I, myself, had planned on seeing the palace at least once during my first-ever trip to the D.R. Sadly, there has been torrential rain pretty much every day since I arrived. On Sunday, November 10th, 2024, I attended the Feria Del Libro (National Book Fair) and my interest to see the palace grew much stronger. The presenters did a fantastic job illustrating the country’s beginnings, it’s culture, and the political framework for its government.

On Monday, November 11th, 2024, the rain cleared for what I guessed [correctly] would be a couple of hours. That was my chance! I took at Uber from my hotel and as we arrived, I noticed the palace was inaccessible (unlike presidential palaces I’ve filmed in El Salvador, Chile, and elsewhere). My Uber driver told me not to worry. He said I could walk the perimeter on the public sidewalk and that the soldiers might even take pictures with me. That got me excited and as I stated earlier, the grounds are majestic, the buildings are spectacular, and being the travel and history buff that I am, I was in heaven. Unfortunately, as soon as the Uber driver stopped the vehicle at a good distance across the street and on the next block away from the main gate, the guards (which look like military but may be police) started shooing him off. And when I got out, they barked at me that I could take photos for only a few seconds.

The palace guards seemed highly on edge. Most presidential guards at palaces I’ve visited around the world engage with citizens and tourists. They are respected by the public for their professionalism and approachability. Their state of readiness is not scored based on how nasty they can be to visitors, rather, by their posture, their organization, and their ability to communicate with visitors and themselves [internally]. What I saw here were overly aggressive and highly paranoid, heavily armed guards. They don’t inspire confidence and competency like the guards of other countries do. Quite the contrary. Their paranoia struck me as fear. Fear of what? I haven’t the faintest idea, but fear and guns don’t mix well. If they were nasty to a big American guy smiling, waving, saying good morning while holding a video camera, Lord only knows how they must treat the citizens of the Dominican Republic.

As I cleared the first corner, I was very nervous. I saw the gentleman (pictured above) walking alongside me on the opposing street. Once traffic cleared, he crossed, and gave me a very dirty look. He then went into the next gate and had a word with the guards there. As I cleared the next corner, the guards at that gate scolded me that filming was not allowed. Remember, the guards at the [first] main gate where my Uber driver dropped me off said I could take photos for only a few seconds. And mind you, while there are signs posted throughout the grounds for No Parking and No Loading/Unloading passengers, there are no signs for photography or filming. In fact, my Uber driver, who is a Dominican national was even under the impression that not only was filming perfectly fine on the sidewalk, but he was under the impression that the soldiers would pose for photos with me.

If there’s no signs posted anywhere, the soldiers are giving mixed directives, and locals think filming is ok, how is a tourist supposed to surmise from all of those factors that filming would end up getting you detained or worse? Once again, the palace guards seemed extremely unorganized, paranoid, and overly aggressive. And heavily armed. Can’t forget that. Definitely can’t forget that!

As I made it to this plaza, my video for SightsSoundsFlavors (English channel) was coming to an end. I was about to start filming my video for TodoQueVeo (Spanish channel). As I started to cross the street to walk the second half of the sidewalk wrapping around the other half of the presidential palace, I heard a man ask to talk to me. At first, I thought he was a panhandler and said no thank you without fully turning around. He asked for a second time. Again, I said no thank you. Finally, he ordered me to speak with him so I stopped my video and asked him what he wanted.

He presented himself as a member of intelligence, verbally only. The correct protocol should have been to have done that from the onset and not having done so approaching me from behind while crossing a congested street while clearly filming forward. He should have walked up to to me face to face. When he got my attention, he should have immediately showed me his government badge. He did not. He, too, was aggressive and nasty. He said photography was not allowed. He demanded my ID and he lectured me about not coming to speak to him initially, even though I didn’t know him from Adam and thought he was a panhandler. Could you imagine stopping to talk to every person who wanted to talk to you in a major city while filming with a $2,000 camcorder? Seems resaonable, right?

Soon, thereafter, another intelligence agent arrived. (I later found out he was a Major). He also did not identify himself as such or show his badge. They only showed badges (which looked a little goofy to me) when I asked. I informed them that the initial guards said photography was ok, the next guards said it wasn’t, and now they were telling me it was illegal. They then said it wasn’t illegal. So I asked, if it wasn’t illegal why were they detaining me? The lower rank intelligence officer said I needed a permit. I was stunned that a permit was needed to film from a sidewalk. At that point the Major told him to quiet down, largely, because his underling was probably making up the permit part. The major never once raised that silly argument. Maybe this was a shakedown? I don’t know.

When they demanded my ID, I said I could call the U.S. Embassy, and let them get involved. They backed down FAST. It was a point in the nonconsensual conversation where the tables turned. All of their power was gone. My comment rattled them. It was like the holy water scene in The Exorcist. I then, really, knew these “intelligence officers” were as full of it as my gut instincts led me to believe. They weren’t just doing their job. They were a couple of thugs who probably do this to tourists on a daily basis. And once you give them your ID or passport, what must foreign nationals have to do to get those sacred travel credentials back? Once they have your passport, they can ask you anything, and if you want that travel document back, you might give up all sorts of information under duress. It’s also the perfect setting for a shakedown. They backed off after that.

As I started to film my Spanish video and left the two intelligence jokers behind, the guards at the next gate got flustered. I explained that the two intelligence officers back at the plaza said filming wasn’t illegal and that the guards at one of the main gates said a few seconds was ok. I wasn’t even filming their gate. I was filming as I walked the sidewalk. They had no reason to be so aggressive and paranoid, but by this point I had had enough and backtracked filming while looking for a place to call an Uber. As I crossed the street and was now about two blocks from the palace, I was then approached by another intelligence officer and a uniformed military police officer. Much like their other colleagues, they were also overly aggressive, paranoid, and rude. None of these various groups of police and intelligence seemed to communicate with each other because they were all saying different things and none of them knew who I was or what I was doing. They also didn’t have radios, as the uniformed guard had to pull out his cell phone to communicate. Neither of these guys could give me an explanation for why there were no posted signs relative to photography or filming like there were signs for parking and loading/unloading passengers in designated areas. The uniformed guard actually had the audacity to say the palace zone was a “restricted area,” but couldn’t tell me why there wasn’t even ONE single sign posted that said so.

