For the last several years I have either stayed up in Red Ground or cabins across the road with doors wide open or skeleton key locks.....this year though, I felt the need to stay at a hotel with a safe, buy trip/health insurance.....just felt more relaxed on this trip having some sort of protection...not totally insulated from thievery but better than previous years.....Originally Posted by rompcherry
Mine was on 2/26 about 3:30 AM. I thought the door was locked. However, I don't remember whether I opened it and checked the knob from the outside or not. I take very few valuables with me to Jamaica. I always leave tablets, lap tops, etc. at home. This trip I even forgot to take my camera (lucky for me). The most I ever have is my IPhone, as I have all of my music on that. My cash, passport, etc. were locked in the safe on the far-side of the room, so he would have had to go around the bed to get there. My IPhone was in my beach bag on the desk near the door. I think he was just trying to grab whatever was close at hand and then get out. I feel for sure that it was the same "team", as my friend said he saw a woman on the beach running in the opposite direction from the thief when he got there.
More security, better wages.....blah blah blah...Security can and will sleep at night if the conditions are right. Keyed time clocks that they have to punch so they have to move every few minutes can still be beat.....been there done that, had the numbered key chains to prove it. During most of my 6 years in college I worked security jobs ranging from guarding a race horse to supervising up to 30 guards per shift....
Security at hotels in Jamaica mostly sucks in my opinion. The guards have for the most part no weapons, no communications to report crimes, no means of restraining any bad people they find, no rewards for catching/deterring crime,.......and on and on. Begging up guests for booze, ganja, food, money, hunting for a bedmate....while not focusing on the job at hand......not in all cases but many.
Sometimes the only way to make changes happen faster and to make sure this doesnt happen again is to name names ie the resort. This way responsible resorts have to react fast and make sure changes happen and not take a wait and see, or maybe it was a one off situation. This is when this forum can make a difference, makes people react, in a positve way.............. just saying lacdeloo
Mr Stripes does make a good point re" the persecuting of criminals....That is one area wher Jam. is severly lacking ,that and cases being held up in court for years ,and years... I'm known of many criminal acts that were commited against locals (no this isnt about tourists and negril) many of these involve, murder, rape,missing persons etc etc..in majority of the cases justice was never done.....I know police will give more attention to tourists and their crimes (its the bread and butter of the country).... but still, when do you ever hear of a criminal that committed a crime against a tourits be held accountable...( except for the above Sav story...) I cant think of any..
I dont know what the answer is to dealing with the increase of crime ....Most likely, one would be spmething many dont want to imagine (esp this board) and that would be to take you dollars elsewhere ....until Jam decide to get a little more serious about dealing with crime..
When i come to a tropical paraside the last thing i want is to be on lock-down mode..cant even have a window open to feel the night breeeze and hear the ocean..have to set up a fort know security system in my room ...unfortunalety, theres not alot of places in Jam you can do that without having excellent security... and yes, i feel people have the right to know what places do have excellent security vs those that dont...
I just hope the tide turns before someone really does get hurt...
ps. in the city in s cali here -we have over 100,000 citizens here-and out local paper everyweek has a police sheet with all the robberies, attemped, asssaults ect listed ...people in our community like to know where this stuff is going on and they feel they have the right to know...
" Ones destination is never a place, but rather a new way of looking at things." (Henry Miller)
Gerry, yes. You have my email if you have any questions.
So you continue to recommend that place even after the $500 was stolen?
With tourism around 5-6% of GDP I do not think we can say tourism is the bread and butter, more like the roll of paper towels.
Also, I have seen several comments about what happens in the States, hence many folks thought processes. However, you cannot compare Third World to the States, both of which have their pluses and minuses in compare.
What I find interesting is several folks who do not see the thieves as 100% of the problem. Leave your valuables at home, blah blah blah blah blah blah.
And who elected Ping Pong as the almighty one Fred?
Why not, it was THERE fault for stashing their money in a cup. What were they thinking??? They should expect thieves would hit their room.
Trying to follow thread. But....
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