So everyone wants to make a buck. Cruise ships are here, it's our reality so my friends many taxi drivers race to and from Lac Bay at alarming speeds to drop off and pick up guests. The more runs the more money. Stay off Sorobon road on Fridays from 8-11 AM and 1-3 PM. It's bedlam. Today the good police of Bonaire had a speed trap. My VIP client Tom was stopped doing 69 in a 60 zone. He spend the better part of the day paying his fine of 50,00 ANG and lost an entire day of his windsurf clinic. Meanwhile he reports not one taxi was in the speed trap. Lovely...

Thanks for the heads-up, Ann. We arrive Sunday, and will keep this in mind.

I think it's safe to figure that Ann is talking about KPH not MPH. So stay under 35 MPH. Pretty tough for Americans use traveling at 70 or higher.
Mick

On the Long Road (from West to Lac Bay) I have seen the look of pure terror on the faces of the passengers in the Minibus Taxi rattling at 120+ kph. Sooner or later it will happen.....

I honestly hope the taxis have to pay also !
And I hope they start controlling the speed at the beginning of the road too ! The speed limit when houses are there is 40kmh but believe me, speed is often by the taxis and on weekends by locals 80kmh or even more - and I guess even higher once they are a little futher down the road .....

I better tell George to leave his lead foot at home!!! It's too much weight when he dives anyway...

Surely no-one on BT is actually suggesting there could be prejudice? It must be coincidence that noone saw a taxi caught by the speed trap

I have to add, I am glad there are speed traps now but from what my client told me there was not one taxi in the speed trap and his friend, clocked at over 70 was let go because there were so many in line stopped. I understand the stress and urgency the taxi drivers face to make a buck and to shuttle as many back and forth but it's surreal to see the vans racing passing each other loaded to the brim with tourist..nuff said..

Well it's wheels up at 11:30 tonight and we live just off that road.... and I'll be VERY careful.... besides... who needs to go fast on Bonaire.... I slow down the minute the door to the plane opens..... Michael, we have a surprise for you....

Bill, sadly in the past year EVERYONE seems to be in a hurry. Folks pass me all the time only to sit in front of me at a snails pace due to some ahead of us. I get honked at now too..little Bonaire is not always so little and "trankilo" on the roads anymore..

It's well documented that the Bonaireans do many things SLOWLY.. e.g. at the bank, in a check out line at the grocery, bringing the bill at a restaurant etc. However, when it comes to driving, this certainly appears to be the exception.

The excessive driving speeds which I've personally witnessed many times at 07:00 especially along EEG (on the stretch between Belmar & the airport) is really one of my pet peeves. Especially when the speedsters are in a marked vehicle advertising an established business on the island. You'd think they know better.

i ride my bike around the south end of the island many mornings. on cruise ship days i've learned to do a clockwise route so i'm off the road to sorobon by 730. if there is no cruise ship due in i can ride counterclockwise and wave to my windsurf friends as they head to the bay.

Taxi drivers and other locals more than likely call and warn each other of any speed traps, which would explain why they were not present in the line of offenders.

I just came back from a bike ride; headed out at 6:30 AM to beat any traffic. Couldn't believe the number of vehicles (cars, pickups, and heavy trucks), which were flying past me on a Sunday morning on Kaya Gob. Debrot!

I'll have to admit as a person who does not normally drive slowly, people were flying by me when I was on Bonaire...Andrea(who came with me from the US) asked me why I was "driving so fast" and Amanda(the one residing on Bonaire) said "why is she driving so slow"...the driving pace on Bon certainly does seem to be the exact opposite of the pace of everything else. When we went to Rincon the day before I left, I couldn't believe the speed people were flying around that tiny little town.

Indeed the speeding in the last year has gotten horrific. In addition to this problem, I have seen a huge increase in passing on the small roads here, and have witnessed two people forced off the road to avoid a head-on collision. When this happens, the offending driver does not stop, and they are well over the speed limit. With the road damage from the rains, this has become even more dangerous.

Remember when you would drive and people would pass and smile and wave hello?
I haven't seen this much on our recent trips.
Too bad I always liked that.
Everyone is in such a hurry and missses the experience of getting to another place.

while doing my bike ride on the road to sorobon today i saw three or four dead flamingos piled/tied to a utility pole. i wonder if they got hit by a car. mary said she saw a small flock walking across that road recently. it's too bad that people are driving so fast that they can't avoid a few birds walking on the street.

Pat,

That is so SAD!

We look forward to the laid-back way of life on Bonaire, ESPECIALLY the slower driving! There is no reason the flamingos should be threatened by speeding vehicles.

We will be taking the slow pace while we are there!

Ruth

Pat, I think I know what happened..the flock flies into the wires and they get strangled. I found 8 once and was horried. I contacted Elsmarie at STINAPA who is well aware. I think the issue needs to be sent to WEB so they can put something on the lines so the birds see the lines? I am not 100% sure but think this is the issue.

Please everyone contact WEB. Meanwhile I will ask our biologist Jerry Ligon if he can reply.

yes .. that is the issue .. the flamingos plight was recently covered in the papiamentu daily the "Extra" in an effort to get more reflectors in place. the flamingos are not being hit by speeding vehicles..