicone type as attached link:

https://www.amazon.com/Frylaa-Cancellin … ywords=ear plugs&qid=1626091795&sr=8-55

The more commonly available plugs have limited effect on a very loud deep bass music.

True the speakers in the cars and for some reason people even in their own yards seeing how loud they can get their music at all hours of the day and night has been a little more common here in the last I would say 14 months. But always remember if you've been here during election year at those cars driving around with a huge speakers they usually start about 7:00 7:30 in the morning go right till 9:00 at night so if you look at it that way we are kind of having a not so bad volume issue here right now. I just pray to God that they come up with some noise local laws around here before election time rolls around

There is a law (287-04) modified by ley 90-19 - April 2019.

And the limits are defined in Normas Ambiental para La Proteccion contra Ruidos.

https://www.cne.gob.do/wp-content/uploa … Ruidos.pdf

It isn't universally reinforced due to lack of resources but every week you read about one of other fiscal with ministry of environment and police confiscating sound systems and vehilcles for breaches of the law with heavy fines too.

It is the biggest single problem in DR reported to the police through the help lines.

Lennox, thanks for the link. Will be trying those ear plugs!

Thanks for the hint, lennox. Yes, bought three types and tested them here (have loud neighbours too):

The silicon plugs (12 pieces per pack) they seem pretty good to reduce, but your ear is not ventilated at all. So taking those every night might cause problems. They are like wax and close your ear totally.

One dozen of foam plugs, are not so comfortable and make a bit pressure inside the ear.

And the three ring plugs. They reduce almost as good as the wax and are pretty comfortable to wear. and they are ventilated! They are my favorites, as recommended by you. But be careful, there are different types that do it for different kind of sound types (snoring, music, machine noise...) depending on the frequency they were developed for.
They can be used more often, you only have to clean them after use and dry.

The 3 ring plugs are the most effective but you need all the rings in contact with your ear canal. Similar two ring plugs are much less effective.

The foam plugs are good for longer periods but less noise.

Has anyone tried noise canceling headsets?

Not comfy for sleeping honey.

oldsouthphoto wrote:

Has anyone tried noise canceling headsets?

I use those for some work I am doing and my ears sweat a lot with them.

Personally can't stand wearing ear plugs. I like to hear what is going on around me. Sometimes that is important. Frankly, the thought of having to wear ear plugs in your own home is ridiculous, but it is what it is.

I requested my fiance move us from his hometown to some place not noisy. We lived in San Cristobal and would hear vendor selling fruit at 6 am. The speakers would vibrate the whole apartment. The electricity would go out without notice. The water in the building cistern water tank had microbes and low water flow. I had to fliters on everything for the water. I had rashes  after taking a shower. We moved and now one these new apartment gated communities Santo Domingo Osete. The rent here is very reasonable we only pay $19,000 pesos. The old apartment in San Cristobal was $9000.00 peso but was not worth money. To get rid the noise and problems you gotta pay for it.

Jules Manning wrote:

To get rid the noise and problems you gotta pay for it.

Very true, and true of most things here. You can live on the cheap....but it may cost you your mental health.  :0|

It's all about what is important to you!    I moved during the pandemic to be closer to my office.  Traffic was literally stressing me out I got rid of my commute.  That costs me monthly but was so worth it in peace of mind!

The urban dictionary word 'teteo' first appeared earlier this year in relation to impromptu street parties often after curfew with younger people having fun with much noise and drink. Noise pollution certainly has become a worse problem in DR in all communities during the covid pandemic and it probably is related to a disaffected youth as the article indicates. As an example in my own small community this weekend, the oldest person died on Friday night and as is common all the colmadoes are quiet with no music for several days after a death. Yet a young man living close by to the deceased decided to ramp up a teteo after midnight this Saturday with loud dembow music and a gathering of the young and drunk much to the disdain of the rest of the community.

Be warned noise in DR can be unbearable and many an investor in property has found that out too late.

The noises due to “teats” continue to disturb the citizens of the GSD

https://www.diariolibre.com/actualidad/ … CG28841355

The clandestine, street parties or “teteos” that became popular during the most severe phase of the COVID-19 pandemic last year, continue to take place without the slightest distancing or protocol measures and in frank defiance of the authorities disrespecting schedules, causing violence, restlessness and restlessness in families in Greater Santo Domingo and other areas.

Although in the National District the curfew was lifted since August 9 and many discos opened their doors, in the neighborhoods people continue to drink and dance in the so-called "colmadones" without respecting decree 477-21, which among other things establishes limits on the sale of alcoholic beverages and orders the use of a mask in public places.

In many of the popular sectors of Greater Santo Domingo, the nightlife has been maintained despite the pandemic, only the entertainment centers had their doors closed by order of the Government, but somehow people managed to "enjoy life" , with a party in the parking lots, streets, in the homes.

