Travel warning mass transit strike

[MyTio]

Dominican Republic Fee Waiver
Travel Agent Waiver Code

Track your flight Operations Update
Last Updated: 7/10/2011 1:30:00 PM EST

Due to a mass transit strike scheduled to begin tomorrow in the Dominican Republic, we will waive fees and fare differences for Customers traveling Monday, July 11, 2011 to/from the following cities:

• Santo Domingo (SDQ)
• Santiago (STI)
• Puerto Plata (POP)
• Punta Cana (PUJ)

All customers traveling to/from the airports listed above are encouraged to check the status of their flight online prior to leaving for the airport. Customers with web-enabled cell phones and PDAs may check the status of their flight at mobile.jetblue.com.
Rebooking Terms & Conditions
Customers may rebook their flights for travel through Tuesday, July 12, 2011 by calling 1-800-JETBLUE (538-2583) prior to the departure time of their originally scheduled flight. Customers with cancelled flights may also opt for a refund to the original form of payment by calling 1-800-JETBLUE (538-2583). Original travel must have been booked on or before Sunday, July 10, 2011.

GDS Waiver Code: WXB6EPIC11
Please use this code when waiving change/cancel fees and fare differences on GDS bookings.




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[psriches]

Organizers reiterate nationwide strike for Monday, July 11, 2011 "dominicantoday.com"

Santo Domingo.- Everything is ready for Monday’s nationwide strike called by the social, community and leftist groups that form the Alternative Social Forum (FSA), and Friday morning reiterated it will last 24 hours, from Monday to the 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday.

“There’s no going back, the strike is irreversible,” the organizations said in a document read Friday morning by, FSA spokesman Victor Jeronimo.

He said as the strike unfolds the organizations will start issuing statements from Independencia Park on Monday when they’ll hold a mass, and from Santiago, La Vega and the northwestern town of Navarrete starting 9 a.m., in addition to other activities.

He warned that if the Government doesn’t meet their demands they’ll continue the protests and manifestations.

“The call to strike is against the tax package, reduction in the price of foods, medicines, fuels, a 35% wage increase for private and government employees, including police and military, 4% for education, and the blackouts,” Geronimo said in a press conference held in the offices of the Dominican Medical Guild (CMD).

[WickedWillie]

It's a general country wide huelga (strike/riot), supported by mass transit, in protest of pretty much everything about the current administration and starting from 6am tomorrow, Monday.

No Caribe tours/Metro, no gua-guas, no public or private taxis.

From what I'm hearing, both locally and on the radio, it's going to be an opportunity for every tiguere in the country to cause mayhem.

As of 6 pm this evening Moca and Bonao are in lockdown. I'm told the main north coast road (Carretera 5)near Sabaneta will be blocked later tonight.

There is no need to be concerned if you are in Sosua or Cabarete.....and stay there!!

[JD426]

Its like Dejavu all over again.
The burning Tires and Roadblrocks cant be far away.

[balcoach]

WHAT A COUNTRY!!!!!!

And I have a front row seat!!!

[Kevy]

This is starting to look like 2004 all over again. My first trip in feb 2004 there was a 2 day strike and they shut everything down. Plus there were a lot of Power outages as they could not afford to buy the oil needed to run the generators.

At least they got the putas under control on Pedro Clisante

[brovo35]

Great, just great, after being gone for a year and a half and I am flying in (hopefully) the week of a nationwide strike.

Just My luck.

[JD426]

This is starting to look like 2004 all over again. My first trip in feb 2004 there was a 2 day strike and they shut everything down. Plus there were a lot of Power outages as they could not afford to buy the oil needed to run the generators.

At least they got the putas under control on Pedro Clisante

That was one of the biggest problems as I recall, if you cant even run your generators, you were screwed. People get pissed, ant That shit was ugly. And it happens FAST. Its the closest thing to a Road warrior type Anarchy you ever want to see in your lifetime.

[psriches]

I witnessed one of these so called strikes/riots first hand back in March 2006. I drove through the riot in Licey which is right behind the airport in Santiago. I was heading towards the mountain road to Cabarete/Sosua. They can be pretty serious and dangerous!

This was my entry from that March 2006 trip report:

PART 1

I witnessed some of this first hand. I snuck down for a long weekend visit, arriving in Santiago Friday (yesterday).... I rent a car and prepare to take the back roads leading to the Mountain road to Cabarete/Sosua.

Wsj isn't with me but the road we normally take is a back road, leaving the airport you turn left and go down some dirt roads before heading towards Moca. Anyway as i'm driving down the road i see trees and debris all over. This should have been my cue to u-turn it but for some reason, maybe blinded by the thoughts of mountain pussy, i didn't. So i'm swerving around huge rocks and trees scattered like after a hurricane or tornado. Then i start passing throngs of people just standing on the side of the road eyeballing me like i had just flown through a no-fly zone.


