Heart of Missi ns
A Different Perspective
T
he following article by Kathleen Mitchell can be viewed
in full on www.dr1.com, an
English language site reporting on news and views in the Dominican
Republic. The intent is to provide information that will ease the transition for
those moving in to this Spanish speaking
country. According to their site, on the
list of the most stressful activities for
humans, moving your home ranks third
only behind death and divorce.
The driving game is played differently everywhere you go, be it California
freeways, New York City, or Paris. The Dominican Republic is no exception. Hand
signals for right/left turns and for stopping are, technically, exactly the same as
in the United States. Nevertheless, there
are many signals unique to the DR.
Someone once said that to drive
in the Dominican Republic you need a
horn more than brakes. Was he right!
Dominicans use the horn from dawn to
dusk. And there are innumerable varieties
of beeping.
One little short beep: “I’m here! Do
you see me?”
Two little beeps: “I’m coming
through.” This is an announcement of
intentions subject to last-minute change.
Whereas... Two long beeps: “Watch out!
I’m coming through, and if you get in the
way, we will have an accident.” Maybe it
is part of the “machismo” phenomena.
Maybe not. But for sure, Dominicans
play a lot of “chicken” on the road. The
driver with the most nerves of steel gets
to go first.
This is not only true at intersections, but with passing as well. “He who
hesitates is lost.” The thing to remember
here is that hesitation on your part is
read immediately as a “go” by the other
driver. So you cannot hesitate and then
“go” yourself.
One long honk of the horn means,
“Danger – can’t you see!” Breathe easy if
you hear this one, because eighty percent
of the time the danger has just passed,
like the thunder after the stroke of lightening that did not kill you.
That you have scared him to death
does not matter to him so much. What
matters more, deep down inside, is that
you were more “macho” than he. You
won the game. His only recourse is this
horn honk.
Ambulances remain scarce here. The
majority of emergency cases are taken
to the hospital in private cars, taxis or
believe it or not, pick up trucks. The drivers of these cars honk their horns incessantly. And the person in the passenger’s
seat may frantically wave his arms out
the window directing cars to yield the
right of way as his car whips in and out of
the traffic.
There is at least one more sign drivers in the Dominican Republic should
be aware of. It is neither horn nor hand
signal. It is the position of the car itself.
Many drivers (wrongly, according to the
law) consider it more prudent, especially
in heavy traffic, to pull off to the right
before making a left-hand turn. Thus, a
car stopped momentarily on the right
may suddenly swing across all lanes of
traffic to make a left turn. So, for safety’s
sake, before passing any stopped car on
by Karen Unternahrer
its left, honk one or two little beeps to let
him know first.
Watch out when you go back to the
States, though. It is another game there,
you know.
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The Hometown Treasure · October ‘12 · pg 13