Does crime change your travel plans?

[Pullmyfinger]

I've bumped Bonaire from my list because of the stories of increasing theft.
I won't support a destination with my tourist dollars if the local authorities aren't doing anything to control the problem. There are too many other great diving destinations to visit for me to spend my money at one that doesn't clean up their own mess.

If you don't support tourism then tourists won't support you. Some places get it, some don't.

-Mitch

 

[theduckguru]

Stuff can be replaced - when possibilities go beyond stuff, I'm out.

 

[scubafanatic]

When I went to Bonaire, I heeded the warnings about leaving things in the truck while shore diving. It was slightly inconvenient but doable.

On the other hand, I received far, far stronger warnings about that kind of theft in a place you have dived without hesitation--Ginnie Springs in Florida. Almost everyone I have dived with there has a story. One guy I know was about to put on his brand new, never used dry suit. He went into the rest room briefly and came out to find it gone. With all the gear you need for cave diving, and with all the thousands of dollars it costs, it is a much bigger hassle to secure it all while diving.

...which is EXACTLY why I GREATLY prefer liveaboards...I don't have to secure my belongings/gear while diving !

 

[scubafanatic]

I've done a couple of fun trips to Bonaire. There are many things to like about a dive vacation there: on-your-own-schedule unlimited shore diving, nitrox availability, well-marked and easily accessible dive sites, very short surface swims, healthy reefs, location outside the Hurricane Belt, drinkable tap water, good beer and cheese, English-speaking locals, interesting mix of ethnicities, etc. I see the potential for making Bonaire an annual destination, and this is a strong statement coming from someone who enjoys the novelty of traveling to different places throughout the world.

Unfortunately, the petty theft on the island and the authorities inability/reluctance to prevent it from happening are the reasons why I haven't returned in the last couple of years. It's sad, but it seems as though many dive tourists, locals, and the police think the level of crime there "isn't a big deal." Frankly I'm not too fond of the keep-your-doors-unlocked-and-windows-rolled-down-during-your-dive modus operandi that the police and rental car agencies advocate. Recently a diver had his rental truck battery stolen. That's pretty crappy, if you ask me, since there's really no way to protect against it.

I can't help but see it as the criminal element preying upon tourists.
The locals will only apply pressure on the police to do something about it when it begins to affect the tourist trade.
Until the police make a more consistent, aggressive effort to eradicate the petty crime on-island, I'm not going to return to Bonaire. It's my personal choice. There are many other places to go diving in this world.

...agreed, I've done 2 one-week trips to Bonaire, but it's been a few years since my last trip. While I don't regret having experienced Bonaire, as it's a unique place with an interesting mix of European and Carribbean culture, and a pretty 'desert' island, with easy (low drama) diving, it's all overshadowed by the crime and the 'work' of having to do constant dive-sherpa gear schlepping, which grows tiresome, especially in a blazing sun! What's wierd it's I'd actually do a Bonaire liveboard, if such a thing existed....there are many places I'd do if only a liveabaord option (versus a land option) existed.....mostly I'd just as soon skip having to even touch the country around which the reefs are located, to me contact with the land is a necessary evil due to the necessity of requiring airfields to reach my dive destinations, nothing more.

 

[j2s]

I've traveled to areas where it was necessary to hire local security or bring security/body guards..Even to safe guard the equipment enroute and at the site......But in those cases some one else was paying the bills or there was high probability for reward-vs-risk.....Diving is suppose be fun/relaxing, if I have to worry about crime/corruption there's no point........

 

[drbill]

I try to avoid crime ridden areas like Lost Angeles whenever possible, so I stay on "my" little island where crime is mostly petty and non-violent. When I travel internationally, I will consider realistic crime rates in planning but prefer to get input from locals rather than utilize potentially questionable crime statistics. Of course given the gear I travel with (even worse than most of the stuff I dive at home with), no self respecting criminal would consider me a worthy target!

 

[Cave Diver]

no self respecting criminal would consider me a worthy target!

Except for that one guy...

 

[redacted]

Other - the criminal practices of US financial institutions have resulted in world wide economic setbacks that make me think twice about discretionary travel expense. Fall trip to Cozumel looks like a casualty.

 

[lulubelle]

You bring up a good topic CD that I have not paid much attention to before.

Petty crime doesn't bother me so much as I feel that I can be responsible for reducing that risk by taking appropriate precautions to make myself less of a target. I have always lived in downtowns and it is second nature to me to not give opportunity to petty thieves.

I would not hesitate to go to/through areas known to be safe (based on local intel) in countries/places which have plenty of crime elsewhere. Like Colombia. Or for that matter, New Orleans.

Now when it comes to violent crimes, yes, that gives me pause to reconsider my plans. But I do think it is important to make sure that one takes the time to put crime stats in perspective and not to react too much to sensationalist media reports. We have plenty of crime here on US soil. I do worry when I see a small island nation having violent crime well out of proportion to it's numbers of residents.

 

[Ulfhedinn]

When I worked in Fugitive Recovery we were looking into locations that would work for us as it relates to extradition. I was pointed to these sites for info. I think they will offer some insight into safety outside of the US.