Hello BT-ers.

I just booked my first Bonaire vacation today. We will be visiting for two weeks in March. I'm VERY excited. However, I am a bit concerned about the whole pick-up truck thing. I was told by the rental agent that most people rent pick-up trucks on the island and that they are the only vehicles allowed in "the park." She assumed we would do the same. The thing is that we are travelling with my 6-yr-old daughter (she has been snorkeling since she's been 3) and the thought of putting her in the front seat of a pick-up truck is quite unsettling to me. We won't have a lot of gear since we will only be snorkeling. (What is the earliest age for certification ;-) but we do like to find the "off-the-beaten-track" locations if they exist. Is a pick up truck really necessary? What would we miss if we got a car instead? How have other parents dealt with the 'children-must-ride-in-the-back-seat-for-safety thing' in a pick up truck on Bonaire?

Thanks in advance for your reply,

Danni

Danielle
First thing. All the rental pickups on Bonaire are 4 door . That is, they have a back seat. I'm not positive however that back seats all have seat belts. Of course, like everyone in my age bracket we drove all over the US with a car full of kids without a seat belt in sight.I certainly know what you mean today though.
Mick

Danielle,
The trucks are 4 door (crew cab) some of them have seat belts in the back seat and some don't. The speed on the roads on Bonaire are slower than here. Most run about 40Km or less. I am in the same age range as Mickey and drove all over with a full car without seatbelts and am still here to tell about it.

Your daughter will Love snorkeling on Bonaire, the waters are so clear and warm.

Have a good time.
Andy

Danielle - we first travelled to Bonaire when our youngest was 5 and on the small size. We were stressing about whether to bring a booster (NJ has strictest law in US - 8 yrs or 80#, whichever comes first). In the end we didn't bring it and he sat in the back seat. He wasn't able to see out the front window from the back, but the view out the side was good enough for him.

When you check out your truck with the rental agent, test the seat belts. If they don't work, ask for another and point to the kids.

Sue

Thank you all for your replies. I am feeling much better. Somehow, in my mind's eye I had envisioned the pick-up trucks of long ago with only the one bench seat and that's it. Now that I know they have a back seat I'm very much o.k with the whole idea. It'll be fun!! I can lose my soccer-mom mini-van persona for a couple of weeks!

However, I'll be sure to check that all the seat belts are functioning. Oh well, so much for losing the soccer-mom persona. I guess once a soccer-mom always a soccer-mom - even if you are driving a pick-up truck ;-)

Have a great day and thanks for the input.

Danni

I saw a new record for me a few weeks ago. Twelve people in a 4 door truck. Five in the cab and seven in the bed. Quite frankly I was impressed. So, Danielle, taken in perspective, yours in the back seat should be living large.

I suggest you confirm the availability of a truck with seat belts prior to your trip. There may not be one available if you wait until your arrival. Enjoy your trip. Bonaire is a wonderful place to vacation and share the wonders of nature with a young child.

the people i've noticed in pickups are the ones i call "golden retrievers"...standing in the beds of the trucks, hanging onto the roof of the cab, wind blowing in their faces. i've always figured that they must think the asphalt and concrete on bonaire is softer than in the states and won't crack their skulls open if they tip out.

In theory I have made a point of requesting that all of the seat belts are functioning properly in our rental, but if Bonaire is anything like other islands I've visited, I won't be convinced of the effectiveness of asking until I get there and inspect the vehicle. I will keep my fingers crossed though. Thanks for the tip.

As for the people in the backs of the pick-up trucks? Do they tend to be teens and twenty-somethings? You know, the ones that think they are infallible? Or do you see all ages?

Or are they locals versus tourists? I can't imagine anyone I know hanging out in the back of a pick-up truck. I'm wondering if it's 'island-fever' or just a case of going with what you know - i.e. if everybody does it and has always done it, where is the danger?

In any case it sounds incredibly dangerous (and stupid) to me.

Dani, Hanging out in the back of pickup trucks is done here in the states all the time, mostly in the rural areas and on dirt roads.
I grew up before seat belts and enjoyed standing, sitting in pickup beds in my youth, we also sat on the front fenders going out in the pastures to feed. My kids even did this. Things change over time as the world changes, eventually Bonaire will change too.

The group that I saw were all in 18 to 25 group and were tourists. I have seen locals ride in the back and I have been guilty of giving rides to people who have hopped in the bed of the truck.