SAFE STOLEN OFF WALL IN BONAIRE / Important trip report

[Dive California]

So Scubabanker...where were you staying when this happen?

Did the place offerred to reimburse you, for your loss?

 

[scubabanker]

It was happy holiday homes and no they did not offer to reimburse. She felt badly and in fact the bathroom window was the only window that they could of gotten through beause of the type of window. She now has ordered new kind of bathroom windows.
There is two things I would of done differently. One is they asked when you are goine not to have airco not running while you are not in the apt. Well to me that shows the thieves that you are not in the unit Secondly I think I would of left the bathroom door closed but kept it open because we all had taken showers and it did not have fan system to suck up moisture. Through the bathroom door window you could see in the whole unit . The rest of the windows had curtians so that you could not see in but who would of thought someone could get back there to see in window with a concrete wall behind you. WIth that door closed and left a tv or radio running they would of thought some one was home. It might of made them think twice about coming in if they thought someone was home.

 

[jscott099]

Good grief. Its a small island. And given that tourism is the main industry, tourists are going to be the ones getting robbed. Especially since we 'go away' pretty quickly. Of course it is inside work. Probably would classify as the second largest industry after tourism. What a shame. Rob and pilfer the very people that bring money to the island to begin with. I never had a problem there but that was 5 years ago. I want to go back but am concerned about all the hubbub.

I'd say if enough tourists and divers boycott the place for safer destinations. The message might start hitting the right police and policiticians to at least act like they are concerned and tighten up.

 

[Damselfish]

Thanks for all the detailed information on the Belmar Apartments. Now, I know why my friend picked this place for our group. He has been to the island before, I have not. But, I do have one major problem, I HATE people who steal from others.

Last September (Cayman Islands Trip) my truck was damaged in a 24 hour guard protected hotel parking lot in Miami near the airport. The parking lot even had a high wall with razor ribbon across the top. When I complained to the hotel management they said nothing. I asked them before I left it there for the week if it would be safe....they said YES. So, I will never stay there again...would you?

On my February trip to Belize I decide to take a connection from Fort Myers to Miami. Then Miami to Belize to avoid parking in Miami. This time the airlines lost my gear bag for two days and it ended up in Orlando. Also, on my return flight they lost both of my bags for three days. I now avoid American Airlines if at all possible.

I am not flying through San Juan and booked my ticket to avoid it.

But, I am parking in Fort Lauderdale for 17-days next month for my Nekton Trip.

It sucks when stuff happens.

But, if you write off everyplace something happens, soon you'll have no place left to go...

 

[Titletowndiver]

Scubabanker, very sorry to hear about your loss (what a crummy way to end your vac) but this has become the most ridiculous thread I've had the displeasure of reading in a LONG time. Talk about a bunch of paranoid travelers. Apparently, a large number of people on SB live in wonderful crime free bubble cities where nothing bad ever happens.

Wake up people! There is crime EVERYWHERE you go! Cars and homes get broken into in every city, in every country, EVERY single day. These threads do nothing but perpetuate paranoia and fear. Travel smart, travel safe, and guess what- the odds are nothing bad is going to happen.

Is it really worth working yourself into a tither before vacation based on "What If's"?!?!?!?

 

[CheddarChick]

Ditto Titletown..Ditto. And get insurance. We were ripped off in Curacao last march...everything was covered....GET INSURANCE

 

[ianr33]

Wake up people! There is crime EVERYWHERE you go! Cars and homes get broken into in every city, in every country, EVERY single day.

Then why do Hotels on Saba not bother giving guests a key unless they ask for one? We left our room unlocked all week.

 

[ronscuba]

While this thread may or may not have taken a turn for the worse, IMHO, the original post describes a serious event and people should know that it happened.

Having a safe stolen off the wall of a complex with a 15 ft. security wall and a security guard is well beyond typical petty crime and has nothing to do with traveling smart or travelling safe. I appreciate Scubabanker posting his story and I think it was an important experience to share.

 

[ReefHound]

Good grief. Its a small island. And given that tourism is the main industry, tourists are going to be the ones getting robbed. Especially since we 'go away' pretty quickly. Of course it is inside work. Probably would classify as the second largest industry after tourism. What a shame. Rob and pilfer the very people that bring money to the island to begin with. I never had a problem there but that was 5 years ago. I want to go back but am concerned about all the hubbub.

I'd say if enough tourists and divers boycott the place for safer destinations. The message might start hitting the right police and policiticians to at least act like they are concerned and tighten up.

I agree. I haven't been to Bonaire and I understand theft occurs to everyone everywhere, but in reading many threads on this topic I always get the same conclusion. That is, the native population considers petty theft to be socially "acceptable", or at least not reviled. There seems to be a lot of theft and very little physical violence.

Maybe I'm wrong. I'd love to be proven wrong. Someone show me that locals consider this a serious issue. Show me that local police actively patrol dive sites by day and rental units by night, trying to actually catch thieves as opposed to simply taking theft reports. Think about it, this is a small island with a small population. A full time police officer would pretty much know who's who among the locals, who is out of their place, who is living beyond their legal means. Show me that when/if thieves are caught they are treated harshly by their courts and not just slapped on the wrist with a wink and a nod.

Maybe when I go I'll drive through some residential areas, find some young men and ask where I can buy some cheap used dive equipment.

 

[Trwmodela]

I am making my first trip to Bonaire in January 2008. We have reservations at the Belmar Apartments. I emailed the Belmar asking about the increase in crime on the island. They returned my email and admitted to an increase of recent incidents. The Belmar is even spending money to upgrade their security and surveillance equipment. The facts are a recent increase in crime has taken place on the island.

I appreciate knowing this information ahead of time. One interesting article I read was about a couple that moved from South, Florida to Bonaire in 2006. One thing they learned was home burglaries to be common on the island. They recommend living with only the basics and having bars on your windows or an alarm system. Sorry, folks I don’t have BARS on my windows where I live.

I was raised to view crime as an unacceptable behavior.