By Ed Young (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #1) on Sunday, June 29, 2003 - 7:39 pm: |
We visited Bonaire a couple of years ago. There was some petty theft that was taking place at the time on a guaranteed, regular basis. Park your vehicle to go for a dive, and presto, windows locked or not, EVERYTHING was gone. The locals called it "petty" theft (with a little grin) because they knew it was a couple of kids. But, loosing ANYTHING of mine to this type of activity is NOT petty. We would love to visit again IF law enforcement has corrected this situation or the little.....let's say, boys, have grown out of this. Or, have some other delinquents taken their place? Would someone be so kind as to give me a current assessment?
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By JIM KENNEDY (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #143) on Sunday, June 29, 2003 - 9:21 pm: |
Ed~
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By Wally and Eva (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #160) on Sunday, June 29, 2003 - 10:08 pm: |
We have never had a problem
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By Marcus L. Barnes (BonaireTalker - Post #42) on Sunday, June 29, 2003 - 10:33 pm: |
Two trips to Bonaire with a 3d trip scheduled Oct 03. We take the same basic actions as Jim mentioned above; we have had no problems and do not expect any going forward as long as the precautions mentioned many, many times on Bonaire Talk are taken. In my opinion and expirience, petty theft on Bonaire is not a guaranteed event. Have a good dive.
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By Ed Young (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #2) on Sunday, June 29, 2003 - 11:13 pm: |
Hello Jim, Wally & Eva, and Marcus,
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By Wally and Eva (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #162) on Sunday, June 29, 2003 - 11:22 pm: |
(1) Not 2 years ago.
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By Peter Cabus (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #191) on Monday, June 30, 2003 - 2:16 am: |
Hi Ed,
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By Ed Young (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #3) on Monday, June 30, 2003 - 9:54 am: |
Thanks everyone,
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By Renea (BonaireTalker - Post #71) on Monday, June 30, 2003 - 4:50 pm: |
Ed,
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By Mary Wills (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #7) on Monday, June 30, 2003 - 6:49 pm: |
Ed,
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By Cynde (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #7363) on Monday, June 30, 2003 - 7:49 pm: |
Mary, how did you lock your spare tire?
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By Mary Wills (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #10) on Tuesday, July 1, 2003 - 12:28 am: |
Cynde, we bring along a sesame lock -- a kind of combination lock -- that has been heavily doused with WD40. We go to Kooyman, the big hardware on the main inland road out of playa heading towards Rincon. We buy a short length of chain. We chain the tire, lock it with the sesame lock, wrap the lock in a baggie and secure with either tape or a rubber band. (We left our chain on the island and we'll pick it up when we return.)
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By Cynde (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #7372) on Tuesday, July 1, 2003 - 10:05 am: |
Mary, thanks. You also reminded me that of the 6 pairs of flip flops none are to be left in the car....I need to throw that "ugly" pair in for the truck!
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By John Cowperthwaite (BonaireTalker - Post #44) on Tuesday, July 1, 2003 - 11:10 am: |
Here is one I have used for years when surfing internationally or in the US, and now while diving when on Bonaire. We tend to rent the little Hilux 4 door trucks, which are rather light. So we park at the site, I remove the keys and toss them on the ground behind the rear wheel. Liz (my fiance) drops the parking break and I push the truck onto the keys. She pulls the break and puts the truck in gear. Reverse that when leaving. This tends to work for a wallet too, but I don't carry mine just in case, only a small ziplock with some NAF inside, that I find very wet after riding in my bc for the course of the dive. I don't use this trick on pavement, but rather find a hiding place nearby. Never had a problem doing this, except one near-miss at Andrea I.
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By seb schulherr (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #752) on Tuesday, July 1, 2003 - 5:19 pm: |
Hey, I want some of those bank type exploding cartridges in my car available to be stolen that paint you all yellow or red. Is that Dutch legal? Seems like very few would solve the problem pretty quickly.
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By Wally and Eva (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #169) on Wednesday, July 2, 2003 - 8:26 am: |
I like it seb
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By seb schulherr (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #760) on Wednesday, July 2, 2003 - 10:15 am: |
I wonder if you could get them to look like cans of Amstel?
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By Daniel Senie (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #258) on Wednesday, July 2, 2003 - 11:17 am: |
Dutch law would probably land you in jail for 10 years for the entrapment and injury of a criminal.
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By seb schulherr (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #761) on Wednesday, July 2, 2003 - 12:19 pm: |
Not if you spread around a little cash it wouldn't.
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By Wally and Eva (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #173) on Wednesday, July 2, 2003 - 6:44 pm: |
Exploding Amstals full of paint.....trundling off to the shop....he he hee
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By Michael Gaunt (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #483) on Monday, July 7, 2003 - 3:10 pm: |
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By JIM KENNEDY (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #152) on Monday, July 7, 2003 - 5:47 pm: |
With all the thiefs that happen on Bonaire what happens to the thieves when they are caught? There has to be at least one person caught stealing at some point! So what happens to them?
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By DIVER DEBBI (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #312) on Monday, July 7, 2003 - 11:35 pm: |
good question....any answers from an informed Bonairian? I thought maybe there is no detention center for youth, so the younger culprets are not penalized in anyway and so no deterent there...am I correct ? also Dutch law is diffrent from the states
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By Jan Kloos (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #10) on Tuesday, July 8, 2003 - 9:26 am: |
If the thiefs are arrested on the scene or elsewhere with the stolen goods in their possesion,they will be arrested and prosecuted.
