On no island like Bonaire

[ScubaSteve]

Realistic based on what? There are no stats.....

First hand experience and the experience of those that travelled with me and the experience of the friends that have travelled there but without me. I would estimate the total number of trips close to me to be in excess of 100 (so use 100) and the number that I am directly involved in (including the trips of those that travelled with me at the same time) likely totals 30. And remember, I admitted earlier that one of my friends WAS a victim during his last trip.

You have nothing personal about the island other than 1 trip and comments made by complete strangers.

Sorry PF but you are going to have to try harder. I am just one person. Others will have less experience and some will have much more than me. Your arguments and attempts do not hold water.

 

[Cave Diver]

There is a very solid reason Boniare keeps its growing crime problem and stats a secret -it would adversly effect tourism.

If divers had an accurate picture of just how bad it really is, they would find safer areas to spend thier dive dollars. The pro Bonaire crowd foolishly think since there are no stats on Bonaire crime, it must not exist. Wow! That's hard to believe.So what do we really have to go on?

Well, there is Bonaire talk, there is word of mouth from the many victims, there is Scubaboard, all good sources of truth. Every dive site I've gone to in the Caribbean I have run into one or two people with a horrible tale to tell about crime on Bonaire and getting ripped off by theives, car rental agencies, condo owners, etc and how little the police do.

Now, you pro Bonaire crowd dismiss that. Fine. I do not. Since there are no crime stats on Bonaire, your claim of a perfect island ,where crime is the exception, holds as much weight as the reports of crime as a general rule.

Pilot Fish, pull your head out... ...of the sand. Show me where someone has claimed the island to be crime free, or where anyone has claimed it to be perfect.

Every dive site you've been to, has one or two people that tell of crime on Bonaire.

Question:Once more, I'm going to ask you to quantify that. How many trips have you made to the Caribbean in the last year? How many dive sites have you visited where "one or two people" had "a horrible tale to tell about crime on Bonaire"? How any people total is this? 5? 20? 100?

The vehemence with which you run around decrying Bonaire reminds me of the story of Chicken Little, where the sky is falling but turns out to be just an acorn.

I came to this discussion willing to give you the benefit of the doubt, but unbelievably, practically every post you make costs you even more credibility IMO.

In short, you don't believe what you read and hear, I do believe it. I see no reason for people to lie. How many stories have you read, here on this board, where after a crime is committed the Bonaire police are very slow to respond and once they do, nothing gets done?

Answer:I have seen 4, maybe 5 stories that have been repeated ad nauseum and regurgitated over and over as continued "proof" of the growing problem on Bonaire. (see it's not that hard to answer a question)

Question: Once more I'm going to ask you how many unique stories you have read in the past year about crime on Bonaire?

You have to ask yourself, why is there so many personal reports of crime on Bonaire that you do not read and hear about on other islands, but when you check it on the internet, on Offical Bonaire sites, you see no mention of it or any crime stats that reflect the reality of what is going on?

Maybe you should call 20/20 and have them do an expose' on it? Or the National Enquirer?

Where there is a lot of smoke...........................................................

There is probably someone blowing it...............

So what tactic do the pro Bonaire crowd employ? Attack, vileify and ridicule the people that try to bring out the truth.

Who exactly are the pro Bonaire crowd, and what label do you give yourself?

 

[ScubaSteve]

<snicker>

There is probably someone blowing it..............

Now that is something I can definitely hwelp with

.....and what label do you give yourself?

 

[pdive]

...the experience of the friends that have travelled there but without me.

CD - does this fall under the category or inadmissible hearsay?

 

[ScubaSteve]

CD - does this fall under the category or inadmissible hearsay?

As I indicated, roughly 30 of those trips were with me present so thanks but no thanks.

Others are basing their arguments on people they have never met or have met on a boat during a trip to a dive site. My "inadmissable hearsay" still holds up in court.

 

[Cave Diver]

CD - does this fall under the category or inadmissible hearsay?

No more so than the "bunch of people I met at other dive sites while traveling the Caribbean or read about on other message boards." At least Steve provides a number for anecdotal reference.

 

[mike_s]

I don't know, that's why I was asking what the total number of these reports that you reference were.

I did run across some information that stated the ABC islands were named one of the safest places to visit around 2008-2009 and that the annual visitors to the island is now around 74k, which is up from ~56k ten years ago.

.

I saw those same reports when I was searching for Bonaire crime figures.

They were on a tourist website, so therefore I considered them biased about the whole truth.

Regardless, I still agreed with the report. They are still some of the safest islands to visit.

 

[pilot fish]

You chaps remind me of the people that keep saying, the Titanic is unsinkable and there is nothing at all to worry about. You call my views based on hearsay but the hearsay you get is more accurate and reliable? Interesting. Funny, actually.

You also remind me of what I learned of Chamberlain prior to WWII. "Herr Adolf has given me his word. There will be no war. Rest easy lads. Nothing to worry about." Right!

Time to face the reality and try to make things better.

 

[pilot fish]

CD - does this fall under the category or inadmissible hearsay?

They have accurate and reliable hearsay. Everyone else's is just inadmissible. Different rules, dontchaknow.

 

[Cave Diver]

I saw those same reports when I was searching for Bonaire crime figures.

They were on a tourist website, so therefore I considered them biased about the whole truth.

Regardless, I still agreed with the report. They are still some of the safest islands to visit.

I've found several reports on crime as well, the most effective search has been under Netherland Antilles rather than Bonaire.

I've even found mention on the US State Dept site and Bonaire sites mentioning being careful about petty crimes. :shocked2: