Be careful in Bonaire (Burglaries)

[clafrieda]

I was told by a hotel owner that tourism was down 40%. It seems that number doesn't mean the total number of visitors is down 40%. It is likely a combination of total number of visitors being down and the visitors themselves spending less money when they visit.

There is a breakdown of the monthly percent change in the total number of tourists in:
http://www.onecaribbean.org/content/files/FEB2Lattab09.pdf

For 2009, the numbers look like the following:
Jan: -15%
Feb: -11.6%
March: -12.7%
April: -25.5%
May: -10.1%
June: -24.8%
July: 6%
Aug: -14.1%
Sept: -1.5%
Oct: ?
Nov: ?
Dec: ?

The best news is the 6% increase for July. The bad news is that peak season is December 15 - April 14 (according to Bonaire Hospitality Group). During Jan - April of 2009, there was an average drop of 16.2% in tourists. (The report mentions a 22.3% drop in American Tourists to Bonaire for Jan-Sept 2009.)

If peak season is down ~15% in tourists, then those tourists would have to spend ~30% less than usual to have a 40% drop in total tourism dollars. I'll have to dig a bit more to see if there are any reports that talk about the economy more directly.

 

[legions]

Hmmmmmmmmmmm, seems there could be some potential employment in Bonaire.



And may the bridge always be up!!!!

 

[Mike]

Let's interject a little reality check into this:

If this is the level of compromise you have to make at the place you are planning on going to vacation at...

6. Dive cameras video is at the heart of the diving experience for some but ask your hotel what accomodations they have to protect this gear. Bolt locks were not sufficient on our trip. The hotels may be willing to store this stuff in offices or more secure locations for you.
Regards, Brian

... is this really the place you want to vacation at?

I mean, seriously?

This isn't missionary work where you are going someplace to help out somebody, this isn't work where you are going someplace to work. It's a vacation. You know, rest and relaxation?

This all started with the Rah Rah crowd saying, don't be a baby in regard to dive site petty thievery. Don't make more of this then it is, crime happens everywhere, you have more crime in your parking lots back home....

Then it went to room envasion... and the Rah Rah crowd was - hey, don't be a victim and a cry baby, travel with an electronic alarm wedge and stop your belly aching.

Now it goes to break ins while you are gone and ransacking the room including breaking into the safe and now we are arriving almost at the finish line with - hey, just give all your valuables to the hotel for safe keeping...

Insanity. Just blows me away.

 

[ncchuck]

Let's interject a little reality check into this:

If this is the level of compromise you have to make at the place you are planning on going to vacation at...



... is this really the place you want to vacation at?

I mean, seriously?

This isn't missionary work where you are going someplace to help out somebody, this isn't work where you are going someplace to work. It's a vacation. You know, rest and relaxation?

This all started with the Rah Rah crowd saying, don't be a baby in regard to dive site petty thievery. Don't make more of this then it is, crime happens everywhere, you have more crime in your parking lots back home....

Then it went to room envasion... and the Rah Rah crowd was - hey, don't be a victim and a cry baby, travel with an electronic alarm wedge and stop your belly aching.

Now it goes to break ins while you are gone and ransacking the room including breaking into the safe and now we are arriving almost at the finish line with - hey, just give all your valuables to the hotel for safe keeping...

Insanity. Just blows me away.

Well said.

In addition you need to make digital copies of documents. Take the opposite security proceedures you'd take anywhere else with your vehicle. Take special bags to protect anything you might have to leave in your truck. Leave your phone at home or in the car left at the airport and hope you're flights go just exactly as you want. Probably should leave your laptop at home too so you'll need to buy a bunch of memory cards for your camera. Then I'm not sure what to do about batteries? This is insane. I'd rather go on vacation.

 

[Waterskier1]

Let's interject a little reality check into this:

If this is the level of compromise you have to make at the place you are planning on going to vacation at...



... is this really the place you want to vacation at?

Absolutely!!!! - Have you been there? If not, don't be so quick to judge.

I mean, seriously?

This isn't missionary work where you are going someplace to help out somebody, this isn't work where you are going someplace to work. It's a vacation. You know, rest and relaxation?

Work?? What work?? Is it work to leave the truck unlocked? Is it work to leave nothing you aren't diving with of value in the truck? Is it work to put valuables out of site in your room? If this is work, you'll likely not enjoy Bonaire, because shore diving is even more "work".

This all started with the Rah Rah crowd saying, don't be a baby in regard to dive site petty thievery. Don't make more of this then it is, crime happens everywhere, you have more crime in your parking lots back home....

Then it went to room envasion... and the Rah Rah crowd was - hey, don't be a victim and a cry baby, travel with an electronic alarm wedge and stop your belly aching.

Now it goes to break ins while you are gone and ransacking the room including breaking into the safe and now we are arriving almost at the finish line with - hey, just give all your valuables to the hotel for safe keeping...

