Noise and the DR - Be Warned

As my post of 15th December the exemption of hours for selling alcohol was to expire on 6th January but the holiday was moved to tomorrow Monday. In theory from Tuesday colmados should close at midnight and 2am Sunday and Monday mornings.

Noise however is limited in decibels by law to  65db to 70db upto 10pm. You can make a complaint via the Tupolicia app which you can download and report the problem with noisecrecording and map location yet stay anonymous.

Worth trying. Complaints do reach local police stations.

Yes tomorrow is a holiday. And we have Friday Jan 21 and Monday Jan 24 as holidays as well this month! A very long weekend!

The Dominican loves to stay up late especially during the holidays so yes you will hear music and motorcycles late at night so it’s not a bad idea to bring something to block the noise and also the light if you wish to sleep late

Or sleep at a regular time!  LOL  When I get up for work at  6 am I definitely want to be able to sleep before midnight....  This is when location of where you live  is so very critical but also understand that on holidays it is what it is!

Thanks to the helpful information here, we put this on our checklist, and found a place to live, a community, that do not permit loud music at certain times each night.  This allows us to sleep in peace each night.  For us, we were lucky to know this so we dont have to sleep with earplugs and as some people say, the deep drum beats can still be heard even with earplugs. 

I am very grateful to have known about this through this forum.  Its fine to party and have fun/dance to loud music but alot of people have to work and they have to rest in order to go to work and perform well.  Enough said.

The Anti Noise Commission formed at he end of Leonel's second term 10 years ago is operational.

The Dominican population will be looking for results.

Meeting to implement actions to mitigate noise pollution

https://hoy.com.do/se-reune-para-implem … on-sonica/

The Minister of the Environment and Natural Resources, Orlando Jorge Mera, headed this Friday the first meeting of the working group of the National Anti-Noise Commission, whose purpose is to implement actions to mitigate noise pollution in the country.

This Commission was created through decree 10-12, of January 18, 2012 and to date had not had actors promoting a National Noise Reduction Plan for the benefit of citizens. 

The National Anti-Noise Commission is made up of the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources, which chairs it; the Ministry of Public Health; the Ministry of the Interior and Police; the Attorney General's Office, represented by the Attorney General's Office for the Defense of the Environment and Natural Resources; the National Police; the National System for Attention to Emergencies and Security 9-1-1; the General Directorate of Traffic and Land Transportation; the Association of Municipalities.

During this first meeting, an analysis was made of the seriousness of harmful noise in the country, obstacles were identified that have prevented the problem from being successfully addressed, and proposals were presented that will allow the issue to be addressed firmly and effectively. 

Among the proposals put forward by the representatives of the entities that make up the National Anti-Noise Commission and which were welcomed by the Minister of the Environment, are the integration of other institutions such as the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology and the Otorhinolaryngology and Psychiatry societies, due to the importance of educating and raising awareness among the population on the issue of noise pollution.

Likewise, Jorge Mera highlighted the importance of carrying out advertising campaigns that guide the public about the damage caused by harmful noise. 

“Certainly, we have to articulate that National Noise Reduction Plan because that national plan is going to articulate, education, it is going to articulate the persecution, it is going to articulate the health issue and the municipality is going to articulate; clear and decisive because we do nothing with carrying out an operation one day, two days without the municipal authorities really and effectively having the knowledge, the capacity to carry this out”, the minister pointed out.

Among the data shared at the meeting that put the reality of noise pollution in the Dominican Republic in context, it is worth noting that from 2014 to date, the National System for Emergency Attention and Security 9-1-1 has received more of 740,000 noise complaints in Greater Santo Domingo alone, of which more than 700,000 correspond to complaints about loud music.

