A wrong turn in Dominica story

I disagree with the image author Barbara Noe presented in her story on Dominica (“On the Wild Side of Life in Dominica,” Dec. 15).

I am a U.S. citizen and have been studying medicine in Dominica on a student visa for several months. I cannot understand how a veteran travel reporter could have experienced such problems there.

Dominica does not have a public bus system like many cities in the United States. Private transport drivers operate in cooperation with the Dominican government as the public transportation system. They are also available for hire as private tour guides or private transports.

Why should private transport services cost less in Dominica? How much would transportation and a professional, private 14-mile guided hike to a dangerous but desirable place cost in the States?

Even though Dominica is a poor country, the time of a Dominican is not worth less than ours is.

I know the drivers mentioned in the story and often use their services. They would not hustle even the most gullible of travelers.

Tourists should try to understand the culture and environment of the country they are visiting. Dominica is a beautiful country, with some of the most genuine and happy people I have ever met. Its people don’t have a lot of money or possessions, but they are rich in so many other ways.

Brandon W. Mitchell

Sun Valley