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http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...h_Jamaica.html
I wish there were more details to this story, doesn't sound like the writer is making it up or deliberately trying to put down our beautiful Negril....makes you think, though..you can't be too careful, wherever you are....
I wonder if this was a red plate car or not, whether this driver was some random citizen or a Rick's regular....too many questions
Sounds really bad. We just returned from Catcha and walked to Ricks and LTU several times, and to the lighthouse. We were asked if we needed a taxi about every ten steps...most looked ok, but some looked a little shady. We just said that we were good and kept walking and didnt have any problems.
wow...
Since this was not posted here and the OP does not seem to be a member here - no one here can answer the question with anything but a guess. You may want to ask the OP on TA if it was a red plate taxi...Quote:
Originally Posted by lisapat
Odd
OMG... She im guessing... was tellin the truth... You have to pay attention who your getting in a car with... she did say she rushed into a car... wow... I however dont agree with staying on the resort being the only way you will be safe... I do see y she would say that but this is not good for poor coco la palm considering its on their review... and all of jamaica for that matter... JUST BE AWARE AND STREET SMART... I'm wary of all cab drivers i dont know if this is everywhere but here you cant get out of the car unless they let you out... this fact scares me and id rather walk or drive if possible. same thing anywhere else you cant trust strangers... ........wow.......
I am so sorry to hear of this. But folks need to remember when they pack for vacation, still bring your common sense along. Being careless or inattentive about what vehicle you are getting into could get you into just as much trouble in places like San Francisco, New York City or Montreal as well as Jamaica. Especially as a woman who travels solo, I like to exercise caution as needed.
a great response from tourist minister...shows they are on top of things..can't be easy
and thumbs up for staff at co co la palm...
the police sure have their work cut out for them..no wonder they have a rum bar in the station at negril..lol
Absolutely right Sweetness! Just because someone is on vacation does not mean bad things won't happen. Jamaica is not void of crime just because we find it heaven on earth! Common sense will get you far in life... duh!Quote:
Originally Posted by SweetSue
BTW.. It would be nice to be able to write a rebuttal on TA to let this person know that before heading to someone else's country you should be smart enough to research the do's & don'ts & the how to's... again I guess that's where common sense would come into play!
I don't want to blame the victim. If this is legit it is a horrible crime. I hope the other woman who ran away on her broken ankle accepted the care of the hospital staff.
I saw her other reviews as well, and she clearly does not have a taste for Jamaica in general....cool, it aint everybody's cup of tea.
Assuming her experience was factual and real, I can tell you that something like that can be very traumatic and will certainly stir up a lot of emotion whether rational or not. Point is, I cant blame her for the harsh generalizations she made.... However that's exactly what they are. She did not exhibit any common street smarts and if you dont have that....then yeah you are probably wise to stay in your hotel. I'd imagine she jumped in the first car that offered her a ride. Terrible thing to have happen, especially on vacation out of country....BUT it could've happened anywhere making poor decisions like that. Lesson learned.
one taxi driver - 2 women - hmmm
She gave the review 4 stars, hardly a harsh review and it doesn't seem to me like she blew it out of proportions.Quote:
Originally Posted by TizzyATX
It seems like she accepted that she should have known better and that she is advising others to be careful and display "common street smarts".Quote:
Originally Posted by TizzyATX
The thing is, I have no issue with getting into a CAB in any country and expecting to get from point A to point B, to justify what happened to her because "she" lacked street smarts is IMO blaming the victim.
I see everyone talking about only getting into a cab with a red license plate, which ignores the question of why there are cabs with white license plates allowed if they're advised against being used.
I don't see any situations where assault by a cab driver can be justified and blamed on the victim, and from what I read the police were less than helpful.
It seems to me like she likes Jamaica but was voicing her concern for other travelers, if she had set out to trash Jamaica I highly doubt she would have done a 4 star review of the place.
Interesting to see all of the speculation/assumptions in this thread. Rob must be sleeping in from the show last night because these threads usually close much quicker.
Hi Blake :D
I think you misunderstood my post, but I'm really not up for a debate this morning.
Blake I can put a plate on my car & call myself a taxi... doesn't make me a legit cab driver! The red plate drivers in JA are, from what I understand, insured & certified to operate as a cab driver. Why would someone not utilize legitimacy? I'm not blaming the victim but if she had done her research before going this incident probably could have been avoided.
Ok...looking back....Id like to correct myself....
Based on the information given, it looks like some poor choices could have been made. Does that place blame...no. I was trying to explain that regardless if you put yourself in a bad position....an experience like this is traumatic....I know firsthand. That being said, I wish the best for the poster and hope she recovers from this. I also hope other people learn from it. I hope that ppl will not look negatively on JA just from reading her post.
That is all :)
Steph....good point....well made
how does one person assault two people at the same time - that's the part i don't get
http://files.sharenator.com/lawrence...-47204-580.jpg 2 Chicks at the same time man.Quote:
Originally Posted by Seveen
who dat? i don't recognize the face
You've never seen office space? It's a classic.Quote:
Originally Posted by Seveen
Seveen......If you have never seen Office Space (the movie) you must drop everything and run right out and rent it and watch it....I mean now
You will LYAO!
I love that movie so much it hurts
Blake,Quote:
Originally Posted by Blake
As Garysteph has correctly pointed out, there are no taxis with white license plates. Legal taxis ALL have red license plates. If you get in a car with white plates - this vehicle is NOT a taxi - it is just some person who is driving a car.
To all,
Once again a reminder to only use legally licensed and insured red plated taxis while in Jamaica!
The first time I went to Jamaica, I didn't do any "research." Don't know why people dis others for "not doing their research." Seriously, how many people do that? Now in hindsight and after reading many boards (and, unfortunately, with getting older), I do realize it's a good idea, but back then it didn't even cross my mind.