Finally, it was agreed to convene a next meeting with the representatives of the Ministries of the Interior and Police and Public Health, the National System for Emergency Attention and Security 9-1-1 and the municipal authorities, to prepare a project that defines the National Plan of Noise Reduction that will be presented to the country and the central government.

reforms take time.
we finally made it to our temp apt in cuidad colonial
hope to meet you guys soon
we will start or condo search monday
take care friends

Let's see what gets done.

Police start operation against noise pollution in Bávaro

https://www.elcaribe.com.do/destacado/p … en-bavaro/

The  National Police began a raid against noise pollution in the tourist area of ​​Bávaro , Verón and Punta Cana, where they seized loudspeakers in commercial establishments and homes, due to the complaints they received due to the high noise.

At least 13 speakers were seized in the sectors of Cristinita, Lotificación Verón, Villa la Fe, Domingo Maíz, Villa Playwood, among others.

The operation was led by the Verón prosecutor Yaskaris Faulkner and the PN Colonel Nova Terrero.

The artifacts were sent to the Department of the Environment in the main municipality of Higüey for the corresponding purposes.

The population assessed the measure as positive and asked for follow-up to maintain peace and tranquility in the homes of the tourist area.

We were in Santo Domingo this weekend, and on Sunday afternoon, we were in the Paraiso neighborhood. There was a club playing music so loudly that even a block away, I couldn't make a phone call. This was 4:00 in the afternoon, but still - if I lived close by, it would drive me crazy. I can't imagine what it must be like for the poor souls that have to work there. Is there an OSHA equivalent here that looks out for the health and safety of employees?

Worker health and safety is well down the list.  There are rules but zero enforcement

The police have a tough job.  Alot of risk, not paid well.  But every bit of progress should not be dismissed.  One step at a time.  With public support and I hope, some reporting in the news about this, we will see changes.

Agreed every step forward is progress.  Unfortunately we have learned over the years to take every announcement with skepticism. Until we see action it's just more words. 

Action reported - let's see how it continues!

Police reform has only just begun and it will take plenty of time for attitudes to change  such that they serve the people. Read this below as an example:

Complaints to HOY | “The Police reveal names of complainants and that is outrageous”
https://hoy.com.do/denuncias-hoy-la-pol … o-indigna/

Residents of Santa Cruz , in Villa Mella , North Santo Domingo , denounced that the agents of the National Police , the few times that they attend their complaints calls about the high volumes of music in the sector, take money from those who are in the "tetetos" without taking action.

The complainants added that they also reveal their identity and that is what most outrages them and makes them feel unprotected.

“When we call 911 (National System for Emergency Attention and Security 9-1-1), to report that there is a noise after hours, when they usually go, they take money from those who are at the parties, and they also give them the name of the caller, and that is what is most outrageous," said a resident of the sector.

He said that they feel exposed and that they do not have the true support of the authorities in the face of the situation.

"There are serious and hard-working people in the sector, who understand that the situation is getting out of control, because we do not have the privacy or the support of those who supposedly have to maintain order and the anonymity of whoever is making the complaint."

The person who made the complaint narrated a situation that occurred this weekend, where a sister was attacked .

"It happened this weekend, and to clarify that my sister was attacked is the president of the Neighborhood Council of the street where we live, that we have lived there for more than 30 years," he said.

He added that those who have caused the discomfort and noise are new residents of the place and that they have no limits in terms of the times they disturb order with their music.

Really dangerous situation!

Our first stay in our house was in December 2015 and I thought we had made a huge mistake! I didn’t sleep the whole week of my ‘vacation’  in the future when we are snow birds down there it will probably be after New Years and before Easter…with additional trips as weather permits. It is pretty peaceful except those times…and I don’t begrudge them their celebrations…I just prefer to not hear them…because sleep is my favorite elusive friend…

You are absolutely right - Easter is the worst time and Christmas / New Years is close behind. 

I am glad the rest of the time is good where you are.  These are things you learn after being here a number of times or living here for at least a full season.  After 18 1/2 years here, I spend the holidays fairly quietly at home or close the home!

