Assaulted by a cab driver?

[garysteph1018]

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.

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!

[Maryann]

Maryann,
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.

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.

[dash]

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.

[Bnewb]

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.

[dash]

You didn't need bars Bnewb. The windows were frozen shut!

[Papa Georgie]

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.

[Rob]

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)

[Flipadelphia26]

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)

lol

[Maryann]

So I have a good excuse then. (:

[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.