The complaints are constant, readers of Diario Libre have reported uneasy situations to fall asleep due to the loud noises produced by the horns, either in homes or those used by vehicles on public roads. They are filled with impotence due to the disregard of neighbors or strangers and the indifference of the authorities, who sometimes ignore the claims of the families.

Sleep is an essential condition for the body and brain to regain energy and free themselves from stress and the lack of it causes fatigue, lack of concentration, irritation, affects interpersonal relationships and is one of the causes of traffic accidents.

Laws 64-00 of the Environment; 287-04 on Prevention, Suppression and Limitation of Harmful and Annoying Noises that Produce Noise Pollution, modified by 90-19 and Law 42-01 on Public Health contemplate the right to sleep peacefully, however its violation is constant for wide segments of society.

A sociological view of the problem

Sociologist Celedonio Jimenez believes that the phenomenon of the "teteo" is not unique to the Dominican equal society occurs in Cap countries i mentalists developed, but in nations where it dominates a great exclusion and marginalization of much of youth.

“That youth is hostile, adverse, to the system, they don't give it credit, they don't approve of it. He attributes most of his ills and frustrations to him. Hence, mistakenly, it does not respect rules, and has decided to break all the ties that limit it. They have given free rein to their desires, needs and feelings, especially after a long period of time limits and closures. These acts of "teating" are dangerous because they consume alcohol, narcotics and disrespect is disrespected. It constitutes an outrageous response to a society and institutions that are not granted quality or respect ”.

It indicates that this behavior has unbalancing and serious effects on society, not only because of the components of violence and disrespect for the rules, but also because they disrupt the peace in the neighborhoods where they occur. Restlessness reigns late into the night, preventing sleep for adults who have to work the next day and children who must go to school early in the morning.

“Adequate sleep is an essential concurrent factor in ensuring mental health. I believe that today there is an increase in deaths from heart attacks, and this does not dissociate it from the climate of uncertainties that we live, as well as the social destabilization caused by the "teteo".

Jiménez sees weakness in institutions, which, like the Police and Public Health, are called to play a more leading role in defense of the right of citizens to live in peace.

“Many institutions in the country have not played the role that is expected of them within the existing situation. In the case of the National Police, it does not have the quality or the authority to draw up and impose norms on many of our young people. His collection of "tolls" in many of our neighborhoods, his participation in drug trafficking, takes away credibility and authority. That is why their role in preventing "teats", which obviously go against current norms, has left so much to be desired, "says Jiménez.

The prosecution of environmental crime

Yissel Acevedo, Technical Director of the Specialized Attorney for the Defense of the Environment and Natural Resources, confirms that noise pollution is one of the great evils that currently exists as an environmental crime, it is the most recurrent complaint that the Attorney General's Office receives .

It informs that together with the Police, through its anti-noise department, they carry out a work of persecution of environmental crimes that is based on two aspects: respond in immediate action to the complaint, especially those made through the 911 system and secondly, the operations that are periodically carried out together in which the violations are verified with the measurements of noise levels, the occupation of public spaces and other violations that support the submission to justice of the offenders.

“We carry out anti-noise operations with the police and we follow up on the complaints that are formally made here at the Attorney General's Office. We intervene from the complaint, but this is a slower but just as effective process, we do an inspection after the complaint with specialized technicians who measure the decibels if they are above the environmental norms and we proceed to the citation of the offender in case if it is, it identifies a violation of the rules ”, he says.

In 2020, 3,782 cases were opened for sonic contamination in Greater Santo Domingo, there were 1,885 alternative solutions to conflicts applied to new offenders, including conciliations, payment of environmental remediation or economic sanctions, as well as the performance of social work.

That same year, 185 anti-noise operations were carried out in the demarcation, 20, 604 sound systems were seized. From January to July of this 2021 the cases of sonic contamination opened were 3,976, according to the Specialized Attorney for the Defense of the Environment. There were 1,933 cases of alternative exits with offenders and the operations totaled 115. Currently, four operations are carried out per month together with the Police.

The equipment seized from January to July of this year totaled 18, 523 and the temporary closure of businesses was only two, according to statistics from the entity.

It informs that the levels of sonic contamination are classified at night by zones: 1-zone of tranquility, decibels should not exceed 50; 2 residential and industrial zone 55 decibels and 3, in the industrial case 55 decibels, in daylight hours the permitted decibel levels are between 55 and 70 in some areas.

For violation of these norms, there are several people and institutions subjected, some cases with convictions of the closure of premises and the seizure of equipment, part of the corpus delicti. When the person is a repeat offender, the conciliation is not accepted, but the case is judicialized both the establishment, the house or the person.

“To identify the areas of persistent noise we do it through the calls that citizens make to 911, with heat maps that they provide us that identify the areas from which they have received more complaints, then that area is intervened from there through operations ”, informs the magistrate.