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By Jamie Barber (BonaireTalker - Post #55) on Tuesday, July 8, 2003 - 11:55 am: |
Bonaire stole our hearts!
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By gregg brewer (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #285) on Tuesday, July 8, 2003 - 12:31 pm: |
Can any of the folks who reside in Bonaire give us an idea of how many of the thieves have been caught in the last year and a synopsis of their penalties? It would seem to me that it would be fairly simple to catch them if the local police made an effort (stake out at Karpata or any of the sites). I don't consider this a marine park responsibility...thievery is a police issue.
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By Wally and Eva (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #178) on Tuesday, July 8, 2003 - 7:25 pm: |
What happened to the guy caught about 4 months ago.
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By Kathy Emerick (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #2) on Thursday, July 24, 2003 - 8:20 pm: |
An unusual story, in fact the manager at our hotel recommended we submit a police report that it was so unusual. For an entire 2 weeks of diving no other problems, always left the windows down and doors unlocked in our rental truck.
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By Carole Baker (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #2476) on Thursday, July 24, 2003 - 10:20 pm: |
I believe someone else made reference to these two Aqua Banditos in a prior thread....same "MO", as they say. Not playing on fair ground...no pun intended. Sorry to hear about your incident. I would be very upset and probably spend days setting up surveillance at spots previously hit. One of these days someone WILL run into these punks and the fur will fly...this will not be a good confrontation, either, I would imagine. CArole
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By Ed Young (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #4) on Thursday, July 24, 2003 - 10:31 pm: |
Reading the last post, it sounds like the juveniles have grown up and got themselves a boat. Probably stole it.
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By Ed Young (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #5) on Thursday, July 24, 2003 - 10:57 pm: |
I went back and reread Kathy's post and she says... "An unusual story, in fact the manager at our hotel recommended we submit a police report that it was so unusual." ... YOU SEE, THIS is the mentality in Bonaire and THIS is why I started this thread. You see, this constant petty thievery in Bonaire is looked upon as "normal"! BUT, have an "unusual" incident and they suggest you report it to the police! Damn, we all should report every incident to the police. How big is the island? How far can it be to the police station? Either WE are't telling the police, or the POLICE don't care, or BOTH. But, we need to do our part in order to find this out. Please report all of these incidents to the police and take the time to photo/video these jokers and show the police who they are and see if they'll perform their function!
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By Wally and Eva (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #194) on Thursday, July 24, 2003 - 10:59 pm: |
If I catch them I beat the tar outa them. Be like being back home with my no account cousins.
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By Ed Young (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #6) on Monday, July 28, 2003 - 9:29 pm: |
I just had a better idea. Rather than spending precious vacation time to video these turkeys and showing the police, I've thought of a way to reverse this situation back into a LOCAL problem. Do as we have been told by the locals, leave nothing in the vehicle, EXCEPT, roll the windows UP and LOCK the doors. When the vehicle rental agencies get hit in the pocketbook enough, replacing broken windows, I'll bet you the Islanders will change their lackadaisical attitude about these little ----'s and put an end to their shenanigans!
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By C. Kritagent (BonaireTalker - Post #96) on Tuesday, July 29, 2003 - 3:51 pm: |
Uhhhhh Ed... where did you get the info that the rental agencies pay for replacing broken windows ??? You will pay...either loss of your deductible (most often) or increase prices for vehicle rental.
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By Ed Young (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #7) on Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - 11:27 am: |
C. Kritagent,
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By Jeff (BonaireTalker - Post #11) on Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - 12:40 pm: |
To all who are concerned with Bonaire crime I
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By Marc @ CrystalVisions (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1136) on Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - 1:29 pm: |
First off, Ed, let me confirm that you as a client will pay for a broken window; it's not covered by CDW insurance, and although theft insurance (as far as damage to the car goes) is being looked at at the moment, there will always be a deductible. Are you willing to do that just to make a point?
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By Jamie Barber (BonaireTalker - Post #58) on Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - 3:06 pm: |
So please give me any day in Bonaire to try and foil attempts at petty crime than any day in Baltimore where I can hear the gunshots nightly. I live on a sailboat sometimes in the harbor which is not too far from the urban projects, and I would relish a relocation to the "mean streets" of Bonaire. Now if only I can figure out a way round the high-seas piracy that occurs in the southern Carribean in a regular basis I'd be setting sail tomorrow.
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By Ed Young (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #8) on Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - 5:22 pm: |
Marc@CrystalVisions,
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By John Cowperthwaite (BonaireTalker - Post #45) on Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - 6:42 pm: |
The quick and dirty answer is fairly simple, but doesn't solve the problem. The car rental companies could bolt on the abs plastic or steel workman's lock boxes to the beds of the hilux vehicles. Issue the keys with the car keys, and viola a locking safe of sorts for whilst your diving. The problem is, this is a fix not a solution.
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By seb schulherr (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #829) on Thursday, July 31, 2003 - 12:03 am: |
The car rental companies are very tired of the thefts, they are eating up all the profits fixing slashed gas tank tubes and such. I think the problem may be that a segment of the population feel that the theft is OK, because they would rather the tourists all go away.
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