BonaireTalk Discussion Group
Trip Reports: Only on Bonaire are the people like this!!
Bonaire Talk: Trip Reports: Archives: Archives 01-01-2010 to 04-30-2010: Only on Bonaire are the people like this!!
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Vince DePietro-www.bonairebeachcondo.com (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #2852) on Wednesday, February 24, 2010 - 2:09 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Went in to a local place on island yesterday to buy some outdoor teak furniture. Picked out some nice teak recliners. After the owner helped me put into the car, I went inside to pay using a local debit card. Well the place did not have electricity so my card was useless. I told him I could write a check on a local bank but I certainly didn't have my checkbook on me.

Now here's the amazing part. I had over $500 of merchandise in my car, the owner did not know me nor did he ask for identification. He simply said, well take the furniture and come back tomorrow and give me a check.

Now I ask a simple question..Where or where in the US can an unidentified person walk in, remove over $500 in merchandise and simply walk away on the word of an unidentified stranger???

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Antony Bond (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #624) on Wednesday, February 24, 2010 - 6:03 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

This is the side of Bonaire that keeps us addicted Vince.

There are a lot of crime threads at the moment but we should not forget that the vast majority of people on Bonaire are good, honest, generous and trusting people.

I once left my wallet at the check-out at More 4 Less. It was the next day before I realised and traced back my steps to the store. My wallet was there untouched complete with cash, credit cards & drivers licence.

I doubt that the same would have happened here in the UK.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tad Jones (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #284) on Wednesday, February 24, 2010 - 8:22 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Great story Vince!! I love it!! Instead of boycotting Bonaire or certain establishments where crime occurs, we should first make sure we are doing everything we can to minimize our losses if we are a victim.

Has anyone ever heard of travelers checks? I never have more than $100 in cash at any given time. How about a dry pouch or box to keep your CC's, C Card, passport and DL on you when you dive? Leaving valuables in your truck....HELLO?

Report the crime to the police? Absolutely! Report it to the owners of the establishment. Of course! But to insinuate or believe that Bonaire locals, the police or the establishment owners don't care is absurd.

Now for my good story. It was on my first trip in the mid 90's. We came up and hit shore about 300 yards from our truck. We grabbed our regs and started walking. A local pulled over and offered us a ride. We told him we only had a couple 100 yards to go. He just grinned, and said to jump in anyway.

I KNOW there a gazillion others out there. BTW, Cayman is my 2nd fav dive location. Read about the crime uptick there in the last few years.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By **Jim Mc **-- But you can all me Link (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3117) on Wednesday, February 24, 2010 - 9:25 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

And yet, another good will story. Two summers ago, my friend Gary and I were diving with Larry on the east side. We had brought some beers with us for after the dive, as we were not diving anymore that day. After Larry left, and everyone else for that matter, Gary got in the truck to bring it over to the little shed where there was shade. As he went to turn around, he buried the truck in soft sand. I mean buried it. We tried for about ten minutes to get it out ourselves. No go.

Gary walked down to the bar, and a cavalry of Bonairean guys showed up with a truck. We borrowed some rope from a fisherman, and got it out, after a lot of push and pull. The young Bonairean guy, who worked the bar, would not take a dime. We finally, after much negotiation, just about forced him to take $40.00. Of course, we went back to the bar, had a couple more Brights, and left him more money.

I have many more stories about the good will of Bonairean people in my 22 trips there. This is just one of them.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kelly(*) (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #6303) on Wednesday, February 24, 2010 - 10:02 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Jim, how is it that I never heard that story? lol..

Vince, THAT is what keeps me coming back.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By *Linda* - Relay for Life'r in May (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #7269) on Wednesday, February 24, 2010 - 10:04 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Vince. How nice of the store owner to do that for you.

I love this kind of stuff. Thanks Anthony, Jim, Tad for your stories, too. :):)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By ChicagoRandy (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #981) on Wednesday, February 24, 2010 - 10:19 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

My 'fav' anti-crime memory is shopping at Cultimara on my last trip a few years ago.

I paid for my goodies and was headed out to the rental truck when a lad about 12 yrs old came running up to me on the sidewalk to hand me the $10 bill I had dropped at the register.

Needless to say he got half the $$ as a reward.

By NO means does it negate the pond-scum predators out here who commit crimes, but it's still important to always remember that the basic 'good folks' do actually outnumber the creeps.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Brian O'Donnell (BonaireTalker - Post #81) on Wednesday, February 24, 2010 - 10:28 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thanks Vince for starting this post. This is a perspective of Bonaire (or anywhere else for that matter) that web posting tends to ignore.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Diane and Bea (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #637) on Wednesday, February 24, 2010 - 10:33 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

That is just great ! How nice

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jerry (BonaireTalk Deity - Post #24867) on Wednesday, February 24, 2010 - 11:42 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

It was common back a few years that if you was walking on the street, someone would stop and ask you if you would like a lift?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By *Tink* (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #2146) on Wednesday, February 24, 2010 - 11:43 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

keep the good stories coming! one of the things i love about bonaire is her PEOPLE...one of the things that keeps me coming back. I find if you greet them with "bon dia, bon bini" and a smile, it can go a LONG way!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Antony Bond (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #625) on Wednesday, February 24, 2010 - 12:08 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I was foolish enough to get my truck stuck in soft sand on the beach opposite the airport.

