saftey in bonaire

[scubaaaronh]

OK so i have been told by a few people that bonaire isn't safe. How valid is this??
I have been to grand bahama and was told the same thing that stuff will come up missing in your room and on the dive boats and not a problem there, and dont walk alone or you'll end up mugged and in a hospital for the rest of you vacation. So i was wondering if it(bonaire) is like this , and what about personal saftey??

 

[dvrliz1]

Bonaire IS safe! It is the only island in the Caribbean that I am aware of that you can walk around anytime, night or day and not be bothered! I have to give an example of how great it actually is...everyone likes to talk about the negative when it is out there so hear is the positive.

My husband and I met 2 young female school teachers, nervous about being single females on the island. We attempted to calm their fears with guarded attempt. Anyway, 2 weeks later we saw them on plane going home and one of the girls was all bruised and scrapped up! What happened we asked?! She was riding a moped/ motorscooter when it wiped out in the gravel bad! She said that a group of teen age boys came running over and she got scared, but her fears soon commoned!

The boys came over to check on them, fix the bike the best they could to get it back and escorted the ladies back and took them to get medical attention! They expected nothing in return.

EVERY island has her own story. Yes there has been theft, Yes you have to be careful EVERYWHERE you go. But I have to say, Bonaire has to be the Best!

Liz

 

[munkispank]

hey there scubaaaronh,

boy, will you get some replies to this. Theres a couple of other threads about this too.

trying to be balanced about it,
there HAVE been reports of theft island wide.
Generally there is little or no personal violence risk (mugging etc) see Bonairetalk for the one recent case.
When truck diving- there is a significant risk of theft from trucks- Leave nothing in your truck.
Some people would rather avoid destinations where there is aany risk of theft, leading some to avoid Bonaire. This follows with any travel risk- there are those who prefer to stay at home, or visit Disney, and those who chose to visit the Lebanaon (not that this implies the Lebanon is risky......etc)

for me, Boanire seems no more or less 'risky' than any Carribean destination. The history of colonialism has left many of these nations extremely poor with high unemployment, leading to the increase in crime among certain groups. Although there are cases of people having issues when they have taken all precautions, MOST of the crime problems occur when people are unawre of the problem, or make mistakes such as leaving stuff in their truck or easily reachable on a balcony.

I personally love Boanire and did not meet an unpleasant Bonairean, however I did meet some unpleasant tourists, so go figure.

 

[Jester]

The crime on Bonaire consists primarily of theft from divers vehicles while parked at dive sites and nobody is around. You don't really hear about this at other locations, but I don't know of any other dive lspots where you can drive to a dive site, pull over, suit up and go diving. I wonder how safe your belongings would be anywhere in the world if you took this kind of action.

 

[DeputyDan]

Bonaire gets a bad rap from this situation.

Would you leave your car on the Florida coast line while shore diving?
In Maimi - In LA - - I think you get the picture.

The deal in Bonaire is that many dive sites are very (AND I MEAN VERY) isolated. Thus the oportunity for petty theft from your unattended auto.

Personally, I think its alot to do over a small problem.... It is a problem but nothing to change your vacation over.

 

[Drewpy]

Dont let these reports of rampant crime prevent you from going there!
I was there in july and i consider it to be one of the safest places I have ever been!
(I lived in Puerto Rico and treveled the carribean a lot!)
It is a wonderful Island with a lot of great,friendly people! I felt safer there than my home town!
There is a problem with unattended cars getting ripped off-just roll the windows down and dont leave anything of value in the car!
I liked the Island so much -it is at the top of my list for a retirement spot!
If you are considering it-dont beleive the hype and go! You will love it!
The island is one big dive site with diving literally 24/7! :11:

 

[scubaaaronh]

Thanks everyone you have made me feel better in my decision to go there. I have another question though I wear prescription glasses will they be safe in the truck at the dive sites do you think?? or drive without them while on dive excursions??

 

[Doc]

OK so i have been told by a few people that bonaire isn't safe. How valid is this??So i was wondering if it(bonaire) is like this , and what about personal saftey??

Take a gander:

http://www.scubaboard.com/t58650-bonaire_-_security.html

ScubaBoard is a wealth of information, try a "search". Go to Bonaire, dive and enjoy!

 

[MSilvia]

I wear prescription glasses will they be safe in the truck at the dive sites do you think?? or drive without them while on dive excursions??

Safe compared to what? If they look expensive and you leave them on the dashboard they invite more attention than if they're in the glove compartment or under the seat.

Take reasonable precautions and don't make them an easy target by leaving them in plain view. If it looks like there isn't anything of value in your car, it'll be less likely anyone will try to steal things out of it. Use your head, and be aware of the potential for theft, but don't spend your whole vacation driving around blind because you're worried about it.

 

[dvrliz1]

Aaron,

I also wear prescription lenses. I am blind without them. I wear them to the site, put them in a towel, through the towel on the seat, with the windows open. I've been diving on Bonaire for almost 15 years...haven't lost a pair yet.

Liz