Bonaire - security?

[pilot fish]

Pilot Fish,

people like to get negative. Just like the urban legends that seem to self propogate, when you bring up the subject of theft, it seems that everyone has a "bigger and better" story.

But hey, I had my window smashed and my projector stolen last year. That's first hand, but you don't see me making sweeping statements about ALL of the church parking lots be havens for thiefs.

If I were you I would believe YOUR experience there rather than second hand crapola from other divers who heard about yet other divers. YOUR experience of no problems is the norm there and not the exception. You didn't just get "lucky" with your experience.

The stories I heard had to do with divers that rented cars and homes .Those that rented cars had them stolen, spare tires stolen, and they had to pay for it out of $500 deductible. They all suspected the rental agencies were in on it. The feckless police did nothing, they said. Cars broken into ALL THE TIME was a common problem. yes that can happen anywhere but on such a small island you kind of don't expect it.

The second crime had to do with break-ins, burglaries, in rented homes, while divers were out. Again, I have no first hand experience with this but the folks that told me, while diving other islands around the Caribe, were very believable and had nothing to gain by telling me this. i heard about no theft whle divers wer n resorts.

I'm amazed that no one on this board has heard of the crime problem on Bonaire? Would I go there again? yes, but I would have my eyes wide open. As an example, contrast this with Saba, which is a quiet, safe island. NO crime.

 

[Natasha]

but I would have my eyes wide open. As an example, contrast this with Saba, which is a quiet, safe island. NO crime.

I think in these days and times, we need to keep our 'eyes wide open' no matter where we are. Even Saba.

 

[pilot fish]

I always love these threads, because there is always somebody who says "this kind of thing happens everywhere", in a somewhat lame attempt to excuse the Bonaire Police for the abject failure to even marginally attempt to stop the well known theft problems there. This kind of thing DOES NOT happen everywhere. You might go to Coz and 1 person in 10,000 might get something stolen out of their hotel. Or one car in 20,000 might get broken into or vandalized in the Cayman Islands. On Bonaire, it is probably alot closer to 1 in 10 or 1 in 20. For every ten people here saying they had no problem, I can show you 10 posts from people who just got back and had something stolen. The fact is that there are almost never threads on any of the major scuba boards detailing thefts as a pattern for any location other than Bonaire. The police there don't care, and as evidenced by the use of the laptop for a week, they are most likely a major part of the problem. Anywhere else, everybody realizes that crime is a major deterrent to tourism, but on Bonaire, it is accepted as status quo and nobody cares. So please...feel free to post your own personal experiences, pro or con about Bonaire, but don't patronize us by claiming it is rare or common anywhere in the caribbean, because it isn't. Jamaica and some places in the major port cities of the Bahamas may have similar problems, but even there, the crooks haven't developed such a clear pattern of targeting divers, and the population is much larger, making identification of the criminals harder. The locals and the police on Bonaire know damn well who the thieves are, and they know who and where they sell their booty. They just don't care to make any effort to fix it.

I have to agree with you 100% AggieDiver. This confirms what I've heard about this island. I myself was not robbed while there but I did not rent a house , or car. I've heard way too many stories from reliable people that they were robbed there not to believe it. I also hear the police are in on it, as well as the car rental agencies. It does not seem to happen on other islands with this frequency

 

[pilot fish]

Hey... I've been to Bonaire 15 times beginnig in 1975. The island has become less and less safe. I am fearful now to take scooters and just cruise the island alone with my wife since friends of mine were robbed by thugs over by the Dancing Waves on the windward side of the island. We used to drive up to Karpata and then drive back the long way thru a town just to the east of Karpata. (I can't remember the name any more.) We used to stop there for soda and ice cream. Last time we drove to the town we were attacked by a gang of rock throwing teens, but escaped without any serious damage -- just a few scratches to the car. On another occasion, at a festival one night I had this guy hang around me most of the evening, trying to "become my friend." Later he wanted me to give him a lift home. I told him "no." He was very offended, and said "Don't you trust me?!" I told him it "simply wasn't happening." Later, the hotel concierge (sp?) told me, "Oh, that guy is very dangerous. He does that, and then robs people. We think he's killed people." Well, 15 times to Bonaire is enough. I been everywhere there from the Windjammer to the windward side of the island for shark watching. I'm not going back, just to be robbed, or have stones thrown at me, or to have my equipment (which I've worked hard to accumulate) ripped off. It's time for the dive operators to scream bloody murder to the politicians on the island. That won't happen until there is a grass roots boycott of the island. Think about it. Doc

This post has a lot of impact for me. If this person has been there 15 times and has seen the obvious crime problem escalate I don't need a house to fall on my head to realize it is not safe . There are too many other safer places to go than Bonaire and I just don't feel like "maybe" being a victim. I want to go to a dive place that I KNOW is safer.

