Boat Chick
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RoatanMan:
RoatanMan, could not have said it better
Who has had something stolen in Bonaire
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RoatanMan, could not have said it better
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Actually it's been discussed to death. In fact, the discussion is much larger than the problem.pilot fish:
I've been to Bonaire multiple times, and shore-dived each time I was there without issue.
Frankly, I've seen more problems with break-ins at our local dive sites (Puget Sound area) than I have in Bonaire ... and none of the local shore diving books make any mention of the problem.
Crime is an issue wherever you go. Suggesting that the police "know who it is and aren't doing anything about it" isn't just counter-productive ... it's ridiculous.
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
The problem of petty theft on Bonaire is briefed by the car rental agency and the island orientation at the dive op. The shore dive book is a wonderful compilation about where the sites are, what to expect, and how to approach entry and exit. I have been to Bonaire 16 times in 14 years and have never had more than a roll of film taken.
On one trip my friend's gear bag fell out of the truck and a Bonarian picked it up, carried it to the police station, and turned it in.
When I lived in Guam back in the seventies we left our car windows rolled down and nothing of value in the cars there too. In three years of diving there I lost one ten dollar bill.
Emphasize the good and don't obsess on a problem that has been there for years and everyone knows about. I wouldn't leave my wallet or camera in my car in Montgomery or Atlanta or Memphis so why would I do it in Bonaire????
Enjoy the book for what it is and mark off the sites as you do them. Over the years try to do them all. And leave all but beer money in the hotel room safe.
On one trip my friend's gear bag fell out of the truck and a Bonarian picked it up, carried it to the police station, and turned it in.
When I lived in Guam back in the seventies we left our car windows rolled down and nothing of value in the cars there too. In three years of diving there I lost one ten dollar bill.
Emphasize the good and don't obsess on a problem that has been there for years and everyone knows about. I wouldn't leave my wallet or camera in my car in Montgomery or Atlanta or Memphis so why would I do it in Bonaire????
Enjoy the book for what it is and mark off the sites as you do them. Over the years try to do them all. And leave all but beer money in the hotel room safe.
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Cynde:RoatanMan, could not have said it better
Well, you could have.
Since you have your copy of the book in hand, why not transcribe and type into SCUBABoard the comments that the book has in regards to the car break-in issue.
That would be simple... and appropriate. Pilot Fish seems to see it the same way. It is called "fair use".
Bonaire is one of the safest Islands in the Caribbean. Bonaire has small petty crime from opportunistic locals. Yes they will steel the stuff out of your car if you're not careful. But on most other islands they will also mug you. Try walking around at night in Jamaica. In Bonaire we leave our scuba gear out over night and its safe. On other islands we hope its safe locked in the room.
You may walk around safely down town Bonaire with no problems from anyone trying to sell you drugs or beg for money. Just don't leave valuables in your car, and if you park in a remote location don't lock it. Park your car at a remote beach in the USA and you'll have worse problems.
We've been going to Bonaire for the past 8 or 9 years. Some cash was stolen once.
Jamaica, Mexico, and St. Thomas are very bad. Just like in the USA, use common sense and don't tempt the thieves.
Lately we've been going as a large group so always have a few non-divers along sunning on the beach. Haven't had any problems in several years.
We're going back in March.
http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=166872
Marcos@ScubaNashville.com
You may walk around safely down town Bonaire with no problems from anyone trying to sell you drugs or beg for money. Just don't leave valuables in your car, and if you park in a remote location don't lock it. Park your car at a remote beach in the USA and you'll have worse problems.
We've been going to Bonaire for the past 8 or 9 years. Some cash was stolen once.
Jamaica, Mexico, and St. Thomas are very bad. Just like in the USA, use common sense and don't tempt the thieves.
Lately we've been going as a large group so always have a few non-divers along sunning on the beach. Haven't had any problems in several years.
We're going back in March.
http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=166872
Marcos@ScubaNashville.com
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Pilot, It's in her book.. your point has been noted.pilot fish:
pilot fish
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Could not be said better, or more accurately. It will never change on Bonaire until divers say enough is enough and go elsewhere where it is safer with their dive dollars.
[[[Originally Posted by AggieDiver
I always love these threads, because there is always somebody who says "this kind of thing happens everywhere", in a somewhat lame attempt to excuse the Bonaire Police for the abject failure to even marginally attempt to stop the well known theft problems there. This kind of thing DOES NOT happen everywhere. You might go to Coz and 1 person in 10,000 might get something stolen out of their hotel. Or one car in 20,000 might get broken into or vandalized in the Cayman Islands. On Bonaire, it is probably alot closer to 1 in 10 or 1 in 20. For every ten people here saying they had no problem, I can show you 10 posts from people who just got back and had something stolen. The fact is that there are almost never threads on any of the major scuba boards detailing thefts as a pattern for any location other than Bonaire. The police there don't care, and as evidenced by the use of the laptop for a week, they are most likely a major part of the problem. Anywhere else, everybody realizes that crime is a major deterrent to tourism, but on Bonaire, it is accepted as status quo and nobody cares. So please...feel free to post your own personal experiences, pro or con about Bonaire, but don't patronize us by claiming it is rare or common anywhere in the caribbean, because it isn't. Jamaica and some places in the major port cities of the Bahamas may have similar problems, but even there, the crooks haven't developed such a clear pattern of targeting divers, and the population is much larger, making identification of the criminals harder. The locals and the police on Bonaire know damn well who the thieves are, and they know who and where they sell their booty. They just don't care to make any effort to fix it.]]]]
[[[Originally Posted by AggieDiver
I always love these threads, because there is always somebody who says "this kind of thing happens everywhere", in a somewhat lame attempt to excuse the Bonaire Police for the abject failure to even marginally attempt to stop the well known theft problems there. This kind of thing DOES NOT happen everywhere. You might go to Coz and 1 person in 10,000 might get something stolen out of their hotel. Or one car in 20,000 might get broken into or vandalized in the Cayman Islands. On Bonaire, it is probably alot closer to 1 in 10 or 1 in 20. For every ten people here saying they had no problem, I can show you 10 posts from people who just got back and had something stolen. The fact is that there are almost never threads on any of the major scuba boards detailing thefts as a pattern for any location other than Bonaire. The police there don't care, and as evidenced by the use of the laptop for a week, they are most likely a major part of the problem. Anywhere else, everybody realizes that crime is a major deterrent to tourism, but on Bonaire, it is accepted as status quo and nobody cares. So please...feel free to post your own personal experiences, pro or con about Bonaire, but don't patronize us by claiming it is rare or common anywhere in the caribbean, because it isn't. Jamaica and some places in the major port cities of the Bahamas may have similar problems, but even there, the crooks haven't developed such a clear pattern of targeting divers, and the population is much larger, making identification of the criminals harder. The locals and the police on Bonaire know damn well who the thieves are, and they know who and where they sell their booty. They just don't care to make any effort to fix it.]]]]
DiverVince
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Well everyone has their own opinions based upon their past experiences as I previously posted . I've been traveling the Carib for over 30 years. I for one have been to Cozumel & have been ripped off by the staff in the hotel when they took the liquor bottles out of the fridge in my room.. They wouldn't let the taxi driver take me back to the airport unless I paid their excessive ransom to leave! But that's OK, I paid with my credit car & as soon as I got back to the US I stopped the charges on those thieves.. I will never return to Cozumel because of that & other incidents I witnessed..
Don't tell me about the Caymans either. I've been to all three & on Grand Cayman was the only time I had to personally run after a thief who broke into our 2nd story room by scaling the outside walls & terrace to gain entry & then fled. The police were useless.
I've been going back & forth to Bonaire for the last 20 years & have never encountered any theft or problems with my own personal property. However I am cognizant that problems do exist AS THEY EXIST THROUGHOUT THE CARIB.
So when I read that "one in 10,000 in Coz" or one car in "20,000 in Cayman" I really question the accuracy of your statistical data.
Don't tell me about the Caymans either. I've been to all three & on Grand Cayman was the only time I had to personally run after a thief who broke into our 2nd story room by scaling the outside walls & terrace to gain entry & then fled. The police were useless.
I've been going back & forth to Bonaire for the last 20 years & have never encountered any theft or problems with my own personal property. However I am cognizant that problems do exist AS THEY EXIST THROUGHOUT THE CARIB.
So when I read that "one in 10,000 in Coz" or one car in "20,000 in Cayman" I really question the accuracy of your statistical data.
A $20 bill disappeared from our bedroom in our condo at the Sand Dollar. We had an electrical problem and the office sent up a maintenance guy. We were in the front room while he did his electrical thing. My wife had the $20 drying out on the dresser. When he left, the $20 was gone. Sure, it was tempting, and may have happened other places, but you asked.
pilot fish
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highdesert:
When you discovered it missing ,right after the maintenance man left, and made the connection, what did you do to recover it? Did you call maintenance shop manager, condo front office, or police? Did he think it was his tip or payment for the job?
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