DN residents ask authorities to act against noise problem in the city

https://noticiassin.com/pais/residentes … ad-1232408

25 neighborhood associations and community associations signed the letter delivered to the Minister of the Environment and Natural Resources.

Santo Domingo.-  Representatives from various sectors of the National District held a meeting with the Minister of the Environment and Natural Resources , Orlando Jorge Mera, in which they expressed the urgency that the population has for the authorities to act against the problem of noise and noise pollution in the city.

The visitors insisted on the high levels of noise pollution that have been registered in this demarcation, as well as listed experiences of complaints made to the authorities that have not been successful, which is why they urged the creation of a space to coordinate specific actions against the noise in the capital.

“The neighborhood associations separately have held many meetings with institutions and little has been achieved. That is why we have organized ourselves to ask this ministry to set up a work table in which we can work hand in hand with the competent authorities”, expressed those present to the minister.

Resolution

In January of this year, the first meeting of the National Anti-Noise Commission took place , in which the authorities announced that they would have a national plan against noise. This commission would be called upon to form the corresponding anti-noise subcommissions in the different provinces and municipalities.

In that order, Orlando Jorge Mera, commented on some alarming statistics on noise in the country, revealing that since the National System for Attention to Emergencies and Security 9-1-1 was created, that entity has received more than 740 thousand complaints for noise, only in Greater Santo Domingo, of which, more than 700 thousand corresponded to complaints about loud music.

Representatives of neighborhood associations from Piantini, Luperón, Naco, Ciudad Real 2, Gazcue, Brisas del Norte and residents and owners of the Colonial City were present at the meeting. This initiative also has the support of residents of Los Prados, Yolanda Morales, Cristo Rey, Don Bosco, Villa Claudia, Renacimiento, Bella Vista, Evaristo Morales, Serrallés, Fernández Urbanization, Ciudad Real 1, San Carlos, among other sectors of the community. capital.

Found this thread today, as I am in the DR. Yes, this is probably the loudest country I've ever experienced, and that includes India. I am in Cabarete right now at a surf camp, and even with my noise canceling airpods pro earbuds, I am still constantly assaulted by the endless onslaught of 2-stroke scooters/motorbikes that dominate this country. The main street here is the non-stop noise complemented by the exhaust smells. While this island has a lot of natural beauty, this place is way below American standards of living. There are nice fortified areas for gringos, and I have seen enough digital nomads including whole families camped out at the Tulum-inspired coffee shops, but beyond these safe spaces, you're living in the third world. My girlfriend says she has never felt so uncomfortable as she is here. As we walk down the shoulders on the road (there are no sidewalks) she gets non-stop looks from the dudes biking by and honking at her.

But the noise... the noise... it never ends.

If someone managed to set up an EV infrastructure on this island and manage to sell electric scooters to the locals at an affordable price, this could go away over time, but so far we have seen 1 Tesla on this island which was clearly imported as there are no superchargers here.

It's pretty here though - but probably not going to be a longer term digital nomad or expat spot for us.

@Crashoverride - I agree with a lot of what you've commented on, but I don't think anyone has ever tried to compare the DR standard of living to what we had in the US. This is a developing country with a LOT of folks living in poverty. Yes, there is lots of room for improvement and I think the current administration is making strides towards that.

FYI - guys on motos honking and looking at your girlfriend are likely moto-concho drivers trying to pick up a fare, not a date! A simple "No, gracias" or firm shake of the head is all that is needed. No need to feel uncomfortable.

well said bud! construction guys do that all the time in the US lol

@crash. Not fair or reasonable to judge this country based on one experience.   Maybe check out other parts of this country first.  What you see might surprise you.

