Maybe it's just my brain working overtime, but why wouldn't you lock your car? Wouldn't it make it a lot less tempting?

<thought>

I mean I understand the general 'locked = valuable' but I guess I'm floored that someone could bust into a car and no one notices.

Crista... if you lock the car doors, the theives break the windows. This generally happens in the more remote areas (dive sites) on the island... not in "downtown" that I know of. Just look at the ground in the Oil Slick Leap parking area - it's littered with broken glass.

The rental car agencies will tell you to lock the doors or risk defaulting on the insurance and terms of lease, but I wouldn't recommend locking it at the dive sites... in fact don't even roll up the windows.

i suspect half that broken glass results from divers leaving their keys in the locked truck;)

Crista, when diving/snorkeling at a dive site, leave ALL windows down and doors unlocked. When in town, it is o.k. to lock it up. Never leave anything you care about losing in your vehicle and you will be fine. Strange, I know, but it works.

Some rental agencies specifically tell you to leave the doors unlocked and to not leave any valuables in the vehicle. Some even post it on the dashboards of the cars/trucks.

Crista, everyone is correct. When in town we don't even lock the doors or roll the windows up (unless it's raining;-) Slip your car keys, room key, glasses, in a dry box and put it in your BC pocket. Bonaire is such a small island, most folks put their wetsuit half on, set your gear up in the back of the truck at the hotel, drive, dive, drive back. I take an old pair of shorts and slip them under the seat. If someone wants them, they are old and tattered so it doesn't matter to me...

When we went to Oahu last April, in big red letters on the inside of the trunk of the car they had "Do not leave valuables in vehicle"...the letters were about 4 inches in size. I took a pic but don't think I have it anymore. We were also told to not leave anything visible laying in the car. So, it's not just a Bonaire problem

It is not just a Bonaire problem, but it is still a big problem on Bonaire . Thieves are about everywhere, so you must be always aware and take needed precautions. email me directly about problems with break-ins and theft during our stay at the Beaurang Residence, a nice place next door to Richard's Restaurant.

I guess like I said it just blows me away that you can't leave a towel or my husband's script glasses in the car while we're diving. I am taking all the warnings to heart and will not have anything in the car, but it's just WOW, what a world.

An old "ratty" towel and older shorts/t-shirts should be ok in the car... I wouldn't leave prescription glasses or sunglasses though.

We left food (granola bars, goldfish crackers, Pringles, etc,) plus water bottles in addition to towels, shorts/shirts, sunscreen, and bugspray and luckily for us, nothing was taken.

I did talk to someone who inadvertently locked their car and it was broken into (slim jim... no broken glass) and their water bottles were stolen, the window was rolled down and left that way. Thief with a sense of humor apparently.

Hi Christa,

I wear script glasses and I never take them diving. I just wear an old pair of cheap sunglasses till we get where we are going, stash them somewhere in truck. My mask is script and that is the most important thing I need to see as I am going down under! LOL! My hubby drives by the way as he does not need script glasses. Just in case you were wondering about me driving without my glasses. We always go back to my house after the dive and then I just put on my glasses there. No biggie really, just as I always bring a spare pair of glasses when traveling as I really need to be able to read/see things during the day too! BTW, my eyes are really that bad and I could drive if I had to, easier to just let hubby do it. Jeez, just thought of something, if your hubby really HAS to have them with him, and is blind as a bat without them, like my hubby was before lasik, then invest in a waterproof case that he can take with him down under! There are many threads on BT here about great cases that are great for that, lots of folks do that too! Remember to just wash them with fresh water every time as salt does a number to frames.. Even just walking around the island. You can also go and pick up a cheap script pair ($20) at most eyeglass stores and use when on island. I have a couple of those as well.

Christa, I think a good rule of thumb is to ask yourself if you would really miss whatever was in the truck if it was taken. We routinely leave ratty t-shirts, cheap flip flops, water bottles and snacks. We leave our "Bonaire sunglasses" (aka really cheap ones) somewhere out of sight. Relax and enjoy the diving!!

By Ron Myers
"It is not just a Bonaire problem . . . ."

Ron is right - - we were told the same thing over and over before heading to Hawaii last year! And of course it is on our news frequently here - - don't leave anything in your car!

BTW we didn't have our car touched in Hawaii and SOMEONE PLEASE tell me I'm right that MOST people who abide by the nothing in the truck when you dive don't have their truck bothered either.

Hi Crista,

I like to say that the three most important things you should pack to go to Bonaire are:

1. Your sense of adventure.
2. Your sense of humor.
3. Your common sense.

and I'll add...

