Rental Truck Vandalized

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ronski101

Contributor
Messages
472
Reaction score
35
Location
redondo beach, calif
# of dives
500 - 999
Just got back from a good trip to Bonaire staying as usual at Buddy's. Never had a problem in our many past trips there but this time with a nice 2 week old empty truck at Aquarius we got vandalized. We had parked next to 2 other trucks at 3 pm so it was not like we were alone. When we got back out after an hr dive, the 2 trucks were gone so our truck was alone. Maybe it was inevitable but despite unlocked doors and 1/2 down windows some cretins stole the gear shift knob and the plate that covers the stick on top of the trans. Fortunately we had the full ins coverage and the near new truck was still operable. After a 2 hr stop at the police dept to file a report for insurance purposes we were done with it.
It is a 15 year old on going problem that nothing is being done about. Why the police don't get a "bait car", catch the thieves, put them in the jail in curacao and be done with it? Being a small island, they probably know who is doing it but choose not to do anything about it because it is neighbors or relatives. Could be a ring that sells the parts back to the local garage or takes it over to curacao where it is fenced. At any rate, it is not going to attract tourism which is the lifes blood of the island.
There are a lot of places to dive in the carib and pacific besides Bonaire so chances are we will not be returning any time soon. Maybe this is why business is down and several restaurants have closed and those still open have raised their prices 30-50%...........or is it the decimation from the lion fish? or Uniteds cancelation of the redeye last dec?????? Shore diving capital of the world or truck vandalizing capital of the world? We have our answer..........
 
Just got back from a good trip to Bonaire staying as usual at Buddy's. Never had a problem in our many past trips there but this time with a nice 2 week old empty truck at Aquarius we got vandalized. We had parked next to 2 other trucks at 3 pm so it was not like we were alone. When we got back out after an hr dive, the 2 trucks were gone so our truck was alone. Maybe it was inevitable but despite unlocked doors and 1/2 down windows some cretins stole the gear shift knob and the plate that covers the stick on top of the trans. Fortunately we had the full ins coverage and the near new truck was still operable. After a 2 hr stop at the police dept to file a report for insurance purposes we were done with it.

I always take the crappiest truck they have. The only problem I've ever had was when I had to pull off the rear bumper and toss it in the bed.

Nobody bothers to vandalize anything that looks like it's already been vandalized.
 
maybe the rental companies are stealing the parts and then using insurance money to by the parts back from themselves :)
 
Maybe it was inevitable but despite unlocked doors and 1/2 down windows some cretins stole the gear shift knob and the plate that covers the stick on top of the trans.

I don't know the first thing about Bonaire, but unlocked doors and windows down? Is that the norm?
 
I don't know the first thing about Bonaire, but unlocked doors and windows down? Is that the norm?
Saves having the windows broken.
 
I don't know the first thing about Bonaire, but unlocked doors and windows down? Is that the norm?

Yes, it is not only the norm but advised by the rental companies. Unlock doors. Windows down, leave NO valuables in the vehicle . Towels, water bottles (regular clear plastic soda bottle type), old flip flops perhaps, old t shirts Etc. I Don't even leave my sunglasses behind. In fact, DH and I MacGyvered a tank backpack of sorts in which we take along our sunglasses , keys, cash , etc. I even stuff in my bathing suit cover up. Of course the pack is not waterproof, but , no worries, it all dries out.
 
Yes, it is not only the norm but advised by the rental companies. Unlock doors. Windows down, leave NO valuables in the vehicle . Towels, water bottles (regular clear plastic soda bottle type), old flip flops perhaps, old t shirts Etc. I Don't even leave my sunglasses behind. In fact, DH and I MacGyvered a tank backpack of sorts in which we take along our sunglasses , keys, cash , etc. I even stuff in my bathing suit cover up. Of course the pack is not waterproof, but , no worries, it all dries out.

And here I was thinking you guys would jump all over me because I was insinuating a cynical attitude! That's worse than NYC. Too bad there isn't any coral around the Statue of Liberty....
 
The gear shift knob and a faceplate?! Is there a big demand on the black market for gear shift knobs and faceplates? I can envision certain parts being in demand, but are these? Who are they going to sell these to?--sell them back to the same group of Bonaire truck rental companies from whose trucks these parts were stolen?
 
And here I was thinking you guys would jump all over me because I was insinuating a cynical attitude! That's worse than NYC. Too bad there isn't any coral around the Statue of Liberty....

It would just be stolen.

I'm not sure that closing and locking your vehicle in Bonaire doesn't invalidate the insurance. It is still better than parking your car along the LIE.
 
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