Spending 8 months over 6 years in Jamaica, while more than many tourists, does not automatically mean that the experiences you have had are representative of the entire country. How much time have you spent in Kingston or Port Antonio or Mandeville or even Negril with people who actually insure their vehicles and dont rely on illicit drug production to make ends meet?
On the head, Rob. I started out traveling around Jamaica for nearly 10 years before visiting Negril for a second time and only spent 3 days there the first time in 1983. Although bending of rules and begging is not exclusive to Negril or other touristy places, it does seem to provide a spot for those types to congregate and thrive without the peer pressure from the overwhelming majority of honest, hardworking Jamaicans that populate the rest of the island.


In rural Jamaica I have found the majority of Jamaicans to possess too much pride to beg just as here in So. Florida. Here I get begged almost as much as I do in Negril anyways!

Peace and Guidance.