AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums The Cayes Ambergris Caye Is Ambergris Caye safe?

LOL, don't worry about my feelings MA. And in principal, I agree with you. However, some of these topics haven't gone nasty yet, unless we real people take it there.

What is it that you want to discuss that we haven't been discussing the past few days with this 17 year old and various and sundry others? If we automatically punted everyone that gets chesty around here, who'd be left besides Chloe and Marty? Not to mention, that it has been pretty darn quiet in the About Ambergris Caye portion of the board for a number of weeks now.

Sure you guys that like to yak it up over in General Chat may have been having a good time, but there really hasn't been much discussion about SP proper, hotels, tours, diving, snorkeling etc. So from where I'm sitting, all my hurt feelings aside , there hasn't been that much of a problem in the past week or so. Who cares if we're being messed with? We *are* talking about SP and environs which is what we are supposed to be talking about.

LOL back at ya girl! I still don't think that we need encourage some psycho nutjob who has harassed several people personally to post just to keep 'interesting' topics in the mix.
there has always been slow times, but its all good if its real. This guy will always eventually step over the line and that is always a negative to the board IMHO. To say that he is provoked is to say that we are all responsible for a psychopath's disregard for genuine, and sometimes "Chesty" folk's enjoyment and benefit of this forum. Anyway, I say good riddance for now, and hope once again he is drawn to some appropriate activity like hanging out with his new wife and doing something REAL.

. . . and so speaketh the gods, seashell and Miss Anthropy.

(I can say that cuz this thread is going outta here) hee hee ROFLMAO

Chloe is Chesty, (hahaha) but chooses to keep it sucked in, among people that do not appreciate hearing the truth.

Safety is up to each of us, to protect ourselves and others. Obiously crime is on the rise in SP.
That is a real shame, and shame on the people in Power there, not to correct this risk, for the locals and visitors.

Good advise to pull our heads out of the sand, and stop being an ostrich.

Have a good safe evening.

seashell: your question to me certainly deserves a reply. I have been absent from this forum for some time because of the direction it has taken. I am not interested in the general "chit chat" that goes on and trying to decide who is who and what their agenda may be. But when the topic of how safe is AC is raised, no matter by who or for what reason, I have strong feelings. I live there for a good part of the year. I want the place I live to be as crime free as possible. I am concerned that there are people who will give an untrue picture of the crime situation because of economic interest and, in doing so, I feel they are detering the efforts to accuratly identify the extent of the problems and find the solutions to the problems. I am not willing to accept that if I choose to go out at night I must not carry any cash, not wear a watch and not walk on the beach. I do not agree that it is my responsibility take these measures so as to not encourage the criminals. I believe that it is the responsibility of the society I live in to put in place the laws and the enforcement of laws that allow me not to be robbed of my money or valuables and to be free to go anywhere I choose without having to worry about my safety.

That is how AC was when I first visited and one of the main reasons I chose to reside there. And, I am not ready to give up and accept that it cannot be that way once again if people will honestly assess the situation and work to find solutions. I hope this helps to make my position more clear to you.

Thank you Warren.

I appreciate your concerns and agree with you for the most part.

bywarren said: (seashell snipping here and there and out of order) That is how AC was when I first visited and one of the main reasons I chose to reside there. And, I am not ready to give up and accept that it cannot be that way once again if people will honestly assess the situation and work to find solutions. I hope this helps to make my position more clear to you.

My reply: Yes, you've made your position more clear, again, thank you. Now, I am merely left wondering what will be your suggestions and actions for improving safety. Certainly, I'd prefer to feel as safe as I used to feel when in SP. Inasmuch as, I don't live in SP (even half of the year), my ability to implement change is limited. What are your intentions, plan of action, rallying cry?

bywarren said: (snip) I am not willing to accept that if I choose to go out at night I must not carry any cash, not wear a watch and not walk on the beach. I do not agree that it is my responsibility take these measures so as to not encourage the criminals. I believe that it is the responsibility of the society I live in to put in place the laws and the enforcement of laws that allow me not to be robbed of my money or valuables and to be free to go anywhere I choose without having to worry about my safety.