4. Your BEST sunscreen. Equatorial sun has to be experienced to be believed. Do NOT take it lightly and also stay hydrated.

I live east of Midway and would no more think of leaving visible valuables ANYWHERE I park my minivan than I'd go streaking along Lake Shore Drive in January. The ONLY negatives I've experienced on Bonaire happened when I've had to board the plane to go home. I did NOT want to leave!

Thanks Randy... of course I'm still wondering why you don't streak in January... it's usually not really cold until March!

I think most of my nerves are stemming from the fact that my dad/husband may be lacking in the top two and I'm worried about how to keep them from flipping.

As far as the sunscreen... in Puerto Vallarta in March my husband frequently applied the 'sugar cookie' hand lotion the entire 8 hours he was out on the boat fishing... :D

Kathy, 5 trips - nothing taken from the vehicle - nothing left in the vehicle that I would miss.

I wear script sunglasses and I have a soft material pouch. I put them in the material bag/pouch and put that in my BC pocket when I dive. they are of course wet, when I get out...but that ain't no big deal

Interesting thought about leaving your car doors open. Maybe we should apply this to the good ol USA too and not lock our doors when we go out to the park for the day. Same thing would happen here, and has to me, even faster in some areas?

Bruce, I think if you did it in the USA...the car would not be there when you went to go home! I had the same car stolen twice from my work parking lot back in the 80's. It of course was locked both times...

Am I the only guy who brings his crappy old pair of glasses and leaves them in the car?

Chrisa, relax, you will have a great time! Just use common sense and you have been reading all the good info here on BT, you can't go wrong!
In my earlier post, I said my eyes are really that bad, should have typed my eyes really aren't that bad! LOL!

BTW, I have been going to Bonaire for over 12 years and have not had any problems with theft from my vehicle, knock on wood, I do keep my windows down when at diving/snorkeling sites and all what was said above. I know it is a pain not to be able to leave stuff in your vehicle, but alas, I don't do that here on the Jersey shore either! Maybe if you explain it that way to your hubby/father, they will take it with a grain of salt so to speak.

We bring two items and leave both in the unlocked/windows-open truck while diving: a single bottle of water and a gallon-size Zip-Lok bag filled with water to put my camera in after the dive. Would not be a problem if either went missing, although I would be annoyed (but not surprised). We use a small OtterBox with a lanyard around my neck and tucked inside my skin for our presciption/sunglasses and driver's license. While I may look like the hunch-chest of Notre Dame, it works fine. Used to use a Witz Sports Case for the glasses, but they usually flooded at depths greater than about 30 ft. Use a plastic spring-loaded key holder for car and condo keys, attached securely to a D-ring in my BC pocket (and triple-checked before hitting the water). Cheap and easily replaced after a few trips.

I couldn't agree more with the posts. Keep those doors unlocked and your windows down if possible. In 10 trips we have never had anything taken from our cars/trucks/love machines. Yes - usually I have a ratty towel, crappy shorts, old t-shirt, ball cap and leave behind flip-flops. Also usually have a bottle of water and some kind of snacks. Guess my stuff isn't good enough to take - and it certainly doesn't hurt my feelings. As for the glasses - do get a waterproof case if possible and if not - don't worry about it - you have that crappy towel, t-shirt or shorts to dry them off with. ;-)

1. Day one find a Manchioneel tree
2. Wrap and old towel and tshirt aound it and into leaves, sap is a prized aquisition.
3. Day 2 retrieve above items CAREFULLY using plastic bag.
4. Empty bag contents in to bed of truck and leave there for rest of trip.
5. Leave items conspicuously exposed at remote dive sites.
6. When they go missing return return home knowing that you have contributed mightily to the ecology of the islands fauna.

David....SPLENDID idea! I will pack my rubber gloves next trip...lol...what a surprise the would be thieves would have when they have a horrible itchy rash for days as their prize!

David...that was good!

If you are real nervous, don't bring anything with you. Wear your wetsuit, half way, and your dive booties. That way no shorts or shoes to be left in the car. Put on waterproof sunblock before heading out. Put your money and keys either in your BC or your hide-a-key pocket inside your wetsuit near the neck. Since you have to swap out tanks between dives and need a surface interval, reapply sunblock when you go back to the hotel/diveshop. On towels...why? Between the wind and that oh-so-close-sun, you will be dry by the time you take your gear apart.

And Seb...we leave old crappy glasses in the car too.

