Natalee Holloway - Aruba

[liberato]

there's been no significant (in fact zero) growth in crime...

That is because everyone just regurgitates the same tourist brochure hype.

From a US Dept of State report (sorry, uppercase in original):

CRIME: THERE HAS BEEN AN INCREASE IN CRIME IN ARUBA.
ALTHOUGH STROLLING DOWNTOWN OR IN OTHER TOURIST AREAS AFTER
DARK USED TO BE GENERALLY SAFE, AMERICANS SHOULD NOTE THAT
THERE HAS BEEN A SHARP RISE IN ARMED ROBBERIES. NEWSPAPERS
REPORT THESE INCIDENTS AS BEING MOSTLY DRUG RELATED.
AMERICANS SHOULD TAKE NORMAL PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES AND BE
AWARE OF THEIR SURROUNDINGS AT ALL TIMES.

THERE HAVE BEEN INCIDENTS OF THEFT FROM HOTEL ROOMS.
VALUABLES LEFT UNATTENDED ON BEACHES, IN CARS AND IN HOTEL
LOBBIES ARE EASY TARGETS FOR THEFT. PETTY CRIME AND CREDIT
CARD FRAUD CONTINUES TO BE A PROBLEM.

CAR THEFT, INCLUDING THAT OF RENTAL VEHICLES FOR JOY RIDING
OR STRIPPING, DOES OCCUR. VEHICLE LEASES OR RENTALS MAY
NOT BE FULLY COVERED BY LOCAL INSURANCE WHEN A VEHICLE IS
STOLEN. PLEASE BE SURE THAT YOU ARE SUFFICIENTLY INSURED
WHEN RENTING VEHICLES AND JET SKIS.​

 

[H2Andy]

i stand corrected

as i said, it was a quick search


i wonder how this "crime wave" compares to the crime rates in comparable
US populations?

and, again... 3 murders in a year and a half hardly seems like a violent place


that would be 1.38 murders per 100,000 people last year,
and 2.77 murders per 100,000 people this year (extrapolated; the
population of Aruba is 72,000)


by comparison, in the US, the rate was 6.8 for every 100,000 people in 2004

9.8 in 1991

10.2 in 1980

in 1950, the murder rate in the US was 4.6 per 100,000. which means Aruba
has less murders per population than the US did all the way back in the 50's

 

[CSD1129]

then I guess there shouldn't be any tourist brochures.

 

[liberato]

Here's Van Der Sloot getting his freak on:

With Dad and Mom as chaperones (what is she wearing?):

The Three Amigos:

Keeping in practice:

 

[mike_s]

Here's Van Der Sloot getting his freak on:


With Dad and Mom as chaperones (what is she wearing?):

Yeah... With his mom wearing outfits like that at a "youth dance", no
wonder he thinks sexual assault is OK.

From a "fashion point of view", Mom's got no where near the body
to be wearing that!

 

[H2Andy]

is it me, or is that last picture just a tad weird?

 

[WarmWaterDiver]

Uncle Ricky that is a wise observation. How come the government or press does not comment on this possibility?? Could it be an oil rich county??

Aruba isn't an 'oil-rich country' by any definition of that term I understand. The oil refinery on Aruba imports oil from Venezuela, refines it, and ships products out as export, a good portion of which come to the USA.

None of the ABC islands have producing well fields or oil reserves that I know of. But I'll stand corrected if someone posts facts to the contrary.

Consider Bonaire - there is a large terminal on Bonaire, but no refining nor drilling / production. Smaller ships bring in crude oil from sources like Venezuela, offload into the tanks on shore, and then the big tankers can come in and load from these tanks, where they wouldn't be able to load in the shallower ports where the smaller tankers are loaded. Short hauls for the smaller shallow draft transports, large tankers for the longer hauls, like any other freight operation for economy of scale.

This may be practiced in Aruba and Curacao as well, but I'm not sure.

Venezuela is undoubtably an oil-rich country - a member of OPEC for quite a number of years now . . .

Would you also define Hawaii as 'oil rich', due to the fact that two oil refineries are operated in Hawaii?

Or St. Croix in the USVI?

 

[WarmWaterDiver]

is it me, or is that last picture just a tad weird?

Yes, definitely.

Why only the last one in your opinion?

 

[H2Andy]

well, i know they're playing... but it just seems creepy

the others don't seem too odd to me: two young people dancing, a guy with
his friends, a guy with his parents who are not exactly "with it"

probably wouldn't look twice at them if i didn't know who they were... except for
the last pic

 

[MoonWrasse]

Here's Van Der Sloot getting his freak on:

LOL, in photo #2 he looks like Frankenstein.