Idiot with SUPER Loud Music HELP

[amparocorp]

i used to love to go to my wife's little village, hidden up in the mountains between santiago and puerta plata, in a small valley, no electricity in the entire village, peaceful. worst thing that ever happened was when they ran the electric line 10 miles in from the main road. the colmado on weekends blasts music over the entire valley, you can not escape it, her parent's live in a small wooden house with tin roof, this noise goes right through the walls. due to it's location there is no such thing as shut off time for the sale of alcohol either. this house is not close to the colmado. when i complained about it her mother she shrugged her shoulders and laughed. they had been living in peace for 50 years, growing all their own food, including coffee, raising animals, chickens, pigs, a cow now and then, paradise, raised 10 children there. i told her father that the noise was bad for the animals, sour milk, not as many eggs, skinny pigs. the music got turned down.

[AK74]

IRA. Molotov Coctail.

What a beautiful perspective for a 55 y.o ex-pat who is moving to this country after having heard rosy fairy tales of Real Estate sellers!

Anyway, this situation and this problem just cannot be resolved in this country.

Dominicans are notorious with their inblood disrespect to other people, especially to gringos.

I live in a beautiful place, with a beautiful view, with very decent and educated neighbours.
There is only one problem - dominicans love to come in the evening/night, park their cars under our windows and enjoy the beautiful sea view (with opened truncks of their cars and full volume music ANY time day or night).

One can do nothing but to pray at 4 a.m. that they would leave ! A couple of times I paid $500 DR to Major Mendosa to come to shut them up at 3 a.m. But you cannot do it every night.

Once my neighbour, a very nice very adult Swiss lady said something to them from her balcony at 5 a.m. about their music. The dominican fired three-four shots in response. Luckily not at her.
She is shut up since then.

I feel very ashamed that people who think about moving to DR from USA or Canada and ask questions here on DR1 do not get full honest information in responses. It could cost them life easy.

[Skippy1]

Originally Posted by AK74

IRA. Molotov Coctail.

What a beautiful perspective for a 55 y.o ex-pat who is moving to this country after having heard rosy fairy tales of Real Estate sellers!

Anyway, this situation and this problem just cannot be resolved in this country.

Dominicans are notorious with their inblood disrespect to other people, especially to gringos.

.

One day it will be solved but sadly a long way from now. In some estates in the UK the problem was so bad the local authority installed a device that if the noise level exceeded an acceptable volume which varied according to the time of the day, it cut off the electricity to the house or apartment. The occupant then had to go to the town hall to get the power restored. This was also installed in some University halls or residence to control the odd larger lout.

Skippy1

[adrianb]

Originally Posted by amparocorp

i used to love to go to my wife's little village, hidden up in the mountains between santiago and puerta plata, in a small valley, no electricity in the entire village, peaceful. worst thing that ever happened was when they ran the electric line 10 miles in from the main road. the colmado on weekends blasts music over the entire valley, you can not escape it, her parent's live in a small wooden house with tin roof, this noise goes right through the walls. due to it's location there is no such thing as shut off time for the sale of alcohol either. this house is not close to the colmado. when i complained about it her mother she shrugged her shoulders and laughed. they had been living in peace for 50 years, growing all their own food, including coffee, raising animals, chickens, pigs, a cow now and then, paradise, raised 10 children there. i told her father that the noise was bad for the animals, sour milk, not as many eggs, skinny pigs. the music got turned down.

Excellent story, thanks for posting. DR1 should collect all these kinds of anecdotes and put them into a book.

[GringoCArlos]

Safer than a confrontation, and cheaper than paying off the cops:

Bose QuietComfort 2 Noise Cancelling Headphones - Headphones and Headsets

[Skippy1]

difficult to get a baby to wear them to go to sleep.
for the average household mum dad 2.4 kids also expensive.
not sure if the body thumping bass beat would be reduced with these either.
Think I like the molitov cocktail idea better or if you hav a friend in the Pentagon a MOAB from a stealth bomber at 80,000 feet.

Skippy1

[Squat]

I am very touched by this subject, as I too am a victim of the "loud music" syndrome !