These two agents of the state really didn’t like the filming (they’re on video). And the uniformed one said I should have asked for permission to film. When I asked him a very simple question, he looked at me dumbfounded. I said, if there aren’t any signs that say no filming or no photography, why would anyone ask if they can film or photograph? It’s nonsensical. I don’t want to mock these guards and agents, but the collective IQ level is pretty low.

As I left these two to play with their phone and chase their shadows, I noticed a plainclothes motorcyclist race by me a couple of times as I walked several blocks away. By this point, I was damn near terrified, but kept walking, filming, and looking over my shoulder. On the last drive-by he turned and gave me the middle finger. Why would a motorcyclist give a pedestrian the middle finger for walking on a sidewalk (now four blocks from the palace)? Oh, and the Uber I was supposed to get, right where the last two agents approached to harass me, wouldn’t drive up five blocks to get me. I thought the uniformed officer and the plainclothes intelligence agent would try to intimidate the Uber driver from helping me get out of there if I stayed put. So I lost that trip and paid the cancellation fee. I got a new Uber three or so blocks away and got out of there. Interestingly, the Uber driver who picked me up was a retired Dominican police officer (of 20+ years). At first, my paranoia set in a bit, but I immediately relaxed when he told me in no uncertain terms that the guards at the palace were seen as assholes by the Dominican people. He said they have a very bad reputation for dealing with the public. You don’t say?!

The United States and the Dominican Republic have extremely strong ties. In fact, we just built a new embassy in close proximity to the Sambil Mall in Santo Domingo. My hotel was full of Americans, some from the Carolinas, Florida, Arizona and California. And those were just the folks I ate breakfast with, shared elevator rides, and chatted up at the lobby. I’d say the vast majority of guests at the Embassy Suites (the tallest building in the capital) were tourists. Had any of these soldiers or intelligence officers laid a finger on me, confiscated my camera, searched my camera or arrested me, it would have created a diplomatic shitstorm because nothing I was doing was illegal and they were arbitrarily detaining and questioning foreign nationals. These guards and/or intelligence will eventually cross the line. As a licensed, practicing attorney and experienced YouTuber, I know how to deal with ignorant people. That being said, not everyone is like me. I always stay civil and I knew I had the nuclear option – calling the U.S. Embassy. They guys lack training and common sense, but they know that one call to the U.S. Embassy, and they’re done. There is NO WAY the Dominican government would excuse, much less defend, this type of treatment of United States citizens by its police and intelligence agents. That’s why they lost all their bravado when I asked if I should call my embassy. Had they been acting lawfully, they would have stood their ground.

The U.S. Embassy needs to address their Dominican counterparts with regards to what is going on at the National Palace. The U.S. State Department should also have something posted regarding public photography in its Travel Advisory for the Dominican Republic and/or on its Country Information Page. It’s only a question of time until these uniformed guards and/or plainclothes intelligence operatives illegally arrest or physically harm foreign nationals taking photos or videos in the Dominican Republic. Nowadays – EVERYONE – has the ability to take beautiful photos and videos in as high as 4K quality with their smartphones. And not everyone is going to put up with being illegally detained and questioned by the government thugs like I was.

A copy of this article will be sent to the appropriate officers at the U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo by email and regular mail. The same will be done with the U.S. State Department and the appropriate Dominican government agencies. I would like to request a formal investigation of police and intelligence practices related to tourists and filming at the National Palace. My requests will more likely fall on deaf ears, but it’s only a question of time until these agents of the Dominican state harm foreign nationals. They lack training and they need to work on being less aggressive and less paranoid.

Santo Domingo is not a warzone and tourists are not the enemy.

Christian Duque

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Once Rickey was able to help me, he was extremely considerate of the fact I had been looking at a number of cars on CarMax.com. We narrowed the search down to an Elantra (on-site), an Ionic (on-site), and believe it or not – a Chevrolet Camaro (on-site). I was so in love with that Camaro that it was hard to keep on the down low. We took them all out on test drives. I wasn’t sure about the Camaro. It being a muscle car and all and not in the realm of fuel-efficient and hybrids I was looking at online. I was equally in love with a silver on gray 2021 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid in Texas. Rickey was giving me all the info on shipping vehicles, but he couldn’t help but notice how in love I was with the Camaro.

Rickey is the kind of salesperson you want. He was very well-read on vehicles, performance, and had some great insights into financing, resale value, and the various nooks and crannies of manufacturer and extended warranties. He even knew about the life of lithium batteries and explained to me how their degradation worked insofar as the age of the vehicle and in terms of mileage.

In any event, Rickey never upsold me. He didn’t try to get me to buy the Camaro or the Hyundai’s. He simply made observations. And when he saw how enamored of the Camaro I was, he went above and beyond and found a newer Camaro, with 12,000 less miles, and just a smidgen more than the vehicle we checked out. Unlike the 2020 Camaro in Louisville, he found me a 2022 Camaro LTS in Columbus, GA. The shipping would be just $300. I told him I wanted to think it over, but would more than likely order before his next day at work (Wednesday).

Since I was pre-qualified and Rickey was my agent, he told me that even if I ordered through the app and he wasn’t working that day that he’d get a notification. And that’s exactly what I wanted. I wanted to be sure he was the only associate I worked with. Whoever trained him did a great job.

And I was ready to order, today, Sunday September 29th. But unlike Oxmoor Hyundai and Oxmoor Toyota, CarMax is open on Sundays. Another great tip Rickey gave me was that the interior body of the 2020 Camaro in Louisville and the 2022 Camaro in Columbus, GA, were identical. And since I was still slightly iffy about my actual legroom in the Camaro and because I wanted to gauge the horsepower just one more time before ordering, I figured I’d stop in.