I would also say- (and I am sure that it is a 'given' but we were always amazed at the people who just drove up, parked and walked away from their car)- but if you notice that there are a bunch of young men hanging around the dive site when you drive up- try another site. Twice we came up to karpata and saw quite a crowd of teenagers hanging around the parking- we didn't stay. We moved on to another site (and not the next one down the road either- we figured they would just move with us. ) so far we have been lucky... (but we adhere to all the other suggestions as well.)

We are with Seb. Both of us really should not drive without our specs so we bring an old spare pair each and use these when we dive.

Make sure you bring the correct old glasses...last time I drove for three days before I realized I was using old reading glasses.

Good advice all. In ten plus trips I have had zero problems. All I leave in the car is ratty sunglasses, a ratty towel and tevas cable locked to something. The windows are at least half way down and the doors are unlocked.

My favorite two quotes on the topic from past theft victims:

a) "I can't believe they stole my running shorts. Why would anyone steal running shorts?! How bad is that you can't even leave dry shorts in your car during a dive? They were old and ratty so they are no big loss. But I had $50 in my pocket." (Heard firsthand)

b) "We just had $125 stolen from our glove box. This is the second time that has happened!" (Heard second hand)

What does everyone do with your cameras? We're snorkelors and it sounds like you can't take a camera unless you have an underwater one to take with you.

On the few occasions that I have gone shore diving (most of my diving was from chartered boats, hassle free and reasonable) in Bonaire, I would park near the dive bus that one of the dive shops parked on a pre designated beach at a prescheduled time and they watch the vehicle to make sure that it is not stolen from. This was 3 years ago, I do not know if the dive shop (unfortunately I can not recall their name-maybe it was UNDERWATER PHOTO) provides this free service any longer. Another gimmick that I have used to ensure that I was not stolen from was to bring a plastic bag along with me on the dive. I would put valuables and essentials like money, glasses, car keys etc into the bag and bury it in the sand under the car. I would put a stone on top of it and then go diving. Make sure that no one is watching you do this, or it will all be in vain. since 1999 it seems that it has been increasingly more important to use common sense when visiting Bonaire, The original people on the island are just wonderful. Some of the influx of visitors from other places and countries who reside there seem to have a different moral code. Of course, hasnt the world changed appreciably from what it was in 1999 just about every where. There is so little infrastructure in Bonaire (AKA Policia) that it is difficult for laws to be enforced. .. Perhaps with the induction of the island as part of Holland in 2007, this might improve? Hope so. Maybe we will return there at that time. I am sure a lot of people are wondering what the impact of the change of government on Bonaire will produce. Hopefully it will be a "good" impact. Since I am not familiar with the government or policys of Holland, I guess I will have to wait and see. Best of Luck and Hope for the Future for All.

Regards, Pag

Hi Pag,
The pink dive bus is no more!
Photo Tours ran the dive bus but the salt corroded too many parts.
Mare

While we were diving Karpata, we left our glasses (both prescription, since we're blind as bats) a bottle of water and a towel in the truck. We had two tins of Altoids with us which we use after a dive to freshen up the "sea water palate." We left the windows rolled down and the cab was unlocked.

When we returned, glasses had been taken from their cases and thrown on the floor (no damage, though) the ratty towel was taken and the tin of cinnamon Altoids was gone. They left the regulars.

We love the diving in Bonaire, but hate how you can't take even necessities with you when you go shore diving. It's a definite turn-off. In the future, I guess I'll take my glasses with me in a case.

If the government would make an effort to really crack down on these guys, they could probably attract many more people to the island. It's most unfortunate.

Cat..I do agree with you that some more enforcement would be better. I for one think they should have a Cam overlooking Karpata..I think that would be a big plus.
At any rate, I would definitely put RX glasses in a plastic case & just stick them in your BC. I suspect they thought there was money in your eyeglass case.

Vince, a cam might work for awhile, but no doubt the thieves would catch on pretty quickly and do their thing in disguise, parking their cars out of the range of the cam.

A few random days every month of having someone patrol there and other nearby sites would be the best discouragement of this kind of behavior, which no doubt hurts the whole island's economy to one degree or another. The only way this nonsense is going to stop is for word to get out that you never know when they're checking you out.

I will most definitely take our glasses with us the next time in the BC.

I wonder if it has occurred to anyone that this problem might not be just the local kids? I have been to Bonaire many times with out problem however one time I did come out of the water to find a "tourist" digging through the van. Anyone that reads these posts knows about the theft problem. How convenient for a "tourist" to be able to steal stuff out of a truck or van and not have to worry about getting caught because the blame is automatically going to be put on locals.
I don't even leave my cell phone in my car at home and I have a car alarm. It amazes me that people are surprised to find stuff stolen out of their cars on Bonaire.
By the way the "tourist" that was digging in my van nearly wet his shorts when I tapped him on the shoulder. I'm 6'5" and 250lbs. We had a little conversation about the situation. Bet he does not do that again :-)

Jim, if course it could be another tourist. For that matter, it might also be aliens from a spaceship, or poker-playing kangaroos with PhDs.

