Headed to Bonaire for the first time in May. So I'll leave my windows and doors open in the rental but what about eyeglasses, sunglasses, cooler, etc. Any suggestions? I guess a land camera is out of the question.

What about flip flops? Are they likely to be stolen?

If we do a sunset dive, will the cooler of cheese,beer and wine be ransacked?

Any suggestions from you Bonaire vets?

We have left sunglasses(cheap), one time use camera, flip flops, towels and solar showers. Never had a problem, we might have just been lucky so far. We don't leave anything there that would ruin our day if it turns up missing. I guess what I'm saying is if you really value something, don't leave it in the vehicle.
Oh yea welcome to Bonaire talk and I am sure you will love the Island.

Scott

Stephen, what you may not realize is how small Bonaire is (it's not really small, but travel times are pretty short). There is not a great need to leave things in the car and just as easy to do the dive, go back to the room and swap equipment.

To answer your question, things you can leave in the car; cheap teeshirts, sunglasses and flipflops, scuba tanks (not equipment) and anything you will not mind losing. I include a gallon jug filled with fresh water to rinse off the salt.

Is there a humane society on Bonaire that takes stray dogs in & looks after them like here in Cayman & needs the dogs walked by volunteers? Offer to walk one at sunset & leave it in the car while diving (windows down, of course) to guard your goodies. Choose one, though, that is not partial to cheese, beer & wine.

why is it safe to leave extra scuba tanks in the cars?

Scuba tanks are clearly marked by dive shops (and also have their own test numbers?) so there would be nowhere to sell them on!
Bob and I once had a bottle of coke taken from our truck on a very hot day! If someone was that desperate we were glad to save them from dying of thirst!!!

Because the places that provide and fill scuba tanks have stamped their names (or parts of them) into the tanks. For instance, all tanks from Captain Don's Habitat have "HAB-" + some number stamped into them.

Pretty incriminating.

The official policy of the island is that no dive shop will fill a tank with another dive shop's marking on it, hence there is no way to get a thank refilled if it is stolen.

We rented a Mazda mini-van that had a small locking door for the gas cap. I was able to fit my hearing aid, glasses, and some cash in a plastic bag in this compartment. The car key and room key went on a lanyard around my neck. Otherwise we left nothing but spare tanks in the open vehicle.

I suggest getting a waterproof case like a small pelican case and taking the eye glasses with you on the dive. My husband had his stolen last year. Now granted he had them in a yellow case which whoever stole them probably thought they were getting money instead but, better to be safe than sorry. Just luck I had brought his spare pair of glasses. He then bought a pelican case and began taking them with him on the dives. We also lost 2 big sun hats....very cheap ones at that!

Make sure if ur taking a pelikan case that you put it in ur BC pocket. I (not saying i'm a dumbazzz) thought i could just hang it by the lanyard and it wouldn't open. Got out and the case was flopping open. There's a turtle at Margot Bay with a great pair of photograys for his turtlevision. Fortunately I had a spare old pair with me.

cheeser cheeser

As the owner of many tanks, clearly marked in color and stamp, I offer the opinion that one can leave NOTHING in ANY car. Having "lost" about 40 of my tanks last year alone, I urge any of you to please not speak so lightly about this high cost. Marking your belongings has no preventive value against theft by these thugs whatsoever, and to expect such is naive at best.

I have spoken since the start of this particular thread with three of my colleagues and losses there are similar. Added up, all of us dive operators combined have "lost" more tanks over the years, than any of our guests would ever need. So far this loss has been somewhat of an accepted " business risk", but this may change. Official policy is still that most operators offer the service of allowing to take multiple tanks, as I do. However, the cost may become so high that either policy will change or the rates will go up. Crime as a reason for rate hikes? UNACCEPTABLE!

This very thread therefore, should have never come into existence. This simple question is outrageously shocking. Considering Bonaire as my home, I am ashamed such questions of our guests are even posed. The answer to its question is; nothing, but it should be; "everything". To make that possible it is urged that the entire tourist industry on Bonaire takes its' responsibility, and not just blame bad policing, cry foul about lousy authorities, insufficient laws etc, but take real measures ourselves as well, physical, financial and whatever else that may be necessary to root out the problem. It must be possible, and I WILL contribute to that.
Bart

Thank you for your comment Bart...we have been hit by petty theft from dive sites and apartment each year for the past 7 years...always " just " t-shirts or sandles or hats..even lunches...we leave nothing I tell you ...this year it was licence plates from the van, front & back..guess we can't take those down under with us..hey! there is an idea..just take the whole dam minivan down on the dive and not worry about when I come up will it still be there ! otherwise we had a nice time diving but it does "color" the impression of the island

Don't leave anything behind!!
After living on Bonaire for almost six years, theft, at home several times, out of the car several times (even car-parts such as wheels and a car battery), has been the main reason for my wife and consequently myself to decide to return back to Holland.
Open your eyes !! Even on an idyllic, tropical, Caribbean island like Bonaire there are people (yes, mostly drug-addicts) who rather steel than work.

I didn't think there was much of a drug problem on the island. Am I being naive?