My reply: I'm glad that you want to effect change in this regard, and I'm also not one to quit walking on the beach or wearing a watch. By the same token, I don't wear my diamonds and I only carry as much money with me as I'm prepared to spend or lose that day/night. After all, perhaps I won't be robbed, maybe I'll just lose my purse/wallet. Things happen.

Regardless, of our wants and desires in this matter of safety, there is some crime in SP and it behooves us not to make ourselves easy pickings. If you want to carry around $400 at night on a lonely stretch of beach, one might ask, who then has their head stuck in the sand?

You are part of the society that you want to be responsible for enacting and enforcing laws to assist in your safety. Most of us here are not. Successful results of your desire for the implementation of current laws, new laws and enforcement, will create the side benefit to the tourism industry.

I also understand what you are saying about some others that participate here that do not want us talking about such things.

As an aside to this more serious matter, I'm not that interested in general "chit chat" either; at least not at this venue.

seashell: in response to your genuine concern and participation in what I feel are important issues that need to be discussed for the benefit of AC as opposed to the attitude by some on this board that nothing that reflects poorly about AC should be mentioned or anyone who visits AC and dares to report that there were parts of their vacation that did not live up to their expectations should be verbally attacked, told never to return and to find some place else to vacation. There, I got my "snip" in as you refer to for this reply. I feel better already.

What evoked my responding to this post was the direction that I felt some were going with statements indicating that AC was "safe". I felt that some could read those statements and get an untrue picture of the situation. When tourists are being robbed when walking on the beach, when people have their home broken into while sleeping, robbed and have one of their workers murdered and another stabbed, I do not consider that a "safe" environment.. AC has some serious crime issues that need to be recognized and addressed.

I will again preface my position by saying that I am not involved in making my living off of tourism. But even if I were, I would still take the position that it is better to accurately assess and identify if a problem exists and openly take measures to correct the problem. If I were in the business of attracting tourists to AC, I would much rather have them come knowing of any potential problems and therefor being encouraged to take the prudent and precautionary measures that you and others have suggested. Those are good suggestions.

That leads me to answer you questions as to what I am willing to do to improve the situation. My first effort is to do what I am doing here in bring to attention what I feel is an accurate assessment of how "safe" AC is. Secondly, to not be willing to accept from the officials given the responsibility of controlling crime that the solution is merely for me and others to be more careful when going out at night and to accept the fact that I might be robbed or injured because it happens in other communities. I prefer to take the approach that I expect those officials to do their job and the fact is there are communities where people can walk at night carrying whatever possessions they wish without fear of being robbed and I expect AC and San Pedro to be one of those communities.

Residents of AC have formed neighborhood watch areas, there is a crime committee made up of local residents and business people that meets with police officials to discuss these problems. The private sector is and can do many things to help with the situation. A "crime fighters" approach would be helpful where rewards were given for info leading to arrests and convictions allowing a means for those concerned to donate funds to help.

There are people concerned and working on the problems. There are positive measures being implemented. The bottom line for me is that it is important to focus on the problem and finding the solutions and not take the approach that AC is "safe" enough and all the tourists needs to do is not walk the beaches at night and not carry any valuables with them and enjoy their vacation in utopia. ( my parting snip ).

Thanks again, Warren. By the way, "(snipping)" is a Usenet term that means portions of your post were snipped away. It doesn't mean that you were any snippier than usual. hee hee

Any way, on that note, I'm very pleased to see that there is community action being taken and hey, you go boy! No doubt that is what it will take to make the changes.

I also liked the other idea of the tourists' letter campaign.

Marty - did you mean "Wes" or "Waterworld"?

Waterworld you are full of shot in my opinion at least with regard to your last post in this thread. My hubby and I lived in San Pedro year round during all of 1999- thru end of 2000, and go back regularly all the time. There was never any flashlight "guards" on the beaches or anywhere the way you have described.