Be careful in Bonaire (Burglaries)

[Randy43068]

you cheap ass. Buy a new car and keep the economy rolling along!

I would share my experiences. Trust me, I have that very car and for the past full week it was in the garage being mis-diagnosed daily. Would I rave about how bad the car is? No, but I would tell people the problems that I have had and the situations surrounding them. I would also tell them that overall I have been happy with the car even though this past week was a nightmare. As I said, a decision based on half the information is not an informed decision.

Edit

And by the way.....Nothing but Death and Taxes can be guaranteed in life. That is why we try to educate ourselves as much as possible so that we can make an informed decision.

 

[pilot fish]

One must be open to information, accept it, and once they get it, take the proper steps.

To me it is not the same thing! One you are threatened, faced with a threat, and confronted! The other you are not, only your property is at risk! Two different ways of protecting yourself as well!

Next I understand the potential harm in publishing names of resorts etc, but the right to know is more important! If I said a "Certain big food chain is killing people with bad food" you would demand to know! Ever heard of the Tylenol Case? It wasn't their fault but it had to be known and like it or not some targets are easier than others! I am a businessman and understand, but the common good is more important!

I also hope it will push your association into more active role in tourist protection! If you have read my post you know I take personal responsibility, but information is the most important part of forewarned is forearmed!

 

[Papa_Bear]

So it begs the question should security be a part of the Brochure? If one place is a target and has terrible numbers shouldn't WE make the choice? What are all the precautions on the island? Or should we bring more for personal security? That is why we ask and not to run down any one or resort! It is a beautiful place and we all love to travel to your beautiful island, we just want not to leave something on the table when it comes to our security! If the customer act like victims, leaves the doors open, and or invites trouble, that needs to be stated as well! Facts are not blame, but a way to learn and prevent further problems!

I will be back to the island in Sept!

 

[pilot fish]

Do you think the resort will tell you they are broken into often? Since Bonaire does not publish these statistics, there is no real place to obtain good, reliable info. Each resort, including the ones that have broken gotten into, think their systems are enough, but, it appears, they are not. That is, or should be, a great concern for divers.

Papa,

I agree the right to know is important, hence my statement to contact the resort/accommodation/hotel for security information.

Is it fair if you have an accommodation who has very little security, and is broken into often, but the victims do not post here or other boards? Is it fair to have the names of the accommodations which are popular on the boards and have good security and have break ins much less often to be singled out by having their names put on a board? Believe me there are such instances, not only on Bonaire but worldwide.

Part of personal responsibility is taking action regarding your own safety. Contact the resort/accommodation/hotel, etc, wherever in the world you stay and ask questions. Period.

 

[pilot fish]

That is very serious. I thank you for taking the time to report this. I hope it will aid divers in making upcoming decisions on safety and what exactly is fair risk to assume.

Technically it is burglary, not robbery. My mistake (I have a habit of always saying robbery, even figuratively). Although, one couple told us they were asleep in their room when "things were taken". This will be my last reply to this thread. I only wanted to give a warning since I had wished somebody had done the same for us. Good luck to everyone on their future travels.

That is all I tried to do. I can tell you, it's not easy.

 

[pilot fish]

To each his own. All divers, stay safe, you too, PB.

As you might get from my posts I am a Bonaire supporter and will not detour me from traveling to your Beautiful Divers Paradise! I understand and see the point about the accommodations being different is scope and postings, but we are a smart bunch and knowledge is everything, in lieu of Crime reports identifying hot spots! It is not an easy one to solve, but I always favor turning the light on

 

[pilot fish]

With all due respect, that's like asking the barber if you need a haircut. From a customers perspective, the actual resort isn't an objective source of information.

I wouldn't say that people who have been robbed are objective either, but I do think that most divers are adult enough to read the various accounts and decide for themselves how important the issue is to them.

Nothing destroys trust faster than a call to suppress information.

.......................................................