Throughout the process, the community, the neighborhood associations play a very important role that contributes to improving the situation through the prevention phase with talks and other activities to raise awareness and educate the citizens.
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An evil that remains

In a tour carried out by Diario Libre in neighborhoods of Greater Santo Domingo, citizens expressed that the "teteos" remain as in the best times of the pandemic and the police do nothing to prevent it.

In La Ciénaga, a man who identified himself with Chichí said that “the drinker” continues almost the same as when there was a curfew: “that has changed little, they continue to drink, especially on Saturdays and Sundays and they wake up in the street, now you know, you can't even close your eyes ”.

What bothers Carlos Medina the most is that the violators of the rules turn up the volume of their speakers to all that it gives, they spend the night drinking and in some cases dancing and sleep throughout the day.

“So someone who has to work forced, falls asleep at work because they couldn't rest at night and they do it during the day, because they're lazy, those guys and girls who do that don't have a job and where do they get rooms from? To drink all night? he wondered.

But the situation is not the same in all places, for example, in the Villa Consuelo neighborhood, specifically in Máximo Grullón street, after midnight there is no open grocery store, says Félix Martínez, who resents on that road.

"After twelve at night this is a cemetery, you don't hear anything, after the pandemic, and they raised the beer, during the pandemic there were evil teats here, wherever there was a teteo selling beer," he said.

The noises generated by citizens in the streets and commercial establishments continue to be a factor of conflict in Greater Santo Domingo and other demarcations, generating violence and greater contamination of the coronavirus due to little or no preventive measures for the disease.

And its not just the  young an poor who are  making noise.

I just  had to break my lease and move  because a disco opened in a high end residencial area. No one  gives a damn and the  police are paid off. I bit the bullet and moved!   My sleep and  peace  are worth it.

Unfortunately as you stated police does not do anything and people are noise there lol
but we want to live aboard lol

***

Zero tolerance on name calling these days it seems

We like the noise when we want it and the "teteo" at the tienda del ron is fine. People need to party after a long week at work. We made sure to buy a house off the main road on the end of a quiet street that has no thru traffic. You have to spend some time in a neighborhood to see if it's what you want. We gave up being right across from the beach for less noise and more peace. We can walk to the colmado and share a beer with the young people when we want the ruido.

Does this mean you lost 2 months rent (two deposits required to be paid when you arrived and will be returned once you leave at the end of the lease)?

Normally it's repaid when you leave if everything is fine.

If you leave before the lease ends, then its not fine, your out alot of money.  Did you contest this, given the noise?  You received your money?  I hope you did but I doubt it.

After seeing all of the comments regarding noise in Las Terrenas and other parts of the north coast.  Could there be a place considered 'the most quiet spot on the North Coast' that's walking distance or at least a 10 min drive to the beach?  My wife and I are ready to move and have been considering Casa Linda in Sousa but have been looking into Las Terrenas also.  We want to be around expats but do not want a commercialized loud town.  We would like the experience of sleepy town or as close as we can get - we're done with nightclubs and water sports.  Any recommendations?

Few tourists -

The Rio San Juan/Abreu/Cabrera strip might work

Lots of beaches.... quiet

Remember= once you leave the Sos/Cab area.... life changes considerably
More tourist driven (IMO) that area....

Bonita, Coson, near portillo or in the hills . I looked at a home on a hill between las terranas center and Bonita. Very quiet and 10 minutes to Pola. A few minutes to playa Bonita

We're building in the hills overlooking Playa Coson in Las Terrenas. It's very quiet there. We're renting in the hills of Barbecoa, east of LT right now. We're not too far off the main road, so we hear the traffic noise and the occasional party in the camp across the road, but it's nothing like being in town.

Come visit Las Galeras  and the surrounding areas for a weekend.  Nice beaches, a few supermarkets.

KarinyCarlos wrote:

If you leave before the lease ends, then its not fine, your out alot of money.  Did you contest this, given the noise?  You received your money?  I hope you did but I doubt it.

I negotiated with my landlady who felt really bad about this and I got almost all my deposit back!  Thanks for asking!

Try Cabarete East.  I just bought two condo's for rentals and personal stays.  Beach is 30 seconds away, beautiful complex, low expenses, security, parking, etc.  Town is a long walk, but by car only 10 minutes.  Quite area, and full of future potential.  I have not regrets!

Look into Costambar. Many types of lodging: small to grand homes, rental apartments and condos. Good restaurants. Well stocked colmado, plus a pharmacy, money exchange, and auto-teller machine. It is a gated community with 24 hr protection, both with guards at the gate and by patrol. International collection of residents, both full time and 'snowbirds'. Beach is over a half-mile long. Less than 5 minutes away from Puerto Plata, yet extremely quiet. Quiz nights, theater group, movie nights, bocce on the beach, etc. for communal activities. Costambar is unique on the north coast, if not in all of the RD.

