Friday night in Sosua a monger (not a vet, but not a newbie either) agreed a price of 2500 pesos for
TLN. Took the chica back to Terra Linda for the night. After one
pop she pulled the old "leave early" stunt so he would only pay her 1500 pesos for
ST. She refused to leave and he threw her out. There was no physical fight as such and she left quietly enough though obviously in a foul mood.
She came back later (early next morning?) with bruises, a cop and a lawyer, and the guy was arrested and taken to a Puerto Plata cell for the night. The security guard who had let her out said she was in good state when she left so presumably the bruises were inflicted by herself or her chulo.
Next day some of the friends he had made on his trips here, plus some very experienced ex-pats, arrived with a lawyer. Eventually they all chipped in to make up US$3500 to get him released and (I think) the charges dropped. The monger left for the US (either because it was his last day anyway or because he was understandably so pissed off with the DR, or because he was now broke, or because it was a condition of his release, I don't know which). I guess he won't be back in a hurry.
The above are the brief facts, though obviously there was a lot more hassle, unpleasantness and complications involved over a 36-hour (?) period.
Some random comments:
136, 500 pesos expended to save 1000, plus a lot of other guys precious holiday time and incidental expenses. Many guys advocate standing up to the chicas and cops and not yielding any ground. This might work 19 times out of 20 but when you look at the cost savings it is not a good bet.
I have no idea whether the guy had been drinking or was stone-cold sober but alcohol is never helpful in such situations.
The management of Terra Linda were totally unhelpful (and wouldn't let the security guard speak on the monger's behalf) but the manager of Rocky's (where the guy was not staying and who did not know the guy from Adam) spent a lot of his time helping. It might have been him who arranged a defence lawyer but don't quote me on that. I can understand Terra Linda's position. They have to carry on their business after the monger is back in the States and they don't want to make enemies of a cop and a lawyer by denying them a payday, but I suspect he would have got more backing from the New Garden and obviously at Rocky's because their whole businesses are reliant on recommendations from mongers whereas TL are trying to position themselves as a family hotel.
This sort of thing could happen in any part of the DR (or in most other corrupt countries as well) but it is far more likely to happen with hard-core putas from the "strip" in Sosua. (I imagine I will get no arguments from Jaosousa on that point). That is one reason why, after my first 2 or 3 trips, I have confined my mongering to Pto Pta, other small towns and the campo.
Kudos to all the guys who chipped in, not with "wise after the event" comments but with their time and a lot of hard cash. Most of them hardly knew the guy but they all realised it could happen to any of us. Had he been a lone wolf he could really have been screwed a lot worse.
Kuddo's to Rick for helping this guy
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