I agree with the planner and everyone else. The parts of the DR I have experienced for myself i have fell in love with. Yes it is not America however it has so much more charm. Honestly I do not get third world country vibes in the DR. I embrace the culture, how friendly the people are and all that the country has to offer. As far as the motorist whistling they are probably offering a ride or find her beautiful. I myself don't pay attention when the men make advances. As we know there are dangerous areas I still enjoy taking walks like the other locals do. Try to embrace the culture instead of judging you will love the country so much more.

Noise is part of the culture here. Dominicans seem to love noise and chaos. Just how it is.  Some people can tune out the noise; some actually appreciate it (seems to be age dependent). As for your comment about not being like the US of A. That's why ex-pats come here. It is not about standard of living, they come here for quality of life. Different things.

This country is not for everyone, especially those that cannot adapt to the culture. For instance I also cannot tolerate noise much, so we chose to live outside the city limits on a hill. Few folks around. Quiet. Wonderful.

Dominican citizens throughout DR are getting fed up with lack of action on excessive noise pollution......

Residents in eastern provinces denounce noise pollution keeping them in "anxiety"

"We are tired of denouncing," said a citizen

https://www.diariolibre.com/actualidad/ … te/1669291

The high levels of music continue to be a concern for citizens of the provinces of El Seibo, Hato Mayor and San Pedro de Macorís, who denounced that it affects their peace and tranquility.

In the Santa Fe sector of San Pedro de Macorís, a woman, who did not want to be identified due to possible reprisals, denounced that in that town there are some grocery stores that keep citizens in anxiety and assured that “when they make the complaint to the authorities , the same police officers report people to business owners.”

“We are tired of denouncing those kitipó in the colmados and then when one calls the Police or the Anti-noise department, they themselves report one, and that is an anxiety every weekend, they wake up with that music at full volume, “he said. lament.

But noise is not only made in grocery stores . The citizen said that vehicles with large horns are parked in the sector, while their drivers consume alcoholic beverages. The woman explained that this extends until 4:00 in the morning, while she said that it threatens people's health and wakes up those who have to work the next day.

He said that instead of the authorities protecting citizens, what they do is "they throw him into lawsuits", for which he assured that "no one does anything to counteract this evil."

“We tell the authorities to please take into account that the residents of the sectors need to sleep. We do not want to take anyone away from having their parties, but they should be aware that there are sick people, those who have given birth and people who need to work early and do not sleep because of the noise , ”he explained.

The situation is similar in the province of Hato Mayor, where citizen Madelin Jiménez said that where she lives there are some colmadones that turn on a radio at full volume every day until late at night.

He stated that they even perform karaoke and that no authority is going to control the problem. "That's every day with that radio at full volume, like it's only them who live there and nobody does anything," he denounced.

In El Seibo, although the authorities assured that they are working together to combat this evil, citizen Joaquín Doroteo said that at this time when all restrictions have been removed, it is where people are “partying”.

He specified that the authorities must take stricter measures against those people who alter the tranquility and health of others.

Like many folks, the biggest noise issue I hear are the mobile advertising vehicles with  their huge sound systems....everything from local scrap iron, old mattresess to politcal promotions....be nice to hear less of those.....

Totally agree!!!
I was living with Dominicans in the middle of Puerto Plata. Yes, there was noise on the street caused by motocochos and cars. Yes, the children of my neighbors happily started to sing at 7 a.m.. Yes, colmados sometimes play music. Yes even at the beach they install their big music boxes and play Bachata and other great music so that expats more often run.
AND I LIKE IT! The Dominican people are happy and enjoy their life.
Shortly after my arrival I was overwhelmed by stories that I have been told by extranjeros of robbing, killing and cheating by locals. I am fed up to listen to this stupid stories. These things also happen in my former home country and I am sure, it happens in your country too. In the meantime I made really good friendship with locals and at least the people that I get to know are patient with me, always helpful and more than just friendly.
What please means 'talking too loud' or 'too loud music'? Only a local has the right to assess that.
And by the way, if I prefer to live in a silence, I do not move to any capital in this world.
This post is one of the best examples, why I try to reduce my contact to inmigrantes to a minimum. Everybody has the chance, to try to integrate, or just go back home. But never expect these wonderful people to change according to your need. Not they are your problem, but your assessment of this world and your wrong expectations.
Best Tom

Mr. Tom you are absolutely right.