It would appear Jarabacoa is not immune from noisy weekend visitors.....

Tourist impact in Jarabacoa is becoming disturbing

https://eldia.com.do/impacto-turistico- … quietante/

The sweetness of its traditional arepa and an imposing vegetation that adorns the road, welcome thousands of local and foreign tourists who from Thursdays move to Jarabacoa to enjoy one of the main ecotourism destinations and the fastest growing of the last years in the Dominican Republic.

And it is that Jarabacoa grows like foam with a tourist model very different from the traditional sun, sand and beach that characterize other coasts of the country, such as Punta Cana, La Romana, Puerto Plata, Samaná or Juan Dolio, which, in addition, They have positioned themselves thanks to their all-inclusive offers that have transcended the Dominican borders to conquer millions of visitors from all over the world.

Located in the north of the country about 144 kilometers from the capital, the Jarabacoa municipality, belonging to the La Vega province, has in its menu of offer more than six thousand villas distributed in different complexes, mountains, waterfalls, rivers, excursions on horseback, four Wheel, paragliding and rafting, which combined with its pleasant climate are turning this territory into the trend of ecological tourism in recent times.

This model of vacationing in villa complexes is not new, what is new is the growth of rentals through the Airbnb platform, through which offers available at low cost are obtained, without the need for the owner or representative have contact with the tenants.

Previously the villas had greater exclusivity, and their audience was generally select groups that moved with the family in search of tranquility, or to get away from the bustle of the city for a period, but today this is no longer the case, and this change has also brought I get a big 'headache' for landlords and close neighbors, because the peace has been broken.

The noise generated by some vacationers is an added element that worries many in Jarabacoa. This occurs in some complexes when villas are rented to groups who come to celebrate and carry sound systems that turn on at high levels as if it were a 'teteo' on any street in a city neighborhood, which also extends to the narrow streets of the town, generating, in addition to noise, long traffic congestion.

Both businessmen, villa owners and residents of the community have been complaining about this situation because they feel affected by the noise, the chaos in traffic, which forms from Thursday to Sunday, and the concern that this grows everywhere. from town.

Anti-noise measures

But, what measures are being taken to correct or improve these problems?
The main authorities are working on different plans to mitigate the impact generated by the thousands of vacationers that are spread throughout the municipality.

Regarding the National Police, the director in the area, Colonel Luis Vargas Morillo, explained that in the days of greatest influx of people, complaints of sonic contamination multiply, which has become the main problem of citizen security However, although law enforcement officers have the limitation of not being able to penetrate inside the complexes, alternative methods have been developed to respond.

“There were villas that we had to go to four times during one night, when we went the last time we delimited the vehicles that were inside, we took audiovisual shots because we could not enter, we shared that video with the local press and the publication was made about the unrest that was experienced in that community that night. Given this, the owner came out front and that gave us very good results, and some even terminated contracts with noisy tenants ”, he explained.

When the situation is recurrent, in the morning of the next day a surveillance is placed near the village and when the person identified by audio and video as the one who generates the noise leaves, the equipment is retained and sent to the Environment department in La Vega, where the corresponding sanctions are applied.
Steps are also taken with vehicle owners who own stereos.

Police actions

—1— Environment
The noise of four wheel motors, loud music in private spaces and vehicles, are some of the concerns for the Jarabacoences communities.
—2— Security
In Jarabacoa, crime and fighting has decreased, making it one of the safest towns in the country.

PN campaign to raise awareness of Collaboration.

In conjunction with the business sector and the community, the Police develops an awareness campaign to reduce noise pollution as much as possible, carrying messages and graphics of the main causes of noise, the type of violation indicated in the law and the penalty that it entails, which is aimed at locals and visitors.

Visitors were given a brochur, posted in the local media and posted in commercial establishments to spread the message.

Colonel Vargas Morillo assures that he has had the support of the social sectors, which is why the greatest pollution comes from the villages, followed by vehicles and to a lesser extent, commercial establishments.

I took  out the duplicate.

Seriously this is an issue all over the country.   Everyone wants their "rights" and the hell with anyone else's rights!

One suggestion for the noisy villas is pull the electric service (i.e. have the owner/mgr literally pull the plug). Saturday night when it gets out of hand, shut down the power. Either play by the rules or we don't want you here.  They then pull their vehicles up to the villa, pop the trunk and blast their enormous and impressive stereo systems.   

Of course it would also help if the police wouldn't take the bribes from these people. You know....let us raise hell this weekend and you all look the other way.

Often owners are absentee and don't  care at all!  Not sure how to unplug an entire villa safely???

And police need to step up and enforce the damn laws.