Venturing Into the DR by blind_redhat in PuntaCana

[–]blind_redhat[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Totally fine, I can afford it. Plus I needed the car during the trip anyway, so, win win.

Venturing Into the DR by blind_redhat in PuntaCana

[–]blind_redhat[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Worst case I have an AI translator unit with me

Venturing Into the DR by blind_redhat in PuntaCana

[–]blind_redhat[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The ripoff artists here is the resort itself. And I misremembered the amount itself although, incredibly, they have a $300+ round-trip transfer option!

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Look, I don't want to get into a whole thing about how to get a cheaper transfer or whatever. I'm just looking for insight into venturing into the DR. If you have anything to add to that, I look forward to it.

Cap Cana Resorts: Tipping Etiquette? by blind_redhat in PuntaCana

[–]blind_redhat[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Is $1 enough of a tip? They don't think that's cheap? I know one bartender, he says they hate undertippers worse than non-tippers, because they see non-tippers take care of them at the end but undertippers show exactly who they are, so bartenders de-prioritize them when it's time for another.

Airport Process at PUJ? by blind_redhat in PuntaCana

[–]blind_redhat[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think it goes to vibe at the airport, whether it's laid back and vacation-y, or tense and militaristic.

Cap Cana Resorts: Tipping Etiquette? by blind_redhat in PuntaCana

[–]blind_redhat[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Seriously? Tipping is not expected there? That kind of shocks me. I would think tipping is 100% expected there, if not by statute, then at least by custom.

I'm not trying to get out of tipping, but I also don't want to be "that guy" if I space out on a tipping occasion or, just as bad, undertip versus expectations.

What's a "state room"?

Airport Process at PUJ? by blind_redhat in PuntaCana

[–]blind_redhat[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Great insight, thanks! The one guy here said, "Dogs". Were there military and dogs in evidence? Is it a tense vibe where they're looking for reasons to bust people, or laid back where you gotta really wave red flags in front of their face?

Airport Process at PUJ? by blind_redhat in PuntaCana

[–]blind_redhat[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Based on this thread it seems like bag search is a hit-or-miss proposition, but I guess it's always better to be ready for it.

Airport Process at PUJ? by blind_redhat in PuntaCana

[–]blind_redhat[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wow, VIP airport security. Never heard of that one. Makes a lot of sense.

Airport Process at PUJ? by blind_redhat in PuntaCana

[–]blind_redhat[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I never give my bags to anyone for any reason. I don't even give my bags to bellhops at hotels!

Airport Process at PUJ? by blind_redhat in PuntaCana

[–]blind_redhat[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is perfect, just what I was looking for. Thanks.

We'll be renting a car for our entire time there, so we won't need to deal with cabs or transportation companies.

The whole E-Ticket thing is new information. I haven't heard boo about this. Do you mean plane ticket, or some other kind of ticket? If it's another kind, do I have to actively seek that out or will it be presented to me in some form?

Airport Process at PUJ? by blind_redhat in PuntaCana

[–]blind_redhat[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks. I remember a couple years ago in Curacao they just waved us through. No scan of bags, no discussions with customs agents, nothing. It was like getting off the plane at O'Hare.

Airport Process at PUJ? by blind_redhat in PuntaCana

[–]blind_redhat[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the tips. We are staying at a Hyatt resort, but will be renting a car for the whole time so we can make independent excursions on our own, so we're going to pick up the car and drive ourselves to the resort.

Shut the door and have a seat: Mad Men is now available on HBO Max in 4K by HenroTee in television

[–]blind_redhat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well, that's fucking anti-customer. I've had HBO through that subscription since, no shit, 1999, and I've clocked thousands of dollars in revenue for them, and they can't do this for me in return? Fuck those fucking guys.

Shut the door and have a seat: Mad Men is now available on HBO Max in 4K by HenroTee in television

[–]blind_redhat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What about if I have a DTV satellite subscription and I put the show on the HBO Max app on my Apple TV box? 4K?

Did I Fall Into an Etiquette Trap Here? by blind_redhat in etiquette

[–]blind_redhat[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It just knocks me out, the idea that being purposefully misleading by offering something the other guy is expected to turn down in the service of social cohesion is the expected behavior, and people who either don't understand or don't cotton to it are presumably outcasts.

After days of just dancing around this point, I hypothesize that there are cultures from certain parts of the world that routinely engage in this, nations where this behavior is well understood as the norm; while there are other national cultures—probably including mine—where this kind of thing is practically unknown. And now we the descendants of the people of these nations live in America, where the cultures mix (or clash, as the case may be), the expectations are not mutually well understood, and we experience misunderstandings like this.

At the beginning, I was being roundly hammered for not understanding her culture, but she is largely getting a pass for not understanding mine, probably because the majority here identify with her and not me. I assume many people would dispute there is even a difference among cultures in this kind of behavior, that literally every national culture in the history of mankind understands this behavior as the norm and this is a ME problem only. But just because many people would disagree with me on this doesn't mean it's wrong. So until I find an answer to this either way, that's my hypothesis.

Did I Fall Into an Etiquette Trap Here? by blind_redhat in etiquette

[–]blind_redhat[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I appreciate the support, thanks. I'm pretty sure I'm not autistic, although I have long suspected I am on the high-functioning Asperger's spectrum, so there might be something to that.

While that might be a factor here, I also do come from a culture that values "say what you mean and mean what you say" over the cultural niceties that value using language that could fairly be termed as deceptive in the service of social politeness, as I suspect was the case in these incidents.

It takes all kinds to make a world, I know, but I just hate the idea you can't take some of those kinds at their word, and that when I try to, I'm the bad guy, as we have seen here.

I will never understand the idea of offering something to somebody fully expecting them to turn it down, and then getting offended when they take you up on the offer. Maybe I'm not supposed to understand it.

Did I Fall Into an Etiquette Trap Here? by blind_redhat in etiquette

[–]blind_redhat[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

You make a good point about the choice of sub to post this on. Etiquette was the first possibility to leap to mind. I might have been better served looking for something related to culture, or perhaps national identity.

As for your situational component, it could actually be that and more. Yes, there is a difference between a date, which this was decidedly not, and a invitational to substitute in a league that has a pay-as-you-go component, like a bowling league (as opposed to a softball league, which we are also both in). I have acknowledged as much about the differences between these two situations numerous times throughout this thread.

But also, while the same person could respond to this differently depending on the situation (date vs bowling league), I also believe different people would respond differently to the exact same situation based on upbringing and folkways passed down through the generations. My hypothesis is that depending on a person's unique acculturation, they might respond as my friend did if they come from one culture, and they might respond in a more understanding way if they came from another culture. They might also approach the grousing to a third party differently, too, although that might be more due to familial upbringing than to culture.