As soon as I entered, I told the sales staff I was working with Rickey, that he wouldn’t be back till Wednesday, but that I was more than likely going to order my vehicle online and meet with Rickey when it arrived to finalize everything. I then went to the lot and found another car I’d want to test drive, a 2022 Kia K5. My mom’s been raving about Kia’s so why not? That said, I was there for the Camaro and to seal the deal with a second test drive. But once I said I wanted to try the Camaro again, the associate said that CarMax has a one test drive policy. I didn’t understand so I asked if he could explain that to me.

The associate told me that at CarMax customers are entitled to only one test drive per vehicle. He’d unlock the Camaro and let me sit in it, but that was about it. I couldn’t believe what he was saying to me, especially because I had been pre-qualified and was working with Rickey. Surely, the associate was mistaken so I tried to explain my position, but he reiterated that that was CarMax’s policy. At that point I asked to speak to a manager.

I was able to speak with Donna Pennington – the Sales Manager. She reiterated the associate’s line. She stated that it was CarMax policy that customers are entitled to only one test drive per vehicle. She said that perhaps an exception could be made on Wednesday (mind you this happened today, Sunday) when Rickey was working at the branch again. The sales manager spoke with a degree of certainty that made me think that she was either instructed to parrot this nonsense or that it’s actually CarMax policy.

I love to research by nature. I was a history major at the University of Florida and I’m a practicing attorney, here, in Louisville, Kentucky. If this is CarMax policy it should be posted everywhere online. And not just posted, but posted conspicuously – meaning ALL IN CAPS – so that customers know it’s one and done. The funny thing is, I spent about 30 minutes looking for this CarMax rule that the associate shot at me and which Sales Manager Donna Pennington cited as policy – and I couldn’t find it.

And policy is actually much stronger than some random rule. Saying something is company policy means it couldn’t possibly be more official. So if this is such a big issue with CarMax – why is it impossible to find? And there’s no way a sales manager is going to make up policy, is there? I’d think that would be a fantastic way to get fired. Who could have trained these folks on such a nonsensical approach to selling cars – USED CARS, no less!!

Upon a cursory search, I was able to find the Louisville CarMax manager on LinkedIn. The manager appears to be Andy Gilland, listed as “LGM.” According to his LinkedIn’s profile he’s been the Louisville general manager from January 2019 to the present. Maybe he knows something about the CarMax One Test Drive Only POLICY. Maybe their legal team does? If there is, in fact, such a policy I’ll be happy to include it here.

I’m not sure where this POLICY came from, but as a result of Ms. Pennington’s horrible customer service and that of her front desk associate, I can’t in good faith buy a vehicle from CarMax Louisville – or CarMax, anywhere. I’m also very sad that I can’t buy my next vehicle with Rickey Smith, who was absolutely amazing. He’s such a nice, down-to-Earth person, and I was even going to slide him a Benjamin once the sale was complete. I don’t normally do that, but this was a big deal for me, and I would have loved sealing a deal with him. I was going to do it with a very quick handshake. It’s a real shame because if a guy like Rickey could duplicate what he did with me across an entire sales team, CarMax would see unprecedented growth.

Anytime a customer feels at home and TRUSTS the people they’re working with, you’ve got the recipe for a great business transaction. Ms. Pennington, her associate, and perhaps even Mr. Gilland, might consider taking a page from Rickey’s approach. Even if this nonsensical rule were policy, Ms. Pennington – AS A MANAGER – could have saved the day. She didn’t. She didn’t because even if it’s a rule, she’s not a customer service person. That’s my subjective opinion. Don’t like it? Sue me.

I won’t do business with CarMax and I don’t recommend anyone go there, either. They have solid people working there – like Rickey – but as far as the company goes, they’re not getting my business. And you should think twice before giving them yours.

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The room was tiny, but it was clean, nicely decorated and the AC was cold. I was able to enjoy one hot shower. After that, there was no more hot water. Upon reading reviews from other guests, it became apparent that hot water wasn’t included, but I just needed a place to sleep for a couple of nights. Plus it was close to the beach, downtown, and despite the cold showers and the occasional bug or two (it’s Florida), I was ok. The building was pretty cool and it was a last minute thing, so I just went along with it.

On the first night, everything was ok. I spent most of the next day out filming. I returned for a cold shower, changed my clothes, and went for dinner and to watch a game over some beers. When I returned to the studio, I was ready for bed. One thing I liked about the rental was that they had a 10PM quiet curfew (that was on the original listing). That’s pretty cool, although not a requirement for me. The first night was fine, but the second night there were some folks in the hallway and despite telling them to quiet down through the door, they just wouldn’t. I had no idea that all the studios in the building were apparently owned by the host. If I had known that, I would have messaged the host. I threw some shorts on and opened the door. Since I wasn’t wearing a shirt, I stood behind the door, but all that was exposed were my shoulders. It was also clear I was wearing gym shorts that went down past my knees. I asked the people in the hallway as nicely as I could to please go in their studio and let me sleep. They obliged and were apologetic. If I had to guess, I’d say they were maybe a little drunk and didn’t realize how much noise they were making at nearly midnight. It’s also possible they didn’t know anyone was in my room because I watch shows on my iPhone and have Airpods in. Plus my lights were out and they seemed like good people.

The next morning, I had to be out early, so I got up and started packing. I went down downstairs at around 4:30AM to buy a bottle of water from the vending machine. I had just taken another cold shower and had shorts on and may have had a towel over my shoulders or a tank-top. I don’t recall, but there wasn’t a sole out. In fact, there was almost an eerie feeling in the building because except for me moving around, you could hear a pin drop. As soon as I got my water, I got back in the room, finished packing, and called an Uber to take me to Fort Lauderdale Hollywood airport.

The next day, I decided to leave a review. Even though there were a couple bugs and no hot water, the studio was otherwise acceptable. I basically said something like “nice studio, great location near the beach, and thanks for the stay.” Very shortly thereafter, the host left me a review. It said something to the effect of “good overall guest. There was a house rule violation, though.” I responded to the review with “what was the violation?” The host didn’t respond to my public comment. Instead, the nightmare began.

