Has thre been a recent shooting in Negril ?

[Rob]

1st let me say no disrespect meant Rob but this sounds like the hearsay type stories that you often warn us about.

I dont own a large AI, but that doesnt mean I havent learned how they operate over the years. I know and have talked with virtually all the AI managers or owners in Negril at one time or another in the past 20+ years of living here. Some have been on the board of directors of Negril.com in the past, and some I see on nearly a daily basis. I do have a somewhat intimate knowledge of how they conduct business.

This topic does often come up in our conversations. This is how I know this information. It is common knowledge to those in the AI business. Heck, even roundiconer mentioned that they were following several lawsuits, so lawsuits can and do occur even if they very little chance of winning should the incident occur off the property or not on an authourized tour.

But the AIs still have to absorb the costs of getting the lawsuit dismissed by using that portion of their liability insurance coverage that covers lawyer and court fees. That is why they dont want to be sued for an incident that happened off their property, it will raise their rates for something they didnt cause. If the incident happens on the property or an authourized tour, that is when the liability insurance directly kicks in and the injured party is compensated. The AI will see a rate increase for that as well because it happened on the property and should/could have been prevented.

Liability insurance is one of the annual expenses that the large AIs must pay to stay in business. The Jamaica Tourist Board requires they carry it just as they do for all licensed and legal hotels, resorts, rentals and tours operators, etc. But the AIs carry much higher coverage limits than the average tourism related business as they have much more exposure being much larger properties (deep pockets). Without this liability coverage, they would not be allowed to conduct business nor would any of the other businesses mentioned. Once again, this common knowledge to those in the business.

The question posted earlier is a great one. Since the guests have already paid in advance for food and drinks, logic does dictate that each meal and drink that their guests would buy off property would save the AI money. Business being business, why would an AI encourage their guests to not buy drinks and meals off the property when it would be in their interest to do so as was asked earlier?

The reason would have to be cost effective enough to offset any savings from the guests buying meals and drinks off the property. And the main reason is the legal liability issues and the high cost of the insurance coverage associated with it. By overseeing all aspects of their guests stay, they minimize the chance of being sued for something they didnt do which would lead to higher insurance rates.

[roundiconer]

Rob, thanks for such a thorough explanation. I mean no disrespect, but how would an insurance company, in setting rates, know how many guests leave the property or how the insurance company would know how the resort discouraged guests from leaving the property? I have followed a few of the lawsuits brought against Jamaican resorts-there are not very many-and even in the most egregious cases involving an on property mishap, the guest did not even get to trial. Such lawsuits are seldom filed and then are seldom lost. When you look around Jamaican resorts, you can only be amazed at the hazards that would never be tolerated by an American insurance company that insures hotels and resorts. Without revealing my occupation and my familiarity with some of the AIs, I will just say that I am familiar with this subject. Resorts around the world do pay high premiums for liability insurance but not for the reasons that you state. Two incidents come to mind where two lives were lost involving a Negril resort. One was on property and one off property. The resort in both cases did not pay a cent in damages or legal fees.A guest at one resort was raped by an employee of the adjoining resort. Nothing was ever done about it even though the rapist was almost immediately identified. Overseas visitors that have an issue with a Jamaican resort only have a chance in a lawsuit if they sue the provider of the travel in their home country. Even then, the task would be very difficult due to the difficulty in getting evidence, taking depositions, subpoenas etc. Even those with really "deep pockets" such as John Issa had little success suing Butch Stewart in a US court. Not a personal injury case but illustrates the point. Now none of this really matters to us as fun seekers and I don't think that many on this board are deterred from leaving a resort and I doubt that any of us will ever sue a Jamaican resort. Let us reason in good humor! Peace and Guidance for sure.( This subject reminds me of a story regarding limits of liability. A friend of mine who is the GM of a resort told me about a newly arrived guest who demanded that the resort refund her the cost of a bag of ganja that she had purchased in the parking lot as she arrived. She said the ganja was of poor quality and since she purchased it on resort property that the GM should give her a refund. He declined!)

