Yep. And frankly these happen far more often than are shared on tourist sites. I like to use this as my excuse to be a daytime partier, however I have diversified my valuable vacation time as I no longer feel comfortable enjoying Negril after dark like I used to. Time to round of the D bags and make Negril Great Again.Originally Posted by jojo p
Rob interested in your keeping it real thoughts about how tourists should react to this all too frequent occurrence of murder in Negril. thanks.
I love Negril, and it will always hold a place in my heart. that said, family living in Jamaica chose to relocate inland dues exclusively to the danger they felt in Negril. Not only my US-born uncle, but his lifelong Jamaican wife instead. She is here in the the us at the moment, and said just yesterday, matter of factly ''Hope they can get the crime under control so you can retire there someday'' when we were talking of Negril....and the comment came out of nowhere, as we weren't discussing related issues at the time. I understand sometimes things get blown out of proportion and it scares tourists, which benefits no one, but when residents chose to relocate because they no longer feel safe themselves, it gets my attention.
yes this happened yesterday at the place where mi get mi hair done.....sad mon
mi was out bicycling riding twice yesterday cause it was so beautiful out and was by this location hours earlier......
mi plan on staying close to home the next few days anyways cause it Christmas.....ocean calling mi name......lata
Cool Runnings, Marko
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Sadly enough this is not an isolated incident in Negril or Jamaica . I have spent over 60 weeks in the course of 10-12 years in Negril . My days vacationing in Negril
came to an end 6-7 years ago with the shooting death of my long time driver while sitting at a restaurant waiting for his lunch . My time and money know goes to
Cuba . I never would have believed it 10 years ago myself . However as I am no longer a spring chicken I prefer the warmth and SAFETY that Cuba has to offer .
Say what you want about Cuba , but if you had to drop off your 16 year old son/daughter in Jamaica - Haiti - Dominican - Mexico or Cuba , what would your choice be ?
Although I was planning on more festive postings today, I want to address this most important topic since I have been directly asked. But before I get to that, after reading the above post from someone who is not returning to Negril I feel I must correct NegrilJail's information based on his own previous posts.
NJail,
Alfred Barrett was one of my best friends. He had been a friend who I talked with nearly daily for over 15 years. I never say this as some form of competition but to let you know my feelings run very deep. And I do not feel it is right for his memory to be used for a rumour.
On your last trip in 2012, as you posted less than 5 years ago, you had Alfred as your driver once again. In March of 2012, late at night, Alfred stopped to pick up leftover food for his dog at his usual spot and walked in on a lover's triangle quarrel that had escalated. He and the chef were both shot and killed by the third leg of the triangle who was subsequently arrested. This was reported on both TVJ and the Gleaner and the tragic bottom line is that he was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. This did not occur 6-7 years ago nor did it occur at lunch nor did it occur in Negril.
I have missed him these nearly 5 years and still think about him often. Michael from Michael's On-Time Taxi and I always mention him when we talk to keep his memory alive. He was a good man.
An experience for visitors in a country run by a military dictatorship is very different than that of any free country. Get caught doing something illegal in Cuba will also show you how different the experience can be for a visitor. Be glad you only spent time in the Negril jail.
Negril.com - For the vacation that never ends!
BostonBob,
Excellent question. First of all, in a perfect world one murder is one too many, but we all must remember we do not inhabit a perfect world. The recent Berlin market terrorist attack and second prevented attack prove this all too well.
Second, is that perception is not always reality. What is this "all too frequent occurrences of murder" of which you speak? In this thread alone there have been mentions of double homicides in January 2015 (being confused with this one) and March 2012 (being used to mislead). There have been others I know of that occurred in the 2000's, 1990's and 1980's. But no one heard about these unless you were here.
The Internet has changed all that. Every homicide nearly everywhere in the world is photographed, videoed and uploaded in real time. Incidents both real or imagined are now posted on various places all over the net. This can easily skew one's perception making it seem more of an "all too frequent" situation. But the reality here is different.
Back in 1997 when Negril had half the population it does today, there were more murders than I can remember for such a small place. Crack was rampant then and with that came the killings. There were also contract killings and those arising from domestic disputes. But as today, there were very little foreigners at risk.
As I have stated before, the lotto scam is the main cause of the recent killings. It is so bad that foreigners are becoming involved as money mules. Recently a USA victim of the scam joined the scammers to get her money back. She was convicted and sentenced in the USA. Yesterday in the news, another round of scammers are heading to jail. The police are trying to do their part.
It is time to "round up the D bags" as Booger said or the locals will take care of it themselves. The execution style of the latest incidents seem to show pinpoint swift action taken against unsuspecting targets. These are not random acts or robberies. And definitely not directed toward tourists.
So, my advice is to come to Jamaica and Negril and enjoy but don't check your brain at the airport. Use common sense, don't get involved in things you shouldn't and allow the police to do their jobs.
Negril.com - For the vacation that never ends!
Nicely said Rob and so true. Best of the season all and see yo in a few weeks.
rob, you know me. I have always been the giddy Negril traveler, but this last couple years the violence has been totally out of contro. as booger pointed out, there is more than even gets pointed out on this forum , I didn't even see in the papers an article about these recent murders, they are obviously trying to put a lid on it.... you don't have to check your brain at the airport, to gat caught in the crossfire of this craziness, you just have to be at the wrong place, at the wrong time, I myself just got back from Cuba 2 weeks ago, and it was refreshing not to have drugs crammed down my throat, or feel at all unsafe at any time, because obviously any crime against tourist there, is dealt with a swift, penalty, i see the head of police is stepping down, I hope the new one addresses the situation in Negril, the bikes are scary, the idea of walking on the beach road, something i use to love to do is scary, I'm coming back in February, mainly to see many wonderful friends, i hope Negril doesn't disappoint me .... Merry Christmas, and happy new Year to you and Lisa ~~~
I can't help but think of the old saying, ignorance is bliss.
I was completely ignorant up until my trip in June when I had a little run in on the beach road. All turned out ok, but to say I was shaken is a misstatement. It completely changed my perspective. Until that moment, however, I would have told anyone there is nothing to worry about... I have a different perspective now and really encourage visitors to take great care in their business... even when you mind your own, someone may have other plans. I will never walk the beach road at night again- mind you, it was only about 7pm when I had my run in.
It is totally tragic that people are losing their lives, but as stated many times, it's all planned - so these people are in some kind of bad business or are non-compliant with someone's demands. But we also know, you can be at the wrong place at the wrong time, and for that... there is no recourse. As an example, recently a visitor from the 603 had just gotten out of a taxi bus and another car slammed into the bus, which slammed into the man and he died. While not a bullet, one never knows when and where they will meet their maker. We must be vigilant at all times.
And frankly, if you don't like Negril, go somewhere else.. no one is stopping you! I am going one more time in April. After that, I will seriously consider where I want to visit next. It may be Negril again, it may be elsewhere.
ETA: I follow loop Jamaica on Facebook... they report a murder or something about a murder suspect every day, sometimes multiple times a day. i don't know how reputable the source is, but to me, I'd triple check any info I get from a Facebook page!
Last edited by LivinInThe603; 12-24-2016 at 02:33 PM.
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