Be careful in Bonaire (Burglaries)

[SeaFlea]

Greetings all,

I've said it before, Bonaire is my favorite dive destination. I've had more enjoyable dives there than anywhere in the world. I will always have fond memories of our times there.

Yes there is a petty crime problem and it has gotten worse. Do I have to take extra steps to protect my property, yes. Can I adapt, yes.

I see it like this, when people start getting hurt the game changes. When people trying to defend themselves and their property get physically hurt, its time to stop. I will adjust to the situation up to a certain point.

Yes I will travel LIGHT. No electronics, jewelry, or rolls of cash. I will enjoy my week(s) without these things. I will take reasonable measures to protect my few valuables.

I can only hope the situation will get better rather than worse. It doesn't matter whats going on at other dive destinations in the Caribbean. Its not relevant to Bonaire and its problems. For all the folks that love Bonaire and want to continue to enjoy it, lets keep each other informed as to what happens. Lets use this board to increase our awareness and use it to better protect ourselves. We can effect change! We can put pressure on the business community to make changes. We can steer this situation.

Lets concentrate on keeping everyone on-board and aware.

Thats all I have to say about that.

Good Dives, SeaFlea.

 

[pilot fish]

Very very well said and a very thoughtful post. You love Bonaire, I mean, you REALLY love Bonaire and want it to be a better place, not hide its problems, as some are trying to do. My hat is off to you.

Greetings all,

I've said it before, Bonaire is my favorite dive destination. I've had more enjoyable dives there than anywhere in the world. I will always have fond memories of our times there.

Yes there is a petty crime problem and it has gotten worse. Do I have to take extra steps to protect my property, yes. Can I adapt, yes.

I see it like this, when people start getting hurt the game changes. When people trying to defend themselves and their property get physically hurt, its time to stop. I will adjust to the situation up to a certain point.

Yes I will travel LIGHT. No electronics, jewelry, or rolls of cash. I will enjoy my week(s) without these things. I will take reasonable measures to protect my few valuables.

I can only hope the situation will get better rather than worse. It doesn't matter whats going on at other dive destinations in the Caribbean. Its not relevant to Bonaire and its problems. For all the folks that love Bonaire and want to continue to enjoy it, lets keep each other informed as to what happens. Lets use this board to increase our awareness and use it to better protect ourselves. We can effect change! We can put pressure on the business community to make changes. We can steer this situation.

Lets concentrate on keeping everyone on-board and aware.

Thats all I have to say about that.

Good Dives, SeaFlea.

 

[dmoore19]

If you look back a few posts you will see where someone went to great lengths to state how much safer Roatan is than Bonaire...
Before that escalates, the information is now posted from the US government concerning what tourists should worry about in both locations. The posts you should seek for the answer of why these are posted are less than 10 posts back.

Mossman had started basing Roatan in a Boanaire thread previously. That didn't belong in this thread either. Is it really necessary to bring crime stats from Roatan into a discussion about Bonaire? I haven't been to Bonaire but have friends that have and love it there. If you will notice I have never posted anyting bad about Bonaire. I have been to Roatan, I felt perfectly safe. Just like you and others feel about Bonaire. Bashing Roatan in a thread about Bonaire isn't necessary. If you want to bash Roatan that is your right. Start a thread in the Roatan forum to do it! That's my point.

 

[Mossman]

Yeah, I've been to Roatan a couple of times, the third will be next week, and I would not call it a safe place in general - Coxen Hole should be avoided in daylight IMO, but it is a different type of destination. Comparisons are not easy...

Yeah, that's always the problem when comparing apples to oranges.

The thing is, many of us who visit Bonaire (and actually, quite a few who visit Roatan and stay in West End rather than an armed enclave) appreciate the freedom of getting out and exploring the island. That's part of the charm of visiting the island since, after all, you can only realistically spend 5-6 hours underwater. With that freedom to come and go as we please without risking highway robbery and murder, which seem to be prevalent in Roatan outside of the armed enclaves, necessarily comes some sacrifices as well: a higher level of personal responsibility for one's own belongings, and the occasional property crime. It's a trade-off many of us are willing to take, and it appears that the island government as well as the individual hotel owners are at least making some attempts to right the problem without the necessity of turning Bonaire into an armed camp of tourists like in Jamaica or Roatan.

 

[Mossman]

Mossman had started basing Roatan in a Boanaire thread previously. That didn't belong in this thread either. Is it really necessary to bring crime stats from Roatan into a discussion about Bonaire? I haven't been to Bonaire but have friends that have and love it there. If you will notice I have never posted anyting bad about Bonaire. I have been to Roatan, I felt perfectly safe. Just like you and others feel about Bonaire. Bashing Roatan in a thread about Bonaire isn't necessary.

But it's perfectly valid to make the point that, yes, Bonaire has crime, but compared to many other Caribbean destinations, that crime is much more likely to be non-violent.

Since many of the Bonaire bashers enjoy diving in Roatan, it would be silly to use Jamaica or Haiti as the islands of comparison, wouldn't it?

The thing is, Mossman would be happy enough traveling to either destination, he just prefers Bonaire because of reasons having nothing to do with crime. He simply doesn't like to see Roatan bullies picking on poor little victimized Bonaire since he's a champion of the underdog. Bash our beloved island and you'll see some of us can bash right back :cool2:

If you want to bash Roatan that is your right. Start a thread in the Roatan forum to do it! That's my point.

By that logic, any posts that compare one island to another don't belong in either forum even though they really do. Defending Bonaire by bashing Roatan is surely on-topic for a Bonaire forum or a Roatan forum. If I post there, however, I'm outnumbered by a large margin. Safety in numbers!