You do understand that it is the Dominican government, prompted by noise complaints from Dominican citizens, that is starting to crack down on violations and enforce existing Dominican noise restriction laws? If the excess noise was truly part of the culture, then why would there be laws against it and why would Dominicans complain?

This thread is not about expats complaining about their noisy neighbors. This is about Dominicans and others dealing with abusive noise levels. Read some of the public posts provided by lennox. This is a Dominican issue, not so much an ex-pat issue; although we also have to put up with such abuse.

"If you don't like it leave" is a refrain I also hear in the US when someone doesn't wish to deal with a problem (i.e. "it's not my problem").

Exactly!   Yes I was one of the people complaining. The ONLY expat amongst 300 of my neighbors when a disco opened behind and between apartment towers in a residential area. 

Imagine 7 nights a week from 7 pm to sometimes 2 am of 84 to 96 decibel readings when you and your family are trying to sleep!!!!!!  That upset every damn Dominican nearby. 

As a resident I do have the right to complain about this as do all the locals. 

I do not complain about motoconchos, street noise, the occasional birthday or other party etc. 

Don't confuse culture with absolute abuse!

With my comment I referred to the contribution of lennoxnev, the first one in this post.

You're absolutely right! I hear Montana is really quiet, try there.

Roryzion wrote:

You're absolutely right! I hear Montana is really quiet, try there.

Read the thread.

More relevent is for posters to live here outside resort areas for a long period of time before making judgements on life and culture throughout DR.

Resort areas like Puerto Plata are unique being entertainment areas for vaccationers where noise comes with the package, as do friendly locals interested in the add ons they can get with foreigners.

Then one will realize noise is a big issue for most Dominicans and expats need to know the area well where they intend to reside especially in resort areas.

Read all the thread!

Residents and the fiscal in Puerto Plata have problems with excess noise so think about them, the majority, too and not just your playtime vacation buddies.

This recent editorial in Hoy sums up city life for Dominicans and the health risks:

NOISES THAT KILL

https://hoy.com.do/1706573-2/

To the pressing, stormy and insane vehicular traffic in Greater Santo Domingo is added a host of urban problems that disrupt daily activities and people's health, including the dangerous noise pollution generated by colmados, tarantines, colmadones, bars, cafes, nightclubs, bars, billiards, "drinks" and other noisy businesses selling alcoholic beverages and citizens who disrespect the elementary rules that govern condominium life.

In addition to the overwhelming problem, an epidemic of "mobile vendors with speakers" move at any time of the day and night through the streets of overcrowded neighborhoods offering the purchase of vehicle batteries, appliances, mattresses, fans, refrigerators, air conditioners, stoves " and everything that is old. The progressive increase in the number of vehicles adds to the scandalous Greater Santo Domingo, a difficult puzzle for the authorities to decipher.

Although complaints from citizens are recurrent and occasionally some people complain and call the National Police or 911, the noise problem in cities and communities in the interior of the Dominican Republic, far from improving, worsens, particularly in urban areas.

To measure the level or intensity of sound or noise, the term decibel or decibel (dB) is used, which is the unit of acoustic intensity equivalent to one tenth of a bel, a unit of measurement named after Alexander Graham Bell. The device used for its measurement is the sound level meter.

Sound intensity variations follow an approximately logarithmic scale, not a linear one. Decibels are a logarithmic unit. Sound is the set of waves that diffuse as a physical state (liquid, solid and gaseous) that causes pressure and density variations, while noise is irregular and without concordance between the fundamental tones and their harmonics. The sound intensity generates in people sudden, sensorineural hearing loss, unilateral deafness, dementia and Ménière's vertigo, among others.