To be honest, and I know that the locals and ex-patriots on Bonaire won't like my comment..... Being Dutch, living in a country that is infamous for its drug-policy and drug-freedom, I've experienced more (drug related) crime in the six years that I spent on Bonaire than forty years in Holland. But then again, I don't live and will never live in a big city. Now, I don't mean to say that Bonaire is a crime infested island. I absolutely loved living there, but I had too many nasty experiences. Again, answering the initial question: Don't leave anything in your (rental)car.

I could not agree with Bart more. It is unacceptable when people have to constantly think about the possibility of theft while on vacation, running a business, or daily life. A beautiful island such as Bonaire should not be tarnished in this manner.

The local authorities need to take a hard look at this problem and put a plan into action to correct it.

I understand that theft can and does occur everywhere in the world however, it should not be a main factor when someone is trying to determine where to spend their vacation money.

This forum is extremely beneficial. To all that have replied - thanks much.

For Bonaire, what a shame! I've never been so excited to visit a dive location as I am for my trip in May to Bonaire but for a community to tolerate crime of this nature is unfortunate. How tough would it be to patrol? I actually had a buddy bow out of this trip because of the crime reports.

At least I'll be visiting with my eyes wide open.

Steve

Bart,

Thanks for opening our eyes. Unless the thugs have found a buyer, they must be just throwing them somewhere out of spite.

Tom

I do believe that when divers are visiting the island for a week and involved with boat diving and staying at the resorts the idea of theft is minimal..reports of three rooms just being robbed of all dive gear and $ at the Harbor Village that has security not encouraging...but those of us that visit for longer and really involved in the local flora and fauna perhaps our chances of being victimized are higher? I don't feel that way when I return home...what is Bonaire going to do ?

Bart, that's a lot of tanks if you are representative of the other resorts. Do people report them stolen to you? Do you think the stolen tanks are being transported off island? How much lead do you lose?

I hear that we should leave to windows open and doors unlock? I'll be there next week (1st time). Simon

Petty theft is rampant all over the Caribbean. Is it getting worse, I don't know. Anyway, having random sting operations is not hard to do. Police could setup a distant viewing post at random locations where there are suspected theft problems and you will get your criminals. Not a lot of money involved. But will help the problem.

Mike M.

Also, my story....

Once my brother and I had our FRONT window smashed for a ashtray with approximately 1 dollar in change in it.

Now we leave glove compartment, ashtray, and center console open and empty for thieves to see nothing is there.

Mike M.

Simon, I always leave the vehicle unlocked and open with nothing of value in it. Old shoes and towels is about it. So far I have had no problem. I just got back this week. We stayed and dove with Bart.

What I envision:

Bonaire Beach Butlers, a new service: we come with you shore diving, help you into and out of the water, and keep an eye on the truck. For an extra fee, we'll bring along a tasty lunch and serve you snacks as you exit the water.

Some enterprising person will do that as a business sooner or later I suspect.

The crime is no more on Bonaire than any other island. If we have one robbery it is known all over the island, becuse we are so small. St. Martin, for example, has much more crime, but the ratio of people per square mile is much higher,so you don't hear about it - just like in the US.

Bart is right, leave NOTHING in the car. Stollen tanks and equipment will eventually just up the price of diving. A suggestion is to shore dive where the dive bus is. I also liked the "rent a dog" idea. Maybe the animal shelter could get involved in that.

We already were on Bonaire 5 times, sometimes for a 5 or 6 week stay, returning this Saturday and planning to move there shortly. While in 1997 we left a nice camera, shoes, towels, sunglasses, car keys and even some small cash (like 5USD, to buy a drink in town afterwards)in the car and NEVER had any problems, during the last 3 visits things were stolen from the car: first time it was my husbands running shoes, luckily he had taken out his special soles.Now he takes cheap flip-flops, although they are no good for his feet. Then it was our licence plates, front and back. Now when we go out to a far divespot where not a lot of divers are, we usually take off the one with the tax sticker and leave it home. Finally it was an old towel, and a t-shirt. So, do we now have to drive around in our bathing suits?
I love going to Bonaire, but as mentioned by a BTer already, this certainly leaves a bitter aftertaste to a wonderful experience! So, again, leave NOTHING you can miss in the car.
Pity isn't it?

There's a rather nasty article on Bonaire theft in the April issue of Undercurrents.

I was there last September, followed the advice of the car rental company and had no problem.

Like the "Beach Butler" idea--that or a small guard shack stationed at each site from 8AM-5PM. Could provide some local jobs.

Ron, the idea of guard shacks is used successfully by the Saipan Government at The Grotto beach dive and the war memorials and major tourist sites. The guard at The Grotto will take down all the license plates of cars parked there. It is a successful deterrent that wouldn't cost all that much to implement.

Looks like the problem is two-fold. First, you need to catch them, then you need to detain them to deter others. Catching is easy with a few "bait" cars with video cams moved around on occasion. Supposing they don't want a largish jail, use house arrest with an ankle collar (rf transmitter) like is used here for lesser offenses. Once word gets around that it's not a free feed, the incidents will drop. If they continue to do *nothing*, it encourages the kids & druggies, and hurts the tourism income.

The last thing I want to worry about on vacation is having some idiot steal my prescription sunglasses.... or jeans, shirt, shoes, etc. I'm not staying at Sorobon, so I'll have _some_ clothes left behind.

Supposing they'll continue to ignore the issue, is anyone thinking seriously of starting the "beach butler" program? There's bound to be a bunch of teenagers that could use the extra money.