Be Careful in Negril

[MissBlue]

when we are on vacation we sometimes "forget" common sense.

- No. We do not. The whole point of going to a small island village for vacation, is so we don't HAVE TO be on high vigilance at all times "like we do at home." Looking over my shoulder every minute is how i have to live at home in the big city - a vacation is supposed to be getting AWAY from that.

doesn't matter how long you have been coming don't get too comfortable.

then what is the point of going? a place where I can't free up, relax, and let down is not a place I want to go.

after 30 years it's a shame that it's come to this, but no matter HOW much I love and miss the good people, and the culture of JA, there's just no point in being there if i can't be comfortable and relax.

the huge recent explosion of tourism and development comes with a price.

[Rob]

"when we are on vacation we sometimes "forget" common sense."

- No. We do not. The whole point of going to a small island village for vacation, is so we don't HAVE TO be on high vigilance at all times "like we do at home." Looking over my shoulder every minute is how i have to live at home in the big city - a vacation is supposed to be getting AWAY from that.

"doesn't matter how long you have been coming don't get too comfortable."

then what is the point of going? a place where I can't free up, relax, and let down is not a place I want to go.

after 30 years it's a shame that it's come to this, but no matter HOW much I love and miss the good people, and the culture of JA, there's just no point in being there if i can't be comfortable and relax.

the huge recent explosion of tourism and development comes with a price.

MissBlue,

Living in Miami Beach (I lived for a while in Lauderdale) you do have to "look over your shoulder". At times when things got crowded in Miami (early 90's) I would carry an empty wallet in my back pocket and my money and credit cards in my front pocket. Pick pockets were everywhere. I would never dream of walking anywhere there at night in the greater Miami area, so I understand where you are coming from.

But the replies you quoted are meant to be helpful advice. To suggest people not use "common sense" anywhere is simply illogical. And I am sure you use common sense wherever you are. Do you walk across a street without looking first? To look first is common sense. Do you strike up a conversation with someone who is obviously drug impaired and agitated? To not do so is common sense. I am sure you see where I am going with this and you would never do those things because you do use common sense.

Using common sense is not the same thing as maintaining "high vigilance" as is required in the Greater Miami Area.

As for the "dont get too comfortable" comment, I have seen countless cases of tourists leaving their bags on the beach and come back hours later - leaving them unprotected. More often than not the bags are still there, but if they are not, that is a case of becoming too comfortable. Just as I have seen visitors passed out on their hotel bed because they left their door not only unlocked but wide open. Another case of becoming too comfortable.

You can come here and be comfortable and relax, thousands are doing it daily. The trip reports here point it out, some are being written on the spot. It is nothing like spending even a day in the Miami area, where even common sense and being on high vigilance leads to no sense of comfort.

Our tourism numbers are up this year, possibly as high as 5%, which can hardly be called an explosion but a healthy increase. There have been no new hotels built in years, the "new" properties are older properties that have been renovated and changed names.