 

[pilot fish]

If a safe is not secure enough, what is? Taking crow bars to wall safes raises the crime bar to an unacceptable level

Steve,

I beg to differ, but then again we can always agree to disagree. I am not asking for supression, but for the client to make an informed decision. It is up to the client to determine where they stay and the level of security they expect. How can a client make a truly informed decision, using a board, forum, thread, etc, if it does not have a complete listing of every resort/accommodation, private rental, etc, with all of their security measures and if they are sufficient? Who and what determines what is sufficient? If a resort/accommodation, etc is doing everything in its power (based on what is available in the area of security on the island) to provide safety for a guest (cameras, security, bars, door jams, alarms, etc) and the guest decides or forgets to lock something), then what?

Here at GRI we have everything you can get regarding security measures on Bonaire, just like the the major resorts on the island. GRI is in the same area as the majority of the major resorts If we are robbed, they get maybe 2 rooms, the major resorts, historically, they hit more rooms...so which one is safer? Who makes that determination? It has to be the client, and their level of comfort and safety.

Personally, no matter how "safe" a destination is, I am more likely to stay somewhere that has a higher level of security, because no matter what, you can never be too safe. I think it is up to the individual themselves to make that determination with the information that is provided by the accommodation/resort/hotel. Asking the resort what type of security they have, doing your "homework" on the destination you select should allow you the client to make an intelligent, informed decision on where to stay.

I will agree to this much. If a poster wishes to post the name of a property, so be it, but if the person does not wish to, we have to honor their rights as the right to the person who posts the name, correct? Why are we chastising the person who does not want to post the property?

I just believe a client cannot make a informed decision based on boards as the information is incomplete. It is my personal opinion that it does more damage to a property if you name them, on a board, because they are just popular on that board and ALL reports of ALL properties are not verfied or available for review.

I am going to try and see if I can compile a list of ALL properties on Bonaire and what is available security wise. I will do my best, but cannot guarantee that I can get all of them, it is going to take a bit.

I always work hard to provide my SB family with as much as information as I can, and I will continue to do so.

Liz

 

[pilot fish]

Liz, that's the same poster that had an issue with me talking to people that had been victims of crime on Bonaire and that partly forming my opinion. Now he's advocating that, after putting it down as second hand and hear say? That's how people form opinions, your own experience and those of people you trust are telling you the truth. I thank you for your honesty.

Steve,

Thanks, I do understand your analogy. I guess the reason I am so against using names, on this board is that many resorts are very popular on this board, and yes Mike we have had a breakin IN THE PAST, but why should we (us, buddy dive, belmar, capt don's, plaza, just to name a few, etc) who have excellent security measures in place, and who yes have been victims of B&E's (am I getting that right???) when others who stay elsewhere, and are victims, who choose not to post.

I will use our place as an example, as I don't represent any other resorts. Fortunately we are well liked on this board (thank you.), We do provide a good service and comfortable accommodations. We have also been victims of burglary in the past, but have stepped up our security measures, so that you basically would have to blow up a room to get into it now.

I am fortunate enough to be able to keep everyone abreast of what we are doing to provide our guests with the safest environment that we can. along with other information about Bonaire. Unfortunately the other resorts don't have the time or manpower to monitor the boards as I do. Their properties are much larger than ours. Also what about "bogus" reporting - believe me it is out there!!!! If there was a bogus report about GRI, you all know I would be the first one responding because of my activity on the board, but what about the other resorts who are not as active??? Is that fair to them?

Steve, what would happen if you looked at your car, talked with all the people you needed to, made a decision based on their input, but then ended up having problems with the car anyway???

WHO IS TO SAY THERE ARE ANY TRUE GUARANTEES????

 

[pilot fish]

This is another tool for divers to take into account, which is one of the main benefits of this board, DIVER SAFETY. Thanks

Here's a heads up. There were many burglaries in Bonaire last week, including us within the first 5 hours of arriving. They took our passports, laptops, video cameras, digital cameras, housings, dive watches, cell phones, cash, ipods, bags and even some clothes. They used a crowbar to break into the rooms and into the safe. We met 3 other couples on the plane back that were also burglarized and they had met others during the trip.

If you are going to Bonaire, get some travelers insurance and ask to put your passports in the hotel's safe. Make photo copies of your passport and don't keep them in your safe (our copies were taken). They don't really know how to handle stolen passports on the island, so be extra careful with those. (They tried to send us back and forth between immigration and the visitor's center until I started yelling at people. That seemed to be the only way to get any kind of help.)