As far as I have been thinking about it, if you are a house owner, the only thing to be done is soundproofing. Wearing ear-plugs and sound-reduction headset greatly improved my own sanity as well...

I completely agree with some posters: there's nothing to be done. First, the perpetrator feels he has a God given right to play extra loud music, as he is in HIS house (even if rented...). Second, all Dominican neighbors find it perfectly normal and a strong majority actually enjoy it. Third, if ever you ever think about getting "mean" with the perpetrator, keep in mind that those playing very loud music are most likely to have a gun, so you might actually get shot.

If the OP is renting: MOVE !!!!!!!!! Don't look back for a second !!!!!

If the OP is the owner of his place (like me ) then start to soundproof. Spend some money on double-paned windows (by the way, I can't seem to find them, feel free to post address of double-paned windows dealers here...). Buy ear-plugs, there are a must. Buy those heavy headset, they really help !

My experience is that Dominican authorities will mostly ignore your complains... Don't even start to waste your time with those slimeballs.

Take action: SOUNDPROOF !

[jojo2130]

Thanks to everyone for the advise.

I agree with several of the posts and disagree with others.
All of my neighbours are fairly well to do Dominicans with families and own their properties as I do.

We (my neighbours and I) have taken several approaches and he seems to be getting the drift. His music comes on for about 1 or 2 songs in the early evening only now. I actually heard his wife/Girlfriend yelling at him between songs something like , "you will be gone and I will have to deal with the neighbours". We giggled because we were outside on the street and there are trees behind us and all you could hear was her yelling. Then the music was no more. Never under estimate the "power of affection" shall we say?

The police are peed off as well as we as a group make many calls as soon as the music starts. So it is not just me calling but about 6 or 7 of my neighbours. Every evening.

I also have a very very good long term friend who is a Sargento Mayor in Puerto Plata and we had him and his wife and 5 year old son out (who calls me "tio") out for a strategic BBQ on Thursday evening in my back yard. He was not impressed when the music started and within about 10 minutes of 2 phone calls it stopped.

Now this fellow has been approached by the police, the police captain, one juez and family and his wife. He still last night blasted the music for 2 songs.
We have to outlast him is all.

I agree he would definitely be the dangerous type. With the zero respect and defiance he has exhibited I have to exercise patience and I would suggest the same to anyone in the similar situation in this country. I do not agree that I should do all of this incognito. I do, however, agree that I should not go it alone as it would be both fruitless and dangerous. Rallying the neighbours is the best route.

I also have to state that he is starting to aggravate a few higher ranking politicians and businessmen. (Dominicans). So I think his days are numbered if he keeps it up. I also make a point to point out to these people that things ike this are easily dealt with in Canada and that alot of people are getting frustrated here (voters).

My wife (Dominican) and I have the respect of our neighbours and friends around here and we are a part of this community. We have no intention of leaving at all as I feel similar things would happen no matter where we go. Better to show patience and tolerance and outsmart and outwait this fellow which really shouldn't be that difficult. It is a part of the culture this lack of concern for the well being of others in this country. I accepted this long ago.
It is not taught to the poorer Dominicans and here is is a survival of the fittest attitude. Therefore they have total disregard for others. Only better educated people understand mutual respect.

I still highly recommend that any expats considering a move here, should. These are just small glitches that we do NOT have to tolerate in our birth countries but there are many other things that we DO have to tolerate there that we do not here. The good here far outweighs the bad.

We moved the baby to a different part of the house and he is back to sleeping fine.

Of course if after a month or 2 it continues then I will don my homemade Rambo suit with the little leprechan hat and go over there with machine guns a blazing and gas filled balloons hanging off my belt !

Thanks again to all........

[Berzin]

Speaking of noise pollution, I remember a while ago that the authorities were confiscating cars blaring loud music at the Monumento in Santiago.

This was also the scene in in the Colonial Zone-cars with heavy-duty sound systems blasting music and the hevitos hanging out with their novias.

Does this still go on at these places or have the police done something about it?

[rubio_higuey]

Originally Posted by Squat

keep in mind that those playing very loud music are most likely to have a gun

This is the very same thing my Dominican friend told me...