PART 2

I make it through the first road, make my turn around the corner and almost shit my pants. A full blown unorganized mini demonstration with tires burning and the rosd blocked off. At this point, i stay calm and think what to do. I looked behind me and saw that the people had wandered in the street so i didn't want to have to go through them. Also, i realized that i was the only car on the road.

So i slowed down to a crawl and sunk down in the driver's seat (you know, that ganster lean). I look up ahead and the road is blocked with huge rocks and about 7 local chico's standing by as if on neighborhood patrol. They flag me to stop so i complied with their request. I rolled my window down, all the while thinking i was about to be kidnapped. In my best spanish, trying to play dumb, i asked "what's going on?" They answered, "you know, the road is closed". I already had my 100 peso bribe in my hand when i rolled up, so i replyed, "i have to go" and handed him the pesos. At that point, two of the chicas moved the stone and let me through.


PART 3

Ok, 3 roads to go and then the main mountain road! So i'm thinking to myself, where are the fucking police? I'm still bobbing and weaving all the debris and manage to make it to that last main road heading towards Moca. The place is a ghost town! Not only did i not see Policia, i didn't see anyone. Not a person to be found, no school children, not one place of business open, etc......

At this point, i speed up and i'm flying down the road! Finally, i get to my turn off to the mountain road where i see some Policia. I stopped and explained to them where i just came from and what i witnessed. I ask them if it's safe to take this mountain road to Cabarete and they looked at each other, then answered, "everywhere is safe except for the roads you just took!" But after reading this thread, i understand all the eyeballing on the side of the road i received and the strange look i got from the Policia. They were all thinking, "what the fuck is this dumb ass doing on the road, doesn't he know that he will get pulled from his car and a burning tire placed around his neck!!"

Anyway, after a sigh of relief, i turned up towards the mountain. About 10 minutes up, i stop for that breathtaking view and also clean the shit and piss in my pants!!!! Needless to say, i'll give that mountain road a rest for a minute. What an experience!

[jose1234]

I have heard all the public transportation will definitely not be working tomorrow in Cabarete area and there is a threat to the electrical and water service. My restaurant tenant told me not to worry and I can hang out at his place (a high end secured residential development). But I said I will stay here at the hotel as I'm captain of the ship...LOL I did stock up on two bottles of vodka and two bottles of rum... We are ready!!!

[snoozer]

Its like Dejavu all over again.
The burning Tires and Roadblrocks cant be far away.

The burning tires and roadblocks will be part of it.

[weyland]

and ... reiterated it will last 24 hours, from Monday to the 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday.

4% for education

If that is the Dominican idea of what constitutes 24 hours, the sooner they start spending 4% on education the better.

[uncle ruckus]

Just a heads up, the two most violent points for huelgas in the Santiago area are Navarrete and Licey al Medio (on the way to Moca). Those are the two places where the motherfuckers with masks will pull a rifle or shotgun at you and force you to turn around. The only vehicles getting through Navarrete tomorrow are ambulances and some fire trucks.

[macula]

That's crazy. One more week to go and I'm there.

[MrHappy]

Hmmm.. let's see.

I drove to work this morning, and came through Haina and Nigua as usual.

Other than a few rocks in the road and a few burning tree trunks, things were pretty quiet. No protestors in the streets at all. Makes me wonder if all the action happened last night after an evening of drinking.

There are a few policemen scattered around and about, but nothing extraordinary.

The part about the strikes I like, is you get to see how nice Santo Domingo is when there's not thousands of crappy little toyota conchos fucking up traffic at every corner.

[Sidney]

Will pussy be ''on strike''

[WickedWillie]

Will pussy be ''on strike''

No, but they can't get around. My regular Monday afternoon visitor can't get from POP to Cabarete.....bummer

[JD426]

The word is this is a ONE day strike , or am i hearing it wrong ?

[jose1234]

The word is this is a ONE day strike , or am i hearing it wrong ?

Strike is supposed to be from 8am today to 8am tomorrow morning only. I have not left the ship today, but my insurance agent cancelled her meeting with me today and said she is closing shop. She said that she heard rumors that there is a gang/group of guys in Cabarete making shop owners close their businesses. Not sure if its true. I did hear that there is taxi and motoconcho service this morning, but there was some heated conversations going on, so I don't know if the service will last.

In the mean time, I'm sitting on my deck under some beautiful blue sky and palm trees looking across the beach to the waves crashing on the shore and horses slowly walking along the beach too... The wind is kicking up and people will be kite surfing soon and other guests are already laying under the sun and getting their tan.

[MrHappy]

The word is this is a ONE day strike , or am i hearing it wrong ?

It's a one day strike, from 6 am to 6 pm.

All of my trucks (10) are already on their routes.