I received word from the AirBNB resolution center that the host was demanding I pay $1,000 for the house rule violation. Yes you read right, ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS. And what rule did I violate? According to the host it was due to “semi-nudity.” The only thing I could think of was telling the noisy people in the hall from behind the door to quiet down. I know they could see my black shorts, but maybe my exposed shoulder from behind the door was “semi nudity?” Give me a break! Or maybe it was when I went downstairs at 4:30AM with either a towel over my shoulders or wearing a tank top? And yes, there were cameras everywhere, though not in the room. Thank God for that, right? Even if I had no shirt on, men in the United States and the Western world that don’t wear a shirt – especially – in a beach styled studio are not nude, semi-nude, any kind of nude. Nonetheless, the accusation was pure crap. Moreover, the long list of housing rules were not legally enforceable or enforceable by AirBNB Terms of Service because they weren’t part of the original listing. They were only made available AFTER the reservation was made/accepted by both parties.

I was a bit concerned that AirBNB would charge my account if I wasn’t paying close attention to the process. The host was relentless. No matter what I responded, she kept responding, keeping the matter open. I told AirBNB I wouldn’t pay her the grand and disputed the house rule and disputed its violation. AirBNB assured me they would NEVER charge my account unless I expressly and explicitly authorized them to. They kept their word, but the host kept trying to shake me down. Each time AirBNB would close the matter, she’d start another one up again. Mind you, the total stay was for less than $200, but here she was trying to get 5x that for an unenforceable rule. Later she tried to get me to pay $300. I told AirBNB she wouldn’t get a cent from me – and she never did. I also told them to let her know I was a practicing attorney and to save herself the trouble of sending me a demand letter. If she wanted to litigate this, I was totally down, and I’d file a countersuit.

The ordeal was so upsetting that I deleted my AirBNB account. In hindsight I regret doing so, but I thought if I kept using it, that that somehow would rescind the request. It didn’t. I lost my account a couple weeks later and started a new one. And that’s fine. Even though I had a very bad experience with this AirBNB Host Scammer, I chalked it up to the ups-and-downs of being a travel vlogger.

Also, although I looked high and low on the net and YouTube for answers, I didn’t find anything that gave me peace of mind. This scammer put me through the ringer, but in hindsight it was a learning experience. That’s why I’m writing this. If you come across one of these bad apples (in my case a rotten one), don’t panic. AirBNB will take the complaints and try to resolve them, but if you’re 100% in the right – as I was – no amount of messages should get you to pay off a scammer. I didn’t pay her a cent and you shouldn’t pay, either.

In conclusion, while AirBNB is a fantastic service (I’ve used it in Kentucky, Ohio, South Florida, El Salvador, Chile, and Costa Rica) without incident, all it takes is for shady host to potentially ruin your passion for travel. Don’t let that happen. There’s bad people in every walk of life. Don’t let them ruin your day or much less ruin your love of exploring new places and making beautiful memories. Just be careful and never – ever – let yourself get scammed!! And if it happens, take a stand and don’t take a backward step!!

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Sebastian Bach didn’t help start Skid Row. He also didn’t write all the songs. He was basically a kid – they all were – but him especially. Much like with other lead singers who joined already created bands, Bas basically pulled off a coup d’é·tat. No one voted for him to take over, he just sort of did, and while the band was charting strong, selling millions of records, being played on the radio and featured all over MTV, not to mention playing huge venues, it was easier for the founders of the band to sedate themselves than lay down the law. I think in hindsight, they probably saw the error in their ways and vowed to never let a lead singer take over like that again.

That said, sometimes fame can numb the pain or the unhappiness every bit as much as drugs or alcohol. Not only would it have been impossible for the founding members to have rein in Sebastian during the band’s heyday, but they had no leverage. I suspect if they had tried to silence their singer and he even hinted at going for the door, management and the record label would have acted swiftly. They would have more than likely put the band on suspension and/or pressured them into submission using other means. There’s a reason no one ever read Bas the riot act. The problem is the more out of control he got, the harder it was for founding members to stomach. As sales waned and they became less of a priority to their label, I think they may have jumped the gun. After all, the break took place in 1996, not 1989. Sebastian forgot what year he was in and paid the ultimate price.

Every band has a leader or leaders. With Skid Row, it’s believed to be run by its founders, bassist Rachel Bolan and guitarist Dave Sabo. I’d say that’s a pretty accurate breakdown. Guitarist Scotti Hill seems to have considerable influence as well. That said, even when there are two founding members calling the shots, there’s always one that’s a little more hands on, especially with the day-to-day operations of the band. Think of KISS, for example. While Gene and Paul are the two leaders, it’s Paul who’s considered by most to have the final word. With Warrant, there’s also two guys at the helm with Jerry Dixon and Erik Turner. With Warrant, I’d argue Jerry is the more day-to-day between the two. And with Skid Row, I’d argue that that distinction goes to Rachel Bolan. If Rachel wanted Bas back, I think he could convince Sabo. If Sabo, however, wanted Bas back and Bolan was opposed, I don’t think Dave could convince Rachel.

Now let me stress that my above hypothetical is just that! There’s nothing to suggest that Dave Sabo wants Sebastian back. In fact, he may want him out as much as Rachel – if not more. My only point there was that I believe if someone had to be convinced, that Rachel would be more effective at convincing Sabo than Sabo convincing Bolan. It’s the same with Stanley/Simmons and Dixon/Turner. You have two equal members, but one of the two just takes a more direct hand in running the band. When Sebastian is out playing fourth on the bill somewhere and he’s attacking Skid Row fans, why on Earth would guys like Rachel, Dave, and Scotti want that guy to be a part of their band again? They’ve been making music and touring extensively for over twenty-five years without him.

When club singer Stevie Rachelle of the band TUFF and the force behind Metal Sludge reported on Sebastian verbally-attacking Skid Row fans at his concerts, it sent shockwaves throughout the rock and metal communities. Reverberations were felt and continue to be felt. Insiders believe that the Skid Row camp is absolutely furious with their ex-singer and any hopes of a reunion have been dashed, yet again. In fact, sources close to SSF state on condition of anonymity that one founding member is “livid.”