After several fruitless attempts to get free, a Selibon truck appeared. He had seen me struggling as he passed, turned around and came to my assistance.

He dragged my vehicle out with his truck in no time at all. The only damage was to my ego!

Someone being flagged down for assistance is one thing but not many people would turn their truck around and break off from what they are doing to help a stranger.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By R J (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #175) on Wednesday, February 24, 2010 - 1:20 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Vince,
Thanks for sharing the story with us.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Debbie B.~ Jersey Gal(*) (BonaireTalk Deity - Post #11856) on Wednesday, February 24, 2010 - 1:34 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Last trip, a friend of mine and me were having dinner at one of the restaurants in town, during the busy dinner hours, the credit machine they had there stopped working. When the bill came, the owner came up to us when I tried to give him a credit card for the meal and explained that the machine wasn't working. I just about died standing there as the meal was quite pricey. He said if I didn't have the cash on hand, I could stop by and pay him the following day. :)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Nathalie (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #307) on Wednesday, February 24, 2010 - 2:27 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Vince, if you give us the name of the store, they may get some extra business and benefit from their good will. Thanks.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jerry (BonaireTalk Deity - Post #24880) on Wednesday, February 24, 2010 - 2:32 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I agree with Nathalie, reward good deeds, by posting names.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Lloyd Haskell (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #485) on Wednesday, February 24, 2010 - 3:31 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

The spirit of Bonaire is wonderful . Part of the allure .
The criminals in no way represent the folks of Bonaire . For the most part they seem to be outsiders preying on an easy target .
It is a wonderful island with beautiful people no doubt .

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Vince DePietro-www.bonairebeachcondo.com (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #2853) on Wednesday, February 24, 2010 - 5:29 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Nathalie & Jerry.. I did not post the name of the business since to my knowledge tourists never frequent it and that is the major readership on this site. Perhaps I should have. At any rate for those property owners who might read this, it was the Teak Outlet on Kaya Gerharts. They do deserve your patronage. Fine folks indeed.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By **Jim Mc **-- But you can all me Link (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3122) on Thursday, February 25, 2010 - 11:34 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

" Jim, how is it that I never heard that story? lol..

Vince, THAT is what keeps me coming back. "

It had to have been the malaria Kellita. LOL

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kelly(*) (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #6304) on Thursday, February 25, 2010 - 2:24 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Malaria does make you forget to tell your friends things.. lol..

This thread is great. Thanks, Vince!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Peter Oliveira (LBR28) (BonaireTalker - Post #88) on Thursday, February 25, 2010 - 9:57 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

In January a new visitor to Bonaire got his truck stuck in the sand by the road along the south side dives. The truck was buried pretty deep and I was not able to get him out. Along came a policeman and a policewomen whom without hesitation got out of their vehicle to help. Pushing would not do, so the policeman cleared rocks from around the tires and placed the floor mats under them, got inside the truck and with the rest of us pushing, drove it out of the sand hole. Somehow I don't believe we would have gotten that kind of "physical" help from the police here in the States.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By **Jim Mc **-- But you can all me Link (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3127) on Thursday, February 25, 2010 - 10:05 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Kel, actually, it was when Gary and I were down with Kathi and Colleen, staying at BOA. It was not when we were at Belmar. Jeff Stine ( A BTer) and his son were diving with us. They had just left. So, that would have been over Christmas before that summer.

Jeff, are you out there?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jason Rogers (BonaireTalker - Post #41) on Sunday, March 14, 2010 - 10:34 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

ok I will add my little story also:

First trip to bonaire I saw a sign outside a house coming back from the national park that said cold shakes. Me and my wife stopped in. A man came up to the window eating his dinner and took my order. He brought us out my shake and I asked him how much. He stated enjoy it and if you like it pay me whatever you think. After sitting and enjoying my drink I went to his front porch where he introduced me to his family and we talked about 10 minutes. I paid him for the shake I cant remember how much but I left feeling like I made a friend.

very cool

 


Visit: The Bonaire WebCams - Current Bonaire images and weather!
The Bonaire Insider - the latest tourism news about Bonaire
The Bonaire Information Site, InfoBonaire
Search Bonaire - Search top Bonaire Web sites


Topics Last Day Last Week Tree View    Getting Started Formatting Troubleshooting    New Messages Keyword Search Contact Moderators Edit Profile Administration