 

[H2Andy]

i'm sure there's bound to be crime anywhere you go these days, but i must say
that in my personal experience, Bonaire was a very safe place. never had
trouble of any sort, and i left stuff on my truck, unantened, a few times (by
mistake). nothing was ever stolen.

that said, i'm sure ALL islands would like you to believe they are "crime free"
which is of course not true.

the other extreme (a crime-ridden place where only the foolhardy venture) is
equally not true.

the truth, i suspect, is a lot closer to Bonaire being a rather safe place to dive,
all things considered. but, of course, i'd keep my eyes peeled and take common
sense precautions. hey, better safe than sorry.

--------------------------------------------------------

Back on topic, though, the increase from $10 to $25 for divers is steep, but
compared to a ONE DAY fee at Ginnie Springs or a two-tank dive, it's really not
bad at all.

also, i love that you'll be able to get into the National Park for free with the token.

 

[pilot fish]

i'm sure there's bound to be crime anywhere you go these days, but i must say
that in my personal experience, Bonaire was a very safe place. never had
trouble of any sort, and i left stuff on my truck, unantened, a few times (by
mistake). nothing was ever stolen.

that said, i'm sure ALL islands would like you to believe they are "crime free"
which is of course not true.

the other extreme (a crime-ridden place where only the foolhardy venture) is
equally not true.

the truth, i suspect, is a lot closer to Bonaire being a rather safe place to dive,
all things considered. but, of course, i'd keep my eyes peeled and take common
sense precautions. hey, better safe than sorry.

--------------------------------------------------------

Back on topic, though, the increase from $10 to $25 for divers is steep, but
compared to a ONE DAY fee at Ginnie Springs or a two-tank dive, it's really not
bad at all.

also, i love that you'll be able to get into the National Park for free with the token.

Andy, there does seem to be a disproportinate amount of crime on an island that size. It seems so easy to fix, since the place is so flat and small. Where are these items being sold, [fenced, I think is the term?], and what are the police doing about it? Nothing, it seems. The major problem is renting homes ,not in resorts. It also seems not to be the place to rent a car. Forget that.

 

[The Chairman]

Again, I have no first hand experience

This was precisely my point. Why spread gossip? Next thing you know it will be a haven for having your kidneys stolen because "the folks that told me, were very believable "

Most rumors, like camp fire stories, are there to amaze and mortify. They are best not repeated and definitely not to be taken as hard fact. The internet has created some GREAT story tellers. Some of these will tell these stories in person, and seem to have no motive. They have become INCREDIBLY persuasive. Why? Who knows! But after all is said and done, there seems to be a whole lot more said than done! Best practice is to repeat only first hand experiences. Otherwise, it's merely gossip.

Tell you what. When I go to Bonaire later this year I will be SURE to rent a car just to see what will happen. We'll write it off as a grand experiment.

 

[diversteve]

Forget it Doc, he's going to believe what he wants to believe, even in spite of his own experience. I've given up on threads like this. We both know how really safe it is there.

Look on the bright side, it means better, less crowded diving for us.

Tell you what. When I go to Bonaire later this year I will be SURE to rent a car just to see what will happen. We'll write it off as a grand experiment.

Been there, done that, nothing happened. We even started leaving stuff in the truck near the end of the week, even in town.

 

[pilot fish]

This was precisely my point. Why spread gossip? Next thing you know it will be a haven for having your kidneys stolen because "the folks that told me, were very believable "

Most rumors, like camp fire stories, are there to amaze and mortify. They are best not repeated and definitely not to be taken as hard fact. The internet has created some GREAT story tellers. Some of these will tell these stories in person, and seem to have no motive. They have become INCREDIBLY persuasive. Why? Who knows! But after all is said and done, there seems to be a whole lot more said than done! Best practice is to repeat only first hand experiences. Otherwise, it's merely gossip.

Tell you what. When I go to Bonaire later this year I will be SURE to rent a car just to see what will happen. We'll write it off as a grand experiment.

Oh, yeah, sure, sure, now you're gonna tell me you've never heard of kidney theft while diving on Bonaire? Do you have any idea how many divers are on dialysis because they got their kindneys nipped on Bonaire, huh, huh? Do ya?

All kidney aside, groan, I do believe the people that told me, that I met in "person" while I was on vacations at different places. Why would they lie?

 

[pilot fish]

Forget it Doc, he's going to believe what he wants to believe, even in spite of his own experience. I've given up on threads like this. We both know how really safe it is there.

Look on the bright side, it means better, less crowded diving for us.

Been there, done that, nothing happened. We even started leaving stuff in the truck near the end of the week, even in town.

Or, they'll get your gear but I'll be safe elsewhere. I just don't see any reason for divers to lie about that.