And it’s not Stevie’s fault or Metal Sludge’s or any other website’s. We didn’t make the news. It was 100% Sebastian and his inability to process his frustrations with the fact that no matter how much money can be made with a reunion, the Skid Row guys just don’t want him back. Even if they can’t secure a singer for now due to scheduling conflicts, that’s not enough for them to bring Bas back. And fortunately for SR, they never squandered away their earnings and were left penniless under a bridge somewhere. From everything I’ve heard, they live all live comfortably and they’re all working musicians.

That’s not good for Sebastian. His ex-bandmates would actually have to want to play with him again in order for a reunion to happen. They’re not out of options and destitute. And with him cursing out Skid Row fans at his concerts and that making the rounds all over the rock press, do you honestly think Skid Row wants that guy back on tour with them? Therefore, Sebastian needs to be accountable for his own actions and needs to try to grow up. Him tracking down Rachelle and shoving him into a locker isn’t going to make things better. It might make him feel a little better for the time being, but as he walks away and hears the Tuff singer pleading for him to let him out, he’s still going to be left with the reality that he’s created an even bigger rift between himself and the band we all know he wants to be a part of again.

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Upon entering no one greeted me. No good morning, no nothing; however, I was floored by how beautiful the shop was. It felt very new, very well-maintained, and had private meeting rooms behind glass doors just like some of the bigger Biggby’s I remember in Michigan. One feature this shop had that I’d never seen before were walled off booths with a really cool ledge-like desk, and individual outlets above desk (not below it in the dark or on the floor as come shops like to do). They looked absolutely perfect for a grad student or career professional who liked working in public. What a genius idea! I set my stuff on the table of these booths and got in line to order.

There were two people ahead of me and since I was in no rush I took the chance to appreciate all of the work that been put into this really cool shop. I will admit I was very excited to sit in the booth and surf the web for a good 30 minutes. I loved how they had the menu set up above the registers and the general vibe of the shop. Everything looked freshly-painted, modern, yet very homey. This would be a great place to study, I thought to myself.

Back in the day, I spent many a night studying till the sun came up at the original Biggby Coffee founded by Bob Fish in East Lansing. Back in those days it was a 24hr location and we’d study all day for exams and/or writing briefs. Whether you were at MSU Law or Cooley Law that original Biggby was our home away from home.

Anyways, once the two people in front of me had ordered, the cashier disappeared. This is where my customer experience took a nose dive.

The cashier who helped the two people ahead of me left and now I was just standing there. She didn’t tell me she’d be right back, in fact, she didn’t say anything at all to me. Once the two people ahead of me had been served, it was as if no one else was in line. That’s first time I felt like a ghost, like I just didn’t matter.

Now mind you – I have never been to this Biggby in my life. I don’t know any of these people. So I’m standing there wondering why I don’t get a good morning and why I can’t even order. After about twenty seconds I’m now looking straight at the blonde-haired drive thru cashier to see if maybe she’ll say “we’ll be right with you” or maybe she’ll say “good morning,” but she just looks at me with a “what are you doing here kind of look” that made me feel very awkward. Another twenty or so seconds pass, now I’m looking at the ladies opposite the drive thru cashier who are making drinks in assembly line type fashion. Eventually they both look over at me with that same “what are you doing here expression.” Neither of the two ladies making drinks say one word to me, either. By this point I’d been standing there for about a minute. Then I look back at the blonde-haired drive thru employee, looking like I’m displeased to which I get the same initial look back and not a word said. Another twenty or so seconds pass and I decide to look back at the two girls making the drinks again. Same initial look, not a word said by either. At this point about 90 seconds or more, total, had elapsed and the main cashier was still gone so I went to the booth and sat down. And when I left the counter it was blatantly obvious I was bummed out that I didn’t get service. I just sat down in that booth. And let me tell you it was beyond comfortable, the lighting was great, the plugs worked, but I had no coffee and felt like a loser.

All of a sudden a customer walked in and the cashier miraculously re-emerged. The cashier greeted the customer, the customer grinned and replied, then she placed her order and then she paid. I saw these lovely interactions between the cashier and a string of customers who walked in over the next 34 minutes. No one ever came to my booth to ask me if I wanted something or to apologize for me standing up there for like a moron. They knew I was sitting there and they didn’t care just like they didn’t care when I was standing up there. Right before I had to head out, I wanted to change from my sweats to a pair shorts so I went to my rental to get them. When I walked back in – no said good morning, no one said anything. They said good morning to everyone else, served everyone else, but it’s as if I was a ghost. That or I just wasn’t the kind of customer they wanted in there. Maybe this is how homeless people feel or maybe this is how people felt at lunch counters during different eras of our history.

While changing – the bathroom was really nice too by the way – I debated speaking to the manager. What I really wanted was the Franchisee(s)’ contact info. Anything would have sufficed – a phone number, a fax #, an email – anything. When I came out and got my stuff, I asked to speak to a manager. I had to ask a few times because the employee just looked at me blankly. Maybe I really was a ghost. At first I thought that the manager may have been one of the five or six employees who ignored me, but she wasn’t. The manager emerged from the back and this had been the first time I’d seen her. When I asked her for the owner’s contact info, she asked if there was anything she could do for me. I said no. And the reason I said no is because the manager(s) trained the staff who ignored me so what was she going to do? Write up six people? She trained them and would likely not do anything. When the manager pressed me up a bit, I was quick to let her know that I didn’t want anything. The few times I complain it’s not for a free gift card. I didn’t say all that, but I make very good money as a full-time attorney and part-time writer, and I would never accept handouts. But even if I was a pauper, I still wouldn’t complain for freebies. If I decide to complain it’s based on principle and it’s because I feel as if I’ve been wronged. And I was wronged at this coffee shop for no apparent reason. I told the manager I was highly offended by the way her staff treated me. She seemed to care, but she likely did nothing. She trained these employees after all.