[Rob]

roundiconer,

As I am sure you know, insurance companies have actuaries that determine the average, or likelihood of guests leaving the property based on statistics. This allows them to set the standard rates. They can and sometimes do attend the "orientation" meetings to hear what is said and make note of signs on the property and cards left in the rooms. This may influence the final rate.

If the AI needs to use the coverage, as we all know, their rate charged will go up.

I used to work for insurance companies before I began selling them computers and rating software. I got to know the actuaries quite well. But that was in a different life.

For those that don't know , John Issa and Butch Stewart would both be considered "deep pockets". And in the cases you mention, the AIs had to pay their own legal fees. I have never heard of an AI lawyer working for free...

I think we both heard that same ganja story. People will try to sue for anything!

[Marko]

been here since May and all is quiet and laid back here as usual in Negril....
and mi have been out to the wee hours of da morning solo too on da West End......ha ha

Cool Runnings, Marko

[Marko]

unfortunately there was an incident last night when a local man was shot and killed....
happened at his residence at the start of Pee Wee Lane aka Ellla Drive........
thugs apparently did this late last night when many of us were getting to retire for the night...
being next door to this crime mi have an unsettled feeling about this......
it was a robbery/murder drug related however wi are in good hands with the local law enforcement here.......

Cool Runnings, Marko

[TAH]

Who was killed? That area is and has been sketchy as long as I have been coming to the west end. I stay right nearby there...

[Patricia]

http://iriefm.net/businessman-killed...edium=facebook

[Accompong]

http://iriefm.net/businessman-killed...edium=facebook

Link didn't work for me. Try this one. http://iriefm.net/businessman-killed-in-negril/

[original spanky]

Rob, asking your opinion . Has there always been the violence and guns in Negril thru the years and it just gets publicized more with social media or are things getting much worse?

[Rob]

Original Spanky,

Well, this is rather a loaded question, pardon the pun. Since there are more guns on the planet than at anytime in human history, it would be logical that there are more guns everywhere.

As for gun violence in Negril, in my 25 years or so of living here it seems to be no better or worse than it ever has been. Historically 1980 was the worst year for gun issues island wide due to the US-USSR Cold War. Both countries were supplying firearms to Jamaica. Some of those are still in use so there are still repercussions being felt from the long over Cold War. A Gleaner editorial has even suggested that “U.S. gun manufacturers ought to share some of the responsibility for the mayhem being created in Jamaica.”

With the Internet, nothing can be hidden. Cameras on smartphones can produce instant "news". But the darker side of the Internet and more so with the "social media" aspect of the Internet, information, true or false, is transmitted at the speed of light. As do virtually all important events here, the shooting that Marko mentioned happening next door to where he stays has inundated my email. I have received emails where people have read posts with the wrong lane, wrong person, wrong number of people verging on the point of wild speculation.

The "Negril Rumor Mill" is quite active and needs no help. But with the added confusion and misinformation that social media provides it just expands that rumor mill to the point of absurdity. It can take a single event (or even a non-event), change (or invent) the details and make it seem like multiple events in minutes. If it wasnt so serious, it would be funny. But the humor is quickly lost when wrong places are mentioned and wrong people are implied.

When Kubba Pringle had his massive stroke and was in intensive care at the hospital, he was "declared" dead weeks before he actually passed. The social media was so strong that even one Jamaican news company declared him dead days before he died. I truly wished that some people would remember that there are other lives that are influenced when they make irresponsible posts. How would they feel if it happened to them?

That is why we try our best at Negril.com to get the facts and to stick to the facts. Anything can be speculated about, such as why people would post misleading information in the first place. Is it because they are mean and doing it for a twisted kind of fun, ill-informed and just dont know not to post wrong info or is it just a way to make themselves feel important, a "look at me, I posted it first" mentality? We can speculate all day, but in the end there is no point in doing so. It gives no one any helpful, useful information to make their stay in Negril the best possible!