The fact remains that we frequent Hawaii, Cozumel, and Grand Cayman on a regular basis, all of which entertain many times more tourists than Bonaire does yearly, and we have never once experienced thefts in any of those places. I'm sure they do happen, but it's the exception, rather than the rule that it has become in Bonaire.

Add to that fact that tourists usually have a lot better stuff to do when on vacation than rip off other tourists. I'm sure this is the exception rather than the norm. Your experience is highly unusual, and to blame the proliferation of this unconscionable petty pilfering on "tourists" is specious, at best.

I am sure this has been put forth before.
What would it cost as a fee/tax/whatever dedicated to dive site security, and to be able to rid the island of this constant and ongoing problem?
I spend quite a bit to visit
Bonaire. A little more spent on securing dive sites would be well spent, IMHO.

Cat:

My sense is that the thefs are from locals. That said, there are many places in Mexico or the US where it would be foolish to leave stuff in the car.

Is it really that big a deal to leave nothing in the car, the doors unlocked and the windows down? Agreed that we should not have to do but it has never been an issue for me...

To date, I have had nothing stolen in Bonaire. But I have had a camera walk away from my room in Cancun (pretty sure it was another tourist), had my car lock screw drivered in Hawaii, had my wallet stolen from my room while I slept in Los Angeles and have had my unlocked car gone through at trail heads in Washington State and probably in other places as well.

David, pilfering can happen anywhere, and obviously dive sites and trail heads will see more of it, because the owners of the vehicles are going to be gone a long time.

Granted, it's not an "issue" like murder or armed robbery would be. However, it's pretty sad when you have to take your prescription glasses underwater with you for fear that someone will steal them from the car.

Bonaire is known for its diving. Divers contribute heavily to the economy. That considered, wouldn't it just make sense to make sure that divers don't have to worry about much of anything when they come to your island? Is that such a big issue, to make sure they're treated right?

Theft is a problem everywhere it seems nowdays. When we went to Oahu last April, this is what we found on the inside of our trunk....and we were told that we should not leave anything in the vehicle within plain sight

Ron Myers has a capital idea.

If we can pay a $25 marine park fee, how much extra would it cost for a combined marine park and dive site security fee?

(Message edited by rj_west on November 13, 2006)

Alas, Robert, if it's as poorly managed as the marine park fee is, it probably wouldn't do much good. I don't think it's a matter of money.

Twice while we were diving during our week-long vacation in May 2005, we were nearly snagged by a fisherman's hook. Both times it was at a site near the Hilma Hooker, so not out-of-the-way areas.

Your $25 at work for you!

Cat, did you report the incidents to the Marine Park? If not, next time you should. They need to know about these types of incidents. By letting them know, they can record the incident and be aware of the activity.

Cat,

Perhaps the dive security could be managed through the consortium of dive shops on the island, rather than the government, as a private security service (or just on its own as a private security service). It doesn't have to be linked to the marine park program. My intent was to communicate I'd pay a fee for reliable dive security service on Bonaire just like rental vehicle insurance or marine park fees.

Maybe Tony Soprano can move to Bonaire to start this program? A new twist to the Dive Bus program now kaput?

Just a thought.

(Message edited by rj_west on November 14, 2006)

Cyn, we reported it at the dive shop as soon as we returned to the Divi. They looked at me like, "Yadda, yadda, yadda." They said it happens all the time, and they weren't concerned in the slightest.

Robert, I think that's a capital suggestion, to make it a consortium of the dive shops responsible for security duty! I'm sure there isn't a diver there who wouldn't favor paying for something like this, if it meant reasonable security.

And failing that, Tony Soprano wasn't a bad idea, either!!

The old pink bus,heap that it was, at least provided a save haven for a couple or three dive sites at a given time. Would it be doable to fund even a single marked pickup with a known schedule simular to the old bus? Those sites would be of heavily dived because of the security, so maybe the crooks would just go where the security wasn't. Just another thought to add to the mix. Something has to be done "or the terrorist win too"

Cat, next time report it directly to the Marine Park. They are the one's that need to know (and would not have a casual and un-concerned response to the incident). For the dive shop to blow it off as something that happens all the time and not be concerned is unacceptable in my book. A hook in a bc could cause it to malfunction and deflate...not a good thing...a hook anywhere on a diver during a dive is not good.