The manager told me the owners’ last name was Bunch, but that she wasn’t allowed to give me their contact info. Instead she asked if she could take down mine. I obliged. The problem is she kept reading my back my information wrong. And I’m pretty sure, despite numerous corrections, she still took my information down incorrectly. I let the manager know that the owners could call me and that I also maintain a travel website (among many others) and that I’d be documenting my experience for an article giving an honest review. That being said if I’m going to write a review, I want to be sure the owners see it. After a quick Google search I found the franchisees of Store 1025 to be Scott Bunch and Molli Bunch, who also own S&M Global Investments, an LLC out of Springboro, OH. Unfortunately, I couldn’t locate any contact info, but if they Google themselves I’m sure they’ll be a lot more likely to find this review that I’ve included them in it as the owners. Everything I found is public record, but back to the review.

I do want to include that the manager seemed to mean well, but I explained to her that during my 34 minutes of sitting there, I started brainstorming why I had been ignored. That happens when you’re the odd person out. I saw a couple dozen great customer/staff interactions and everyone got their delicious drinks and I was sitting there with nothing.

I pulled up in a nice car, parked correctly, I was well groomed and I was dressed like everyone else. The staff were pretty homogenous and so was the customer-base that came in when I was there. I didn’t see too much diversity, but that couldn’t be why I was ignored. I mean I am Hispanic, but how would they know that. I didn’t come in with an attitude, in fact, I came in ecstatic that I stumbled across a Biggby. I was dressed fine. I just don’t understand why I got treated the way that I did. Also as an attorney, it’s my job to question and analyze everything and for the love of God I couldn’t figure out what I was treated the way that I was. It was hurtful and offensive.

Anyways, I just left, and that was that. No breakfast to start the day and a bad experience.

After the morning event, I had four hours to kill. I couldn’t go back to that Biggby after the treatment I received in the morning so I figured there’d be another coffee shop in Middletown. One closes at 2PM and the other is a Starbucks in a Kroger. So I decided to drive 9 miles to Panera. They were extremely nice there, but their WIFI was down and my Hotspot was having issues connecting within their building. This unfortunately happens. So I came back to the Starbucks in the Kroger, only they don’t have outlets. I was about to leave, when a very nice Kroger associate told me about the Bistro seating area tney have, and that’s where I decided to come to. The WIFI is great, I’m staring down a hallway at a unisex bathroom and there’s a fly that seems to like passing by me every 30-60 seconds. I can hear a toilet flush every so often in the distance. I’ve been here for about twenty minutes and provided I can get someone to watch my things I’ll walk the hundred feet to the Starbucks kiosk and order. I’ll come back to check my things, wait a few minutes, walk back over and get my drink and hopefully come back to my table with all my belongs in place. From there I’ll enjoy my coffee, dodge the fly, hear the toilets, charge my devices and get back to the evening portion of the event I’m covering. Tonight I’ll be at the Crowne Plaza in Columbus and I’ll hopefully forget this morning’s bad experience.

To Scott Bunch and Molli Bunch of S&M Global Investments this pretty much sums up the letter I would have sent you and it’s also my review of your Biggby Coffee shop (Store 1025).

If you’re on the highway and see signs for Biggby Coffee in Middletown and you’re dying for a cup of Joe, go to the next exit. Go to a McDonald’s or a gas station. Or take your chances. Store 1025 is a beautiful shop, with a great layout, super comfortable seating and horrible customer service (at least for yours truly; for everyone else it seemed great). That said, I’d much rather share a table with a fly in front of two Kroger restrooms than go back to that Biggby Coffee. And if I hadn’t frequented the chain in Michigan for eight years and visited all the shops in Kentucky, I’d probably never step foot in another Biggby Coffee in my life after this morning’s experience, but I’ll just never visit either of the two shops they own.

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I also provided some commentary while I filmed and a little humor from time to time. Many enjoyed my gasp after the airline employee told the passenger “fuck you, too.” In hindsight, my gasp may have been somewhat embellished, but if so, it would’ve been a subconscious effort. At the time I wasn’t expecting the employee to say anything like that. Everything she’d done up until that point had been combative, but at some point she must have felt that she had gone too far and when she was about to storm off, she couldn’t help herself and cursed the passenger out.

Whatever the passenger said initially, the airline employee chose to have a job working with the public. And on top of that, working with the public with a discount airline that charges for absolutely everything and has a notoriously unforgiving attitude towards any act of discretion. You either pay or you don’t get want you want. They could bend the rules, but they don’t.

That being said, whether you work for Spirit, Frontier, or Allegiant, customer service should still be the name of the game. Just because fares are cheaper shouldn’t mean that customers should get any less respect than say clients who fly Delta, American, or United. Do I think this would have happened with one of the mainstream airlines? I don’t. I just can’t something like this happening with JetBlue or Southwest, either. Those airlines pride themselves on going above and beyond.

I have been very fortunate to come into contact with some very nice Spirit, Frontier, and Allegiant flight crews. Although the tickets are way cheaper I’ve been blessed with very good customer service. Many of the folks who left comments on my now viral TikTok video (with over 8 million views to date) have stated that Spirit is the pits when comes to customer service. I would disagree, personally, but after seeing all of the comments on my platforms coupled with some recent news stories, my perception of the low-cost carrier is changing. I hope my video will inspire the airline to turn things around. My goal isn’t for anyone to get fired, rather, for corporate to make things better. This could be accomplished by more training, coaching, and oversight. Firing people should be the last option.

I also made this video for the passenger.

Christian Duque

Could you imagine if her ticket had been canceled? Could you imagine if Spirit Airlines banned her from future travel? Could you imagine if she was put on a No Fly list? And for what? Because she cursed someone out? Maybe she was having a bad morning. Maybe her bag was 1″ more than the limit for a personal item and she had to pay for a checked bag.

Spirit Airlines are among the strictest when it comes to that because they charge for absolutely everything. I’m not saying that it’s ok for passengers to be abusive of airline staff, but it happens. One comment on Tiktok said, if an F-bomb got the airline employee this mad she wouldn’t last an hour in healthcare. Apparently healthcare workers take quite a bit of abuse, but never face off with customers and never curse them out. Plus this employee didn’t just face off and curse out the passenger, she physically impeded her ability to walk away. This is beyond uncalled for. Nonetheless, I’m not advocating for her termination, either. She would be someone who could truly benefit from training and coaching.