Insanity. Just blows me away.

I asked but it has not been answered how many of these "envasions" and "ransacking" were actual "break-ins". The reason I ask is because I've talked to or read first hand accounts from people who's room was accessed without breaking in. Presumably, they perpetrators had a key. How they obtained the key is unknown. I do know that there was a problem with security guards entering rooms at Buddy's for no known reason.

Why anyone would want to leave valuables in a truck or, take $20K diamond rings on a vacation and not wear them, is beyond me. There really isn't anywhere on Bonaire where you need such things to impress people.

I take my cell phone and a laptop, along with a good "surface" camera to Bonaire. But I put them away, out of site if not in a safe, and have never had a problem. I don't take them with me on dives. It you need to check my email or messages so badly during the day, you can drive back to the room. It's rarely more than 20 minutes.

I would suggest that all the nay sayers travel to Bonaire and see for themselves. It really is much safer than most places you might live. Remember that it only takes 3-4 bad events (yes, it does happen) to allow those who have some agenda to inflate the whole experience.

 

[ncchuck]

You must be kidding. 3 or 4 events. There were that many in this one instance. More importantly this has been going on for years. Look through the Bonaire forum and then all the others. I doubt you'll find as many reports of problems on all the others combined.
I have been to Bonaire 3 times. I love it. I'm not going back until I hear something indicating there is real honest progress being made to correct the problems with the varous violations on tourists. It might be different if Bonaire was the only diving destination around. The Bay Islands are just as good if not better, cost about the same and may even be easier to get too at a decent hour. YES, we all know it doesn't have world class shore diving but it has some and it has very inexpensive resorts and boat diving. Yes, I've been there many more times than Bonaire. No I don't have anything against Bonaire except the obvious problems in the forum. No I don't have any financial interest in the Bay Islands.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

@Waterskier1: I'm just curious. Earlier in this thread, you stated that you did 4 trips to Bonaire in 2009. That's a higher number of trips than most would make on their own for vacation purposes...especially given challenging economic conditions in the US and worldwide. Were you leading groups there? Do you own property on the island? The reason I ask is that you refer to "nay sayers" (sic) who "have some agenda to inflate the whole experience." I'm trying to assess whether you have some financial agenda in support of Bonaire travel.

 

[messedup]

Let's interject a little reality check into this:

This all started with the Rah Rah crowd saying, don't be a baby in regard to dive site petty thievery. Don't make more of this then it is, crime happens everywhere, you have more crime in your parking lots back home....

Then it went to room envasion... and the Rah Rah crowd was - hey, don't be a victim and a cry baby, travel with an electronic alarm wedge and stop your belly aching.

Now it goes to break ins while you are gone and ransacking the room including breaking into the safe and now we are arriving almost at the finish line with - hey, just give all your valuables to the hotel for safe keeping...

Insanity. Just blows me away.

I believe this started with the OP posting a warning of breakins while gone from the room including ransacking and breaking into safes. Its good to see that the thread is back on point.

 

[Mossman]

Work?? What work?? Is it work to leave the truck unlocked? Is it work to leave nothing you aren't diving with of value in the truck? Is it work to put valuables out of site in your room? If this is work, you'll likely not enjoy Bonaire, because shore diving is even more "work".

A lot of effort goes into rolling those windows up and down. Maybe it would be less work if the rental trucks had power windows

Why anyone would want to leave valuables in a truck or, take $20K diamond rings on a vacation and not wear them, is beyond me. There really isn't anywhere on Bonaire where you need such things to impress people.

I wear impressive dive T-shirts, but every time I've left one in the car, it's been there when I've returned. Sometimes, however, I'm feeling paranoid and so I'll forego the T-shirt and drive topless. All that work!

I take my cell phone and a laptop, along with a good "surface" camera to Bonaire. But I put them away, out of site if not in a safe, and have never had a problem. I don't take them with me on dives. It you need to check my email or messages so badly during the day, you can drive back to the room. It's rarely more than 20 minutes.

That might be true if you take the shortcut road back, but I doubt you can go the long way back from the north, through town, and all the way to the north-of-town resorts in less than 45 minutes from Karpata unless you speed. And speeding is work!

 

[BHB ScubaTroll]

I wanted to post one more lesson learned. If you do have a phone stolen that has unpassword access to your email it is important to get all your email passwords changed. You don't want a thief to have access to all your financial statements vie email on your phone. This will leave you open to a 2nd crime of identity theft.

messedup, I understand you were one of the original poster's group who were victims to the break-in mentioned in the first post.

Thank you, for offering some important items to this discussion. I know hind-sight can be pretty clear, but it can still be difficult to help try and make a positive for others out of your negative experience.

Will you be a visitor to Bonaire again? Why?

Thanks,
Jim