Ménière's disease is a disorder of the inner ear. It can cause severe dizziness, a roaring sound in the ear called tinnitus, hearing loss that comes and goes, and a feeling of pressure or pain in the ear. It usually affects only one ear and is a common cause of deafness.

The Ministry of the Interior and Police is the institution responsible in our country for "liberating" the hours for the sale of alcoholic beverages in grocery stores, colmadones, discos, bars, billiards, "drinks" and in all other entertainment establishments where they generate noise. The noisy announcers who annoy daily life in overcrowded neighborhoods, from the first hours of the day until the sun goes down, buying old appliances or offering agricultural products are not included. The bullies that alter "citizen tranquility" and the rules that govern condominium life are handled by the National Police or by calling 9-1-1.

Sonic pollution: Law 64-00 on Protection of the Environment and Natural Resources refers to this problem as “sounds that, due to their level, duration or frequency, affect human health, the quality of life of the population and the functioning of ecosystems, exceeding legally established permissible levels. The sound level meter is the instrument for measuring noise. It is used to measure sound pressure levels at a given place and time. Its unit of measurement is the decibel.

Noise, from the Latin rugitus, is an undesirable, inarticulate and confused sound. It is the propagation of elastic waves producing strains and stresses on a continuous medium (or equilibrium position). A vibration should not be confused with an oscillation.

Decibels in music. It is the measure used to express the power level or intensity level of the sound. This logarithmic scale is used because the sensitivity of the human ear to variations in sound intensity follows an approximately logarithmic, non-linear scale.

Effects of noise on human health.

*People who are used to being in noisy environments, as the negative effects do not show up immediately, do not pay enough attention to them. Noise is any unpleasant, unwanted or annoying sound to which a person is subjected.

*In general, the adverse effects of noise can include: headache, difficulty in oral communication and decreased hearing.
The theory of communication and semiology states that noise is an interference that affects the communication process.

* Listening to music at high volume increases the risks of becoming deaf at a premature age, as well as promotes lack of concentration.

*Some of the problems related to long-term exposure to a high decibel level are hearing impairment, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, stress, behavioral changes, sleep disturbance or decreased school performance. Most were identified in the 1960s.

*In addition to the noise generated by businesses that sell alcoholic beverages, the use of fireworks and powerful firecrackers that explode in different sectors of the cities during the Christmas and New Year festivities, increases the noise level.

*The most common causes of hearing loss or hearing loss are excessive noise and age. However, in both cases they lead to the death or damage of the hair cells in the inner ear. Many people also suffer from hearing impairment caused by these diseases.

* Noises cause difficulties for people to fall asleep and disturb them when they sleep. In addition, it produces alterations in human behavior.

Lennox is reporting for us on what is in the local news! 

He does a huge service to many who don't read the news!   

This is Dominican driven!

I guess they can pack up leave for Montana. 

The point of the thread is to bring awareness to expats planning an expat life here, of noise pollution issues in DR and to investigate ones chosen locations to avoid making a mistake buying where noise affects your new life.

Excess noise does ruin the vacations of some visitors too as posts in this thread and on other social media testify.

If noise and partying is your thing on vacation one understands but to gloryfy it at all hours, places and times, is not going to go down well with some for whom it disrupts their health, family life, children and work.

Resorts apart, ciudanos want excess noise controlled in residential areas, near schools and hospitals and not beyond the hours permitted by law. Weekly we read of noisy establishments being closed down and music systems confiscated. Santiago had many places closed last weekend. Puerto Plata regularly has confiscations. It is incessant - the confiscations in the capital.

I now live in the campo, but young men here still enjoy very loud base driven music. The sindico here has been forthright and in the interests of the families here insists on controlled music levels if any weekdays and no later than 2am at weekends and only in the village centre. I am the only expat living here and the need to control noise here is by working Dominicans families only.

I read the thread and replied to Tom's comment.