But what about the passenger? Did she ever get to board her flight? Why was the airline employee so adamant about getting her boarding information? Imagine if she didn’t get to fly. And imagine if she tried to contact the airline. Without my video, does anyone honestly think the airline would have given her the time of day? Does anyone think the airline would’ve believed her recollection of what my 58 second video shows? I think not. My video, my social media platforms, and the great work the mainstream media will do by my story will ensure that what really happened is documented. Sadly, we may never know what the passenger said initially. There’s no doubt in my mind that the passenger does not have clean hands in this. That said, how this airline employee chose to deal with the situation was completely uncalled for. And if this employee was able to act in this fashion in front of hundreds, seemingly with impunity, imagine what she’s capable of 1:1.

And did anyone try to help her? Did anyone say anything? Sadly, they did not. But at least I had the good sense to record it and publish it. But in hindsight, I do wish I had something. I hope others in hindsight do too. This confrontation should never have happened.

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When it comes to media fanfare and camera time, The Warning seems more like a duo than a trio. It’s often said that Ale Villareal is the quiet one. This would normally apply to most rock bassists, with the exception of band leaders like Gene Simmons, Geddy Lee, or Nikki Sixx. Unless the bassist is the sole writer or founder of the band, they tend to set into the background. Typical rock band dynamics have center-stage type personalities and background types. Take Aerosmith, for example. That band centers around Steven Tyler and Joe Perry. Brad, Tom, and Joey have been termed by roadies as “the other three.” They don’t tend to do many interviews, they don’t command legions of fans, and they rarely – if ever – will sing a lead vocal. They’re every bit as much members as Steven and Joe, but they take on the role of supporting musicians. Do they like this role? It really doesn’t matter what they like. It’s not like they have a choice. And if they were missing on stage few would notice, much less care. Sorry, but we all know it’s true.

Although The Warning is a family endeavor and the band is comprised of three sisters that grew up together that does not make them immune to the excesses and trivialities of stardom. Look at Oasis and the hatred between the Gallagher brothers. I’m not saying that anything like that will happen to this great band, but we also don’t know what the band dynamics are behind the scenes. The band can’t control what film crews and the media decide to film, who they want to interview, and/or who they write about. What the band and their management can control is how members are portrayed and what roles they have in the band.

While all three sisters can sing leads, Dany sings the most songs. As a result of singing, playing guitar, and doing the most press, it would seem Dany is the leader of the band and that is how’s treated by the press. She’s also the oldest and the first to pick her instrument. Pau is the middle sister, sings leads, and has tons of mic time with the audience. Pau picked drums as her instrument.

The story goes that Ale picked bass, but in reality, bass was all that was left. Had she picked guitars or drums, it’s unlikely they would have given the youngest sister her choice to play instruments already covered by her older siblings. I don’t for a second believe a 6 year old picked bass over guitar or drums. Sometimes alternate narratives just don’t make sense and when it comes to The Warning, I’m guessing it was bass or nothing.

In any event, Ale is a phenomenal bass player with a wide range of styles that create in her a very seasoned player despite her very young age. Sadly, her bass is often turned down so low that fans can barely hear it. This happens in guitar/drums dominated bands like The Warning. Moreover, Ale is often kept to the back during interviews, and interrupted ad nauseum by her two older sisters. Is this just sisters being sisters or more so shameless attention-seeking by Dany and Pau?

At what point will this constant relegation to the background get old? The irony is that Ale is not quiet and actually likes to talk. The reason that’s such a piece of bombshell news – even for Warning fans – is because the youngest sister is often kept quiet. Her videos on social media usually outperform her sisters and the fans have a very special bond with her just the same. The fact Ale is such a skilled musician, can probably write her own songs, and has a fantastic lead voice, makes her likely to be the first member of the band to go solo.

Perhaps there won’t ever be a need for Alejandra to break out. This could be the case if they raised her profile and let her speak more. I think it would also be a good idea to give her a few songs where she sang lead. The bottom line is she’s just too gifted and too ambitious to settle for being the other member of the band. I’ve seen tons and tons of videos from concerts to tv appearances where Dany and Pau each get about 45% of the questions and talking time and Ale is lucky to get 10. Maybe that was ok when she was 12, 16, or even 18, but as she becomes more of an adult musician, I think she’ll hit a breaking point.

Also, if Ale’s not writing as much as she’d like – or – if her songs aren’t making the cut, but Dany’s and Pau’s are, it may be the publishing that splits this band up. It’s one thing to split the sales and contracts three-ways, but it’s quite another when publishing money starts rolling in. Publishing factors in with regards to who receives writing credits on songs. If big publishing checks start arriving for Dany and Pau and Ale is left out, that’s going to be a problem over time. It is for most bands.

Like I said, we don’t know anything about the business side of The Warning, but something tells me Ale is getting the short end of the stick.

I’d love to see this band go all the way, but I just hope they take very good care of their baby sister. Unlike Brad, Tom, and Joey in Aerosmith, Alejandra Villarreal Vélez has a lot of choices. She’s very musical, very beautiful, and could easily go solo and do very well for herself. I hope her two older sisters shut the fuck up every so often and let Ale speak without interruptions. I also hope they dramatically raise her profile because this not an artist that should be in the background.

Ale does not need The Warning to be a star.

Christian I. Duque

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The term associate really runs the gamut. It could be anyone from a guy that held a door open for important people at a social club all the way to guys like Joe Watts. Some associates, like Watts, could have been legitimate bosses but-for the fact they didn’t meet the ancestral qualifications for getting their button. Although they could never be formally made, I’d argue they had stronger claims to being men of honor than a lion’s share of the guys with Italian heritage that they answered to.

The demand for mob-based content is through the roof!

If you love the life – or what we think it is, then there’s no shortage of killer podcasts to check out. I emphasize what we think it is because that’s a life that’s highly secretive. What we know is what we see in movies, read in books, and/or take at face-value from true crime experts like Dave Ratweiser or from mobsters-turned-YouTubers. There’s guys who glamorize the life, others who tell tall tales of who they used to be, and the born-again types that you wonder if they’re really born again.