 

[Mike]

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".

Lord. "work" is in refference to the reason you are going to Bonaire. Did you see the reference to missionary work? As in, the difference is you are going to Bonaire to rest and relax. Not a destination such as your work has sent you there and you have no choice but to deal with it. As in you work for a company sending you overseas? Get it?

I can roll a window up or down without getting winded.

And your plan is to put valuables out of site in your room? That's your security? What are you going to do, bring power tools with you and build a false wall? You don't think theives know the top 10 hiding places that tourist hide things in their room?

My post you are referencing has 1 point.

THE RATIONALIZATION AND HUSH HUSH MENTALITY GOING ON BY A HANDFULL OF PEOPLE. And you're now one of them.

We will be going to Bonaire in May, however I won't be treating it like a normal vacation anymore.

I will be leaving the rolex at home, my wife will be leaving her diamond ring at home, we will not be bringing the expensive digital camera on this trip, we won't be bringing the lap top, we won't be bringing our cell phones.

I'm going to be treating it as a risk assessment scenario in don't bring anything you can't afford to lose. Normally I go on vacation and I bring anything I want with me with not a single thought toward worrying about it being stolen.

The vacation we take in May every year coincides with my wife's birthday and our wedding anniversary, I usually bring along a nice new piece of jewlery as a gift for her, but again that won't be happening on this trip.

I'm probably going to have to look at using travellers checks now instead of bringing a lot of cash with me, and I have no idea about the dive camera. I really can't imagine going to a place like Bonaire and not bring the dive camera, but with no guarantees of a safe haven anyplace I'm not sure about it either.

So keep making silly remarks about how much 'work' it is and the rest of us will worry about reality and how we must compromise our normal ways of enjoying a vacation based on the realities of Bonaire, thanks to the few people who have posted the truth about the place so we can be forewarned.

Maybe I'll pack a giant bag of batteries and see if I can pay off the thieves when I get there with some protection ransom paid in batteries, with the promise of there is more where that came from if you leave us alone.

Perhaps I can leave a couple of batteries on the hood of the rental truck as a wink-wink, nod-nod to the thieves so they take the offering and leave the truck alone?

 

[Mike]

If Roatan is so safe, why all the armed guards at "safe" places like Cocoview? Surely they couldn't be worried about the locals, since no local would dare commit a crime of any sort against a tourist there. Are the armed guards only there to prevent divers from committing crimes against other divers, or are all the guns just for show?

When I vacationed in Roatan, I was fully aware of the situation there. No where did I see anybody sugar coating anything on the Roatan boards like this ridiculous white washing that goes on with Bonaire.

We stayed at the Mayan Princess and there was an armed guard at the gate. At night he would approached your car with a shot gun. I slept well knowing that petty thieves wouldn't tempt their fate going up against a shot gun weilding guard with an itchy trigger finger.

I traveled to that destination with a vast array of expensive American tourist un-needed booty, because I could if I wanted to.

Did I go walking around West End with it all tempting fate at 1 in the morning coming back from the bars? No. I had a safe haven in my room, with a safe and an armed guard ready to stick his shot gun in the face of anybody trying to get my goodies.

Bonaire doesn't have armed security I am told cause it's illegal to have a gun.

Bonaire does apparently have crooks who walk past 'secrity' with crow bars and ransack your room and steal whatever isn't nailed down.

ALL OF YOU GET THIS THROUGH YOUR HEAD -

the issue isn't about the petty crime on one island or another, it isn't about a murder here or there, it's about -------

NO SAFE HAVEN FOR YOUR VALUABLES ANYWHERE ON BONAIRE.

Get it???????

If they aren't safe in your room, locked in the safe they aren't safe anywhere. I can avoid going to a bad section of town at midnight. I can avoid flashing cash and valuables at the wrong person. But now I can't even keep anything of value in my room?????????????????????

I guess next advice to be posted is going to be about burying them in a water tight container on the beach at night.

Can't wait - "Hey, that's what we do, we have been doing it for years on all islands we vacation at. We bury them at night, my wife stands guard while I dig. WHat are you a cry baby? That's the same thing you do back in the United States, crime is everywhere...."

 

[DandyDon]

Insure the cameras, take your chances, and take them.

 

[BHB ScubaTroll]

Now isn't that interesting. Seems Roatan keeps statistics. Roatan also seem to catch these criminals. If you'll look at the very items listed in your post you'll find that none appear to be on innocent tourists just doing a day of diving. Anyone that's ever been there for any amount of time however knows that anyone caught or even suspected of bothering a tourist (not counting street begging) gets taken care of by the islanders themselves. They know the value of the tourist dollar. In addition, the vast majority of tourist stay within a specific resort area of Roatan and may possibly visit west end. Frankly, I've never seen a single incident reported in the Bay Island Forum by DIVERS and I believe this forum caters to divers.

Mossman had started basing Roatan in a Boanaire thread previously. That didn't belong in this thread either. Is it really necessary to bring crime stats from Roatan into a discussion about Bonaire? I haven't been to Bonaire but have friends that have and love it there. If you will notice I have never posted anyting bad about Bonaire. I have been to Roatan, I felt perfectly safe. Just like you and others feel about Bonaire. Bashing Roatan in a thread about Bonaire isn't necessary. If you want to bash Roatan that is your right. Start a thread in the Roatan forum to do it! That's my point.

Direct response to the above statement....

 

[Mike]

Don - I think that is what will end up happening, any places to start for the insurance. I'm guessing my homeowner's policy is not going to cover them. Is it a separate trip insurance?