Rental Truck Vandalized

[mikehf]

I'm here in Bonaire now. I left the windows open and the car unlocked, so they went behind the wheel and cut the gas line and siphoned our fuel tank.

It is out of control here/ Now windows down, car unlocked, fuel cap unlocked and gas door open.

I don't know what else to do to make it easier for the thieves.

Many years ago on an island I witnessed the police beating a man who robbed a tourist. They cared about tourists, but not Bonaire.

Sorry for your aggravation.

 

[djtimmy77]

Leave the keys in the ignition

 

[boat sju]

Leave the keys in the ignition

I know you're just kidding but that's one thing you can't do. I was just reading a truck rental agreement for another thread - if the vehicle is stolen you'd better still have the keys.

 

[T.C.]

Two questions prompted by someone else's idea:

What's the rules on bringing a small amount, say...8 ounces, of liquor onto the island?

And what liquor disguises the taste of, say...industrial strength human drain-o best?

 

[parachute]

I'm here in Bonaire now. I left the windows open and the car unlocked, so they went behind the wheel and cut the gas line and siphoned our fuel tank.

Where and when did this happen? Was it at a dive site, or at your lodging, or ?...

 

[Arubandi07]

...Suuurrrreee it is. It's rampant! It's a warzone out there, man! In fact, I'm bring my M4, plate carrier and night vision in June. We're going to travel in 4 vehicle convoys, and only half of us will dive at a time, while the rest of us pull security around the tactical coil of dive trucks. We're coming up with a guard roster at night for the vehicles.

I'm emailing the Navy, see if they can put an Arleigh Burke class destroyer in the Klein Bonaire channel so I can call for Naval Gunfire Support if those petty criminals are about to overwhelm our perimeter.

You should stay away, for your own safety. :shocked2:

That was funny ...

Looks like 'vacation mode' automatically flips the switch to 'zero tolerance' for some folks

 

[gypsyjim]

Gypsyjim, you were right. This topic has been hashed and rehashed here without any progress.

Thanks

What gets to me is how there seems to be a thing going on with just s few individuals, and anyone who suggests that folks keep "crime on Bonaire" in perspective is labeled by them as a "denier".

Facts:
1) Crime happens on Bonaire, as it does pretty much everywhere.

2) With over 60 shore diving sites, scattered along the entire west coast there are a lot of isolated places a vehicle will be sitting unattended for an hour or so, which can make an easy, tempting target. (Note: I have had my vehicle vandalized and broken into right here in the US while I was on a hiking trail more than once. This is a crime of opportunity which can and sometimes does happen anytime/anywhere we park in an isolated area, and then walk or swim away from the vehicle.)

(2nd Note: Avoid this crime problem completely by booking only boat dives through your Bonaire resort as you would anywhere else in the dive-able world. No shore diving, no tempting truck! Pretty easy, eh? )

3) This type of crime is generally more of a easily avoided petty crime type of irritation, if the precautionary suggestions are followed. Sometimes, though more major items like tires and gas are stolen, but that is not the norm.

4) This type of crime has been around on the island for a very long time, and it seems to ebb and flow. People have been caught in the past, and the thefts seemed to drop off until someone else sees the opportunity and is tempted to try for a couple easy bucks.

5) This is an extremely poor island, with many serious issues beyond petty theft from vehicles to deal with, the island lying an easy boat ride from several drug trafficking hotspots, and resources such as prison space are stretched.

6) Despite what some folks like to claim, the local business leaders, political leaders and the police are concerned about all crime on the island, but they are a poor island with many problems seeking solutions, and few resources and $$ to spend.

7) As anywhere else in the world, there are also occasionally violent crimes, robberies, and burglaries on the island. It happens, but the island has never been known for this sort of crime in the way many other destinations are. No matter where you are, a bit of extra caution and awareness of surroundings and situations are your best protection.

We return to Bonaire for at least the 10th time in a few weeks. Yes, we are aware of the potential for vehicle theft and possible vandalism, but we have always listened to the advice of locals no matter where we travel, and just following the simple suggestions they offer at all Bonaire car rentals has helped us avoid any major problems.

Remember, if you are concerned you have two easy options: Avoid Bonaire completely, or just do boat dives.

 

[ReefHound]

How low does it take to make a circuit up and down the west coast of Bonaire in a security vehicle, an hour or so? How much is the salary and maintenace of two security guards and a vehicle? Less than $100,000 a year I'd figure, they'd probably be five hundred applicants.

70,000 tourists visit Bonaire each year. $1 tax/fee whatever per person and the problem disappears.

How does that make the problem disappear? How long does it take a thief to steal something out of a truck? Way less than an hour else you'd be catching them after your dive. So thief watches site, sees patrol car go by, and knows he has an hour to do a 5 minute job. Crime remains the same, poor security guards never see it.

 

[Lorenzoid]

. . .
I'd love to see how accepting you are if someone stole your stereo out of your car in your driveway by breaking the window and ripping it out of the dash. Or stole your air bags, or put your car up on blocks and took the tires. I'm sure you'd just report back here "Oh well, that's the way it is, it's that way all over the world."

Sure you would

I'm sure you'd also be super accepting when the police dept refused to even come to your home to file a report, telling you "that's the way it is all over the world, next time don't leave your stereo in your car, and take your air bags with you, oh and remove your tires if you're going to park your car for more than 20 minutes"
. . .

I'm not familiar with airbag theft, but it is very common not to leave a car stereo in a car. For the reasons we're discussing here, many car stereos are removable or at least have a removable faceplate that renders them inoperable without it. When I lived in California, seemingly everyone had a car stereo like that. If you left a stereo in your car, I guarantee it soon would be stolen. We also had those lockable lug nuts to deter wheel theft. And those ratcheting bars that lock the steering wheel to the brake pedal. Lastly, people would leave the doors unlocked. It was well understood by car owners not to leave the stereo or anything else in the car when you park it on the street out of your eyesight and that leaving the car unlocked is a good idea. I continue to take these sorts of precautions wherever I travel with a car, and certainly in Bonaire.

I get the impression you believe Bonaire should be held to a higher standard than what is tolerated or, in your words, "acceptable" elsewhere in the world because the island depends so heavily on tourism. If that's in fact what you're saying, then I actually do agree with you in that respect. Please, Bonaire, tax me at the airport or hotel and beef up the policing. I'm all for it. But I strongly disagree that this sort of small-time theft and burglary is out of whack for a place like Bonaire. The reports of muggings and armed robberies are another matter--that does seem out of whack for somewhere as small and sparsely populated as Bonaire.

 

[nimoh]

How does that make the problem disappear? How long does it take a thief to steal something out of a truck? Way less than an hour else you'd be catching them after your dive. So thief watches site, sees patrol car go by, and knows he has an hour to do a 5 minute job. Crime remains the same, poor security guards never see it.

It would also take at least $2 per person just to break even with the cost of collecting the tax, without paying security guards