The 'other women' is a friend of mine and emailed as soon as she got home. I am so upset.
I have a place down there and last year while I was sleeping someone actually came in my house , in my bedroom, robbed all my money out of my pocketbook and left everything else that was in it including the bag. I had just gone to ATM that day and had a lot of $$ in it. Someone also robbed my TV ( a new big one) the day I left to go home.
Yes I know it can happen anywhere, but, I live in New York all my life and never had anyone do these things. I now have to live in prison down there with gates and grills all over my place. Its despicable.! I am mad, the police are worthless, never did anything for me.
I may not be the seasoned traveller that some brag about on these travel sites, but as a newbie to Negril with six weeks under my belt the last two years, I can dispute this womens remarks about what to expect from Negril. We have found it very safe to use Red plate taxis, she said she rushhed into a car, and then called it a cab. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that she never actually got into a cab in the first place. I Know of Rapes and Murder in fine hotels all over the world, and on luxury cruises, and those unfortanate people never left the boat or compound. Let us use the analogy of someone who goes to their first ball game and tells everyone how boring it was and that they will never go to another game ever again what a waste of money, yet they didn't even realize how fortunate they were to witness the pitcher toss a perfect game. Finally i would like to thank Rob, and the many contributers to this site. I know it has enhanced my visits through what i have learned, and others i will take with a grain of salt. I am glad that no worse came to those unfortunate ladies, but i've always taught our children we make our own fortunes. Cheers!
Maryann,
I have been traveling to Jamaica regularly for almost 14 years and been a participant in this board longer than that. Before my first trip I did as much research as possible. I wanted to find out everything I could to maximize my experience. I read every guide book I could find from cover to cover and spent countless hours studying maps and yes asking questions on this board. I can't imagine traveling to a foreign country and not doing the research. True if you're going to an A/I compound and all you're going to do is lie on the beach and drink "free" booze it might not be necessary but that was never my plan. And I still maintain that if that is your idea of a vacation, why spend the money to go to a foreign country. I'm not dissing anybody for not doing the research, I just can't imagine not doing it.
Queenie. I hope your friends broken ankle wasn't further damaged when she had to run on it. I always get a defensive feeling when I travel through neighborhoods with bars on all the windows. When I pass through Jackson Heights from La Guardia I often wonder how people live, caged up like that.
I don't get the issue with bars on the windows. Am I the only one that was from a city (Canada) where many had alarm systems rather than bars on the windows.
There isn't an effective alarm company in the rural parts of Jamaica yet & barely in the large cities here...choices are limited.
You didn't need bars Bnewb. The windows were frozen shut!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ras Walleye
Thank you for this response! I was a little annoyed at the post suggesting people who research a country they are travelling to is just silly. I think it's silly not to & I'm glad I've got good company! :)
I can't see anyone looking positively on JA just from reading her post.Quote:
Originally Posted by TizzyATX
You see it time and time again here on bulletin boards that people tell a story and then it is parsed and diced and innuendoed to a point that whether it was true or not in the beginning it comes out looking like a sausage or a politician's version of the "facts".
Peace and Guidance
You could be a victim of assault anywhere in the world.
You could be a victim of assault in Negril.
Last December I was assaulted, robbed, cut with a knife
not 100 yards from the Beaches Sandy Bay Resort at 10 AM
in the morning.
I had been walking that stretch of beach in the morning, from Beaches Sandy Bay
to Cosmos for 15 years.
This is a fact. The Police were called. I got sticthes and a
tetnus shot.
I wont be walking alone in Negril ever again.
Oh, snap! Lol! Just saying... some people are spontaneous and don't take the time to do the research. First time I went was 20 years ago. Didn't even know TripAdvisor or any Jamaican travel boards existed then. I had 4 young children, so my reading consisted mainly of children's books. It was a spur of the moment vacation with my BFF after a year of hell, so I just went with the flow. In hindsight, had I known everything that I do know, and had I done "all the research," it's doubtful my trip would have been as magical. So no offense, JMHO.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ras Walleye
Maryann,
Twenty years ago none of those existed. Negril.com was started in 1995 and TA was started in 1999. There was very little to research back in 1992... I think they had things called books in things they called book stores back in those days... (grin)
So I have a good excuse then. (:
lolQuote:
Originally Posted by Rob
I didnt mean to make light of the incident, nor to Papa Georgie's helpful information (thanks man!). But in the distant (sorry Maryann) past, there was no real good way to research anything like a vacation. But with the advent of the internet, that has changed. A lot of folks here on Negril.com spend a lot of time trying to make sure that all the visitors to Jamaica know that only legal taxis have red plates.
While this may not be a perfect option - it does remove from the equation all the other vehicles that are not legal taxis. That is a substantial amount of vehicles that need to be of no concern to our visitors. Legit taxis have to pay fees and insurance premiums that the average driver does not. They are all less likely to jeopardize their red plate status than the average driver (being licensed or not, and insured or not)
Please always remember to use only red plated legal taxis for all your transportation needs. Being properly informed and protecting yourself as best you can should always be a priority.
i was only ever tempted to to get in a white plate offering a ride once, but i told the driver thanks but my parents taught me never to get in a car with strangers, plus we were only walking down seastar lane to LTU. I think we would all be safer if we used the good advise offered by Rob, the seasoned visitors to the places we like to visit , remember the wisdom passed down by our elders, and listened to our gut. Thanks again Rob for inviting to give Karen and I a lift, the only car I ride in is one with someone I trust. Cheers!
Lol, Rob! Didn't mean to make light of either, but bad things happen to good people, and not necessarily because they didn't do their research. Sounds like these ladies had visited Negril many times.