I can't stand when I'm asked this question....

[suzengrace]

Even when I come to visit in Negril and stay at a hotel (as a visitor)I still do not give out to strangers any info where staying ,etc..Most people may be fine with doing that-no harm come of it..Others could unknowingly be a target in some way-lots of opportunists in tourist towns -esp. during these harder economic times and esp in a developing nation.. and its not the same everywhere in the world..IMHO(ive traveled to many other developing nations )......but i again, respect your opinion Bnewbie and the fact that we can agree to disagree..

Just want everyone to have a safe,stress-free,enlightening time when they visit the beautiful country of Jam...

[Bnewb]

SG...I guess I don't agree with you. I don't advise giving out personal information to strangers anywhere...this is where I feel the common sense applies & applies to anywhere in the world. This includes developing countries OR developed countries.
I wouldn't do it in LA, NYC, London, Singapore, Trelawny etc...to me this applies everywhere.
But, from my experience living here...it does make sense to tell your resort where you're going...again another common sense safety precaution.

[suzengrace]

I would agree you shouldn't tell when your departure will be . If you tell 1 all will know the good and bad. Target gets bigger on you if they know where your staying and when your leaving.

Exactly...just say negril ,Jam, In a place, etc.....better to be vague than be sorry,,,Lots of ears around even when you dont see them...

And Bnewb-I dindt know this conversation pertained to the management that works at the hotel your staying at...Of course you should let them know if your going out for the day, with who,etc..nothing wrong with that and is a wise move..But why does this question/converstation pertain to them anyway??? Doesnt the hotel management know your staying there and the dates??? I thought this was about chance meeting with strangers/or people you dont know real well you encounter that ask you these questions-not the hotel employees working there..

[Sweetness]

Omg

[dash]

I love Jamaica but its not my neighbourhood. I love Negril but its not my back yard. I read of some extraordinary adventures of some boardies often enhanced by different influences and am convinced that God takes care of fools and drunks! (I include myself) It is only because of the nature of most Jamaicans that we come out relatively unscathed. Reenforcing the need to use common sense in response to questions without being too paranoid is not a bad thing.

[Rob]

I NEVER give out that info.....Lots of reasons they are asking and not necessarily positive...always better to be low key in Jam...dont tell your coming/goings and for goodness sake dont be giving out your phone number# to people you've just met or only know for a few days/weeks..etc..

SG...that would just be common sense....don't give out your personal information anywhere unless necessary.

This whole advice about people not knowing your comings & goings I find to be quite weak & needlessly creating a paranoid atmosphere.
The flip side of this, is that it's often better that you let people know where you're going so that if something is out of the ordinary, they know where you should have been & when you're likely to return. Security guards will often ask just for this reason...nothing wrong with letting the front desk know either.

The number of times people are asked where they're staying during busy season I'm sure is in the thousands per day...and still everyone knows Negril has a very low incident of tourist crimes.

I agree with RockRobster...if someone really wants to know something, anywhere, it's not impossible to find out.

Again...common sense rules!

Exactly...just say negril ,Jam, In a place, etc.....better to be vague than be sorry,,,Lots of ears around even when you dont see them...

And Bnewb-I dindt know this conversation pertained to the management that works at the hotel your staying at...Of course you should let them know if your going out for the day, with who,etc..nothing wrong with that and is a wise move..But why does this question/converstation pertain to them anyway??? Doesnt the hotel management know your staying there and the dates??? I thought this was about chance meeting with strangers/or people you dont know real well you encounter that ask you these questions-not the hotel employees working there..

Suzen,

It would seem that you are the one who made this conversation pertain to management. You stated, emphatically I might add, that you NEVER give out information and specifically brought up your comings and goings. You did not qualify it, you only stated you never give it out.

Bnewb correctly pointed out that this is not the best advice and could be potentially harmful. She said that the security staff and the front desk staff would be very appropriate people to inform of your comings and goings.

I am sorry that you did not read and/or understand her post completely. But that is no reason to become combative.

No one in this thread suggested that you should go around and tell details of your personal information to all those who ask. Everyone on this board is much smarter than that, so please keep that in mind when posting.

You have also been suggesting that one needs to act differently in Negril than they would elsewhere. This advice puzzles me. The idea that you should not tell your personal information to complete strangers holds true everywhere on the planet, it is never a good idea to do that anywhere. There is absolutely nothing different about Negril or Jamaica in that regard. Being vague to strangers should be your policy everywhere, not just developing countries.

And Suzen, I think it is only fair that everyone understands the true dynamics here and are not misinformed. When claims are made, people should know a bit about those who are providing the advice. It is one thing to say you live in Jamaica, and another to actually be living here.

According to the Jamaica Tourist Board, the definition of a tourist is covering all who travel for recreation, holiday, business, religion, sport, family reasons, professional or intellectual pursuits, staying at least 24 hours, i.e. overnight, but not more than a year. Excluded are permanent emigrants, diplomats, consular representatives, armed forces personnel and intransit visitors.

In a post above, you claim you live out in the country (Trelawny). Yet all of the over 200 posts you have made so far this year and all the ones made last year have been made from Southern California. This is a handy feature of all forum/message board software. And a quick check that everyone can see (just click on your name and choose Show Forum Posts) shows that you have made numerous posts in every month of the year so far.

On the other hand, every single one of Bnewb's some 400 post this year have been made from right here in Jamaica. That is because she actually lives here and has been daily for years.

Bnewb and I live successfully here in Jamaica. We live in the country near Negril, but it makes no difference where you live - Jamaica is Jamaica be it Negril, Kingston, MoBay or Trelawny. There is no place "more Jamaican" than other places.

I am sorry to all that I feel the need to point this out, but I guess, as the title of this thread said, what "I cant stand" is when people claim to live here when they dont. It does get tiring year after year to hear people claim they live here. But it is worse when bad advice is given and then defended based on this false claim.

[Ras Walleye]

It never ceases to amaze me that people turn off their common sense when they go on vacation. The same rules of interaction apply in Negril and the rest of Jamaica as anywhere else. If you wouldn't do it at home, don't do it on vacation.

[Hussyband]

On some of our first trips to the island, we used to do the all inclusive route. I sandals first, then couples for a number of years. When we first went to the duty free shopping place on our own, not with a tour) I was always surprised when the proprietors of some of the shops flat out asked us how we liked couples, sandals, what have you... It took me three trips before I realized that they were used to seeing the unmarked key or lanyard styles the different resorts use, and simply figured it out without me saying anything.

That said though, I think the only thing that I get tied of hearing is... You want a taxi? Mind you, the second I do want a taxi, no one is around, but that is another story . My wife and I even have made a game of seeing hiw many times we will be asked that or other questions on the way.

[goldilocks]

I agree with not giving out information, including to hotel staff and security. I don't do it at home or on vacation.

There are more than a few expats who live in Jamaica, but don't really have a clue how deep the runnings can get - but that subject is not tourist fodder. Wishing everyone an Irie Day!

[jennnn]

Amen Rob