The fact of the matter is that it’s called our thing for a reason. It’s their thing and we’re pretty much just avid observers. In any event, the Godfather turned America on to the mob and we’ve been hooked ever since. And while every culture has its version of it, there’s only one variety of organized crime we’re all into. It’s not the yakuza, the tongs, the Westies or the urban street gangs. While there’s pretty substantial interest in 1%’er outlaw biker clubs, it pales in comparison to mainstream interest for the Italian mob. And by Italian, I’m talking about the southern boot and Sicily. No one cares about the Sardinian mob. And who even knows if there’s a mob in northern Italy? I bet they’ve got the Grappa market cornered. Lol

The Skinny with Joey Merlino is a very unique type podcast. Joey is done with crime, but he’s the only guy who never sang. He actually did his time which is unheard of by today’s standards. It seems everyone proffers. And what did he do his last bit for? He placed a bet. Ironically, you can bet everywhere now. There’s billboards on buses, over highways, and pop-up banners all over the net. As Joey says, “gambling brings the family closer together…” (Lol).

Joey and Lil Snuff talk about sports, sports bets, food, that life and life at present. It’s not a “mob podcast.” It’s just a fun show that’s HIGHLY ADDICTIVE and one that I couldn’t recommend any more passionately than I have. Sometimes I listen at work, other times I’ll listen on the treadmill, and sometimes I’ll just make myself a drink after a shitty day and watch it then. Even if you’re not into podcasts, check out The Skinny with Joey Merlino! Be good to yourself and SUBSCRIBE!

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Once Riley’s LA Guns formed they landed a deal with Golden Robot Records and cut several killer tracks – all of which I’ve listened to dozens of times on Spotify. They were able to catch that debut LA Guns 1988 rawness. They sounded edgy, unpredictable, and every bit the dirty L.A. rock band their roots go back to. The other LA Guns sounds way cleaner. It doesn’t make your speakers bleed and it lacks that NY Dolls slop that’s so punk rock, with that no-f*cks-given attitude, and some metal theatrics thrown in for good measure. The namesakes sound good, but are also boring; they’re safe – they don’t take any risks.

Phil Lewis is a terrific singer who’s kept his pipes firing on all cylinders. His range is quite frankly noteworthy. And Tracii is a phenomenal guitarist that can pull from a wide range of influences and has some insanely classic and innovative riffs. That said when you compare LA Guns to Riley’s LA Guns, it’s Riley’s LA Guns all day and night for me. Sorry but not sorry.

From a legal standpoint, however, I don’t know where Steve’s passing leaves his band. Are they able to carry on with Golden Robot Records? Will the label honor the deal without Steve? Nickels is a phenomenal player and writer. And while no one can ever replace Steve, I’m sure they can find a good drummer to move forward with. I know in my heart that Steve would want his band to continue. Plus I’m sure these guys probably have plenty of unreleased music including Riley which could easily make for at least 1-2 records. It would be pretty cool to release a couple of albums worth of new music and unreleased tracks as a package. Who knows if they have any video content, perhaps from the studio or from the road. While VHS and DVD’s are dead formats, the label could release video through digital downloads, and may even press some DVD’s for the most hardcore of the hardcore on pre-order. Vinyl is also making a huge comeback and fans will pay any price to get their hands on records they can play and/or get autographed at concerts.

On another legal note, I don’t the specifics of why Tracii Guns and Steve Riley were able to acquire the rights to the band name in the mid 90’s. Did they buy everyone else out like in the Dokken scenario? Did they pay back taxes? Did they assume the rights from the major label the band was once signed to? Or did they sort of just take it? We saw what happened to the WEB deal with RATT, where ultimately just Warren and Bobby owned the name. That got set aside in court and suddenly guys like Stephen and Juan now had equal ownership stakes in the band. Not to mention a ton of back royalties and moneys owed them. I wonder who inherits Riley’s 50%? Could Kelly get it? Will Steve’s family have a claim to it? Does Tracii absorb it?

And what if Phil Lewis, Kelly Nickels, and Mick Cripps challenge the status quo and seek their 20% shares in the LA Guns band name today? I mean Kelly and Mick wrote a lion’s share of the songs and Phil is the voice of the band. It may not be a truckload of money, but Cocked And Loaded has been certified RIAA platinum. I’m pretty sure the debut record has been certified gold by now, as well as Hollywood Vampires. Vicious Circle probably broke the 100,000 units mark. Plus you have countless independent releases using the LAG name, merch, downloads. It just seems a little crazy that Phil’s up there singing his heart out every night and is essentially an employee of his guitar player’s. I don’t know? To each their own I guess. I mean what do I know? I’m just a lawyer out of Louisville.

All legalities aside, I’d love to see Golden Robot Records continue to support Riley’s LA Guns. Or maybe call it Kelly’s LA Guns, Nickels LA Guns, or just Hollywood Vampires. Whatever you call it, keep that band going, honor the deal, sign new deals and keep the music coming. Dedicate stuff to Steve and keep his legacy alive!

The last thing I want is for Kelly to go back into the cave. Keep killin it, brother!!

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The scents in the air were absolutely amazing! Each restaurant seemed to dazzle its little section of airspace masterfully. Since I was dieting and on a tight schedule to get back to Midway, I had to fight the temptation to stop in each place for a taste. It also made me very happy to see full restaurants again and people out and about walking throughout the neighborhood. I’d like to point out that there was a minor (but visible) police presence, the sidewalks and streets were very clean, there was zero criminal element and I felt completely safe walking around with thousands of dollars worth of camera equipment. Even when I was at the opposite end of Chinatown, right by the highway overpass, I felt completely safe and that’s very important considering the size and population of a major city like Chicago.

if you’re ever in Chi Town, take the CTA, bus, or rideshare to this amazing neighborhood. Try to come hungry. Your taste buds will thank us both for it! What a beautiful community and place to check out!

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