It wouldn't have to be one single vehicle - roving patrols would work fine if paid well enough for security, and equipped with radios. If done correctly, no such published schedule like the Dive Bus had would be needed - it would even be counterproductive.

We vote with our wallets, with thought beforehand or not. To me, a few $/day for security service would go a long way vs. the few $ in items lost from tourists do to the economy. Such hassle factor can potentially divert wallets to other locations.

I'm taking the 'full insurance' package with AB car rental, for example, for the (perceived) minimization of hassle factor if something did occur. On our last visit, AB had a free upgrade from CDW to full insurance on the Group 4 pickup, and we took advantage of that. Never had anything disturbed with the windows rolled up & locked as required by the insurance agreement, but we skipped 1000 steps and Karpata for example for shore diving.

"but we skipped 1000 steps and Karpata for example for shore diving."

A big loss not to dive these sites in fear of someone getting into your truck! Amex covers personal property up to $2500 with a police report. Well, everbody to their own... Ron

Ron, that leaped out at me, too. To miss either of those sites because of the inherent problem of petty theft is sad, and a clear indication that more security is necessary. Having to deal with your credit card company's insurance is a huge hassle, so I can understand why you'd avoid anything that might put you in that situation. However, just having seen someone who feels it necessary to do so speaks volumes about this island.

Well Folks, It seems that people want security when diving. So what about starting a business on the Island of "Rent A Local"! I'm quite sure that someone reading this thread could get a group of people together that would ride out with you to your shoredive site and read a book in your truck on shore till your dive is done. $10 a site seems fair! That's more then the minium wage! Let's face it you get what you pay for! Maybe people could go to the divesites and park there with a sign "SECURITY FOR SALE" and make some extra money on a slow afternoon or morning. Post a phone number about and except appointments with shoredivers. Lots of things could be done! Food for thought! Ron

If you are the first with the franchise, I have a couple questions $10 per group or per diver? What happens when you come back and the guard AND your stuff is gone? Still, I can see the flyers in all the dive shops!!! and the idea would take off! On a more serious note I wonder if the local security groups might be incorporated into dive site security? This may be a viable thing with a couple extra dollars added at the same time the marine park tag is paid. With local bureaucracy being what it is, this could be done within ??? years. Lets keep this idea going. Maybe an answer to a constant and growing problem will shake out.

Well, gee, Mr. Gould, since we had done boat dives right in that area (northern sites), the risk vs. reward as opposed to diving a southern site we hadn't dove, or a return trip to the Hilma Hooker, didn't pan out in our ciphering and what we were looking for. But, honestly, to each their own. Perhaps you hadn't considered we'd performed boat dives as well . . . after all, we had 4 free boat dives in our package last time, so we took 2 on Klein Bonaire and 2 in the northern sites (Rappel & Bloodlet IIRC).

Attaboy, Mr. Myers . . . I'm with you.

(Message edited by rj_west on November 16, 2006)

(Message edited by rj_west on November 16, 2006)

Diving sites with lots of broken glass shards in the parking area just isn't what I travel thousands of miles for either. If the premise that half of it is from divers who left their keys in their vehicle and locked themselves out, wouldn't statistical probability distribute that glass fairly evenly across the different dive sites, just differing in total quantity?

We did have my non-diving in-laws along with us for part of our last trip, who would read and enjoy the coastal site while we went diving some times. But I wouldn't advise flying someone along just to watch the vehicle - the $8 / day incremental fee for full insurance should be a more economic option.

I don't take vacation to add hassle factor to my life - I take vacation to relax and enjoy (work to live, don't live to work). I've already posted the additional $8 / day is worth it to me for minimizing potential hassle factor. I'd just as soon pay that for a proactive measure rather than a reactive one.

I wouldn't dive the Superior Producer on Curacao as a shore dive either, for a different island example. However, the shore dive sites we chose to visit on Curacao had nominal entry / parking fees (three guilders typically, or you needed to show your free passes from your lodging if beside such an area). I had zero concerns for the rental vehicle and goods locked within when diving such sites (including Director's Bay).

Just plain exercises in personal judgement, which will by definition have personal variation.

But I'm obviously not in the either the insurance business nor the security business. I'd welcome contributions / ideas from professionals in those fields though.

Hi--after reading all the entrees- I only saw one comment about the police-being understaffed. Do the police ever respond to any of these things? Are you allowed to defend yourself or your belongings if you catch someone in the act? I have heard of home invasions where the thieves carry machettes. Again- are you allowed to defend yourself, and how much? will the police respond or not to these either?
My wife and I bought a home on bonaire and are coming during spring break. Thanks Randy