ABC islands are among the safest of the world

[darook]

I don't have a lot reference to other islands in the Carib but have taken the same precautions of bringing nothing of value with me on the trip other that what I need to places like HI or even skiing in the mountains. In regards to leaving the windows open, with the heat in the tropics leaving them up will cost you plenty of hide off of your rear when you return. Leaving them down makes sense for that alone. I felt safe walking around Bonaire but I carry myself in a way that likely will not lead to me being a victim. While I don't carry my .45 on vacation I still make sure that in the event of an invasion I have a means to make it a bad night for any uninvited guests. I would not let my teen daughters walk around outside of the resort in Bonaire but I would be hesitant to do so in other places in the lower 48 as well. They were getting cat calls from construction workers down the street from Divi which is really inappropriate but again not threatening.

We heard of a case where there was a car break in on Bonaire and the local authorities knew who it was immediately and had the perp in custody and the stolen items back to the victim quickly. Every case is unique. If enough bad press gets out that it affects business then the local politicians will get the authorities off of their duffs to get it resolved. The Natalie Holloway incident still haunts Aruba but I am not aware of any subsequent similar events.

I will pass on paying for guards at the sites. It would cost a lot more than a few bucks anyway. Instead I will leave nothing of value in the truck and leave the windows down. Then I control the situation not someone I don't know.

 

[Damselfish]

If enough bad press gets out that it affects business then the local politicians will get the authorities off of their duffs to get it resolved.

Thing is, this doesn't seem to be the case. There is plenty of bad press and has been for a long time. It does affect business, I think there are many people that agree with fireflock. But that hasn't made anyone resolve it.

 

[driftwood]

Seems to me some of you good folks really just don't get it. By what twisted logic can you make an analogy of keeping windows down; to blaming a rape victim of an attack for provocative dress does indeed escape me. I've been diving Bonaire for 25 years. I think I know a couple of things about it.

If you chose to do shore diving, just leave nothing of value in the car & leave your windows down. I even leave my doors open! If you have keys, just put 'em in your BC. Ditto with glasses. No one will touch your old towel or worn flip flops. Sunglasses? I have a ratty pair which no one has ever bothered in 15 years.

I for one would NOT want to pay more $$ for security guards. How about putting fences up on dive sites & then paying an entrance fee. Would you like that?

Really, just put any valuables in your room safe. Absolutely No reason to bring "valuables" to a dive site. If you think you need money, put a couple of 5 ANG coins in your BC. License? make a copy of your original & put it in your glove compartment. Don't want to do that? Well make a color copy & get it laminated & stick it in you BC. I truly suspect the authorities will never know the difference.

Really folks, this ain't brain surgery. Why some of you continue to lament over the fact of not being able to lock you vehicle and leave valuables in it at a dive site is really beyond me.

Vince,

If you roll up your windows and lock your car on Boniare, you invite attack. Do I really need make it any clearer? Don't blame the victim.

I know that when I am in Rome, I do as the Romans do. Got a nasty old dive light that is still water tight, goes with me on shore dives. A great place to keep things dry. Doesn't mean the Romans know the best way to go about things.

Like you said, you have been diving there for 25 years. Your attitude and solutions are guaranteed to perpetuate the problem. The solutions you proposed are an indirect approach to limit crime and work well to reduce individual exposure. On the other hand, the solutions I have offered are a more direct approach to reduce crime by making the criminals responsible. If both routes are followed, Bonaire will be a much nicer place to visit.

 

[DiverVince]

How many of us, given a choice, would live in a neighborhood where you can't leave anything in your car unless it's old and not worth anything?

I wouldn't.

There are a lot of people who won't vacation in a place like that either.

I'm not sure why that's hard to understand......

How many of us live in a place that has some of the best beach diving frequented by divers all over the world?:cool2:

 

[DiverVince]

Vince,

If you roll up your windows and lock your car on Boniare, you invite attack. Do I really need make it any clearer? Don't blame the victim.



Like you said, you have been diving there for 25 years. Your attitude and solutions are guaranteed to perpetuate the problem. The solutions you proposed are an indirect approach to limit crime and work well to reduce individual exposure. On the other hand, the solutions I have offered are a more direct approach to reduce crime by making the criminals responsible. If both routes are followed, Bonaire will be a much nicer place to visit.

Understand, you are in a foreign destination. The rule as everyone knows at dive sites, leave windows down & nothing of value in it. When someone disregards the local customs & practices, why do folks ALWAYS come out with the defense of "don't blame the victim"? If you enter an intersection on a red light and you get into an accident, are you still going to say don't blame the victim for disregarding the rules? It's the same logic. The universal travel rule...When you go to a different place, it's beneficial to be aware of the local customs & practices.

When a perp "scores" (without going into the psychology),that provides a direct positive reinforcement to repeat the behavior. Not what we want to do, nor the message we intend to send. By someone not following the local practices, it does hurt others by providing this positive reinforcement.

Now we DO in fact agree on the issue of Dutch criminal jurisprudence. Personally I consider it to be much too lenient. But guess what? I don't think it's going to change because of my personal views (nor should it). We are guests in their country.

 

[pdive]

I will pass on paying for guards at the sites. It would cost a lot more than a few bucks anyway. Instead I will leave nothing of value in the truck and leave the windows down. Then I control the situation not someone I don't know.

Well said

 

[fireflock]

How many of us live in a place that has some of the best beach diving frequented by divers all over the world?:cool2:

I live pretty close to some of the best wreck diving frequented by divers all over the world. I can leave hundreds of dollars worth of gear in my truck and it's all there when I get back.

Let the locals steal from the tourists. They'll keep coming back because we have pretty reefs. Nice attitude........

Then I control the situation not someone I don't know.

I control the situation by diving somewhere else.

I'm not scared for my physical safety, and I'm not the kind of person who thinks there is danger lurking around every corner. I do get pissed off when I think I'm being taking advantage of and played for a fool just because I'm a visitor.

I know nobody in Bonaire is going to cry over my absence, but the island does lose business because of their stance of petty crime. All the explaining and justifying in the world isn't going to change that.

 

[Tim Ingersoll]

I live pretty close to some of the best wreck diving frequented by divers all over the world. I can leave hundreds of dollars worth of gear in my truck and it's all there when I get back.

Really? Where do you live? Utopia? Munchkinville? So you don't lock your truck? Or you lock your truck with your bulging wallet sitting on the dashboard? Oh, so you take appropriate precautions based on your surroundings. You put your wallet under the seat. You put your extra computer in the glove box. What the hell is the difference between that and leaving your valuables in your hotel room and leaving your truck unlocked when in Bonaire? What is the big deal? My God you make it sound like Bonaire is akin to Baghdad. Its not. It never was. It never will be.

 

[Tim Ingersoll]

The dive sites are isolated. The local people are relatively poor. There is a drug problem similar to the one in the good ole USA. Diving takes places at all times of day and night. The infrastructure for law enforcement is relatively limited. This all adds up to a petty theft problem that is realtively easy to take precautions against.

 

[DiverVince]

The dive sites are isolated. The local people are relatively poor. There is a drug problem similar to the one in the good ole USA. Diving takes places at all times of day and night. The infrastructure for law enforcement is relatively limited. This all adds up to a petty theft problem that is realtively easy to take precautions against.

Well said Tim..Such a simple concept yet it's a mystery why some of the folks on this board just don't get it and lament that things are not the way they are back home nor are they the way it should be.