I meant to add something to my earlier post and forgot. Although she "thought" she was getting into a red plate, there is a possibility that she may not have been. The person whom I heard this from said there has also been an increase in theft of the red licence plates. The bad guys know that tourists are wising up to using red plates only so they are stealing them to commit just these types of crimes. I think someone else mentioned that not only do you now need to look at the color of the plate but also look to see if it has the route stamp on the side of the car. But agree with others that it is more and more important every day to have your own trusted drivers you can call rather than just hopping in a red plate that is more convenient. Especially as a single white female traveler.

Monk, I am not posting this to call you out in particular because I've heard the "pinching pennies" comment from several people and it's a term that aggravates me because it makes it sound like they are a cheapskate.

As a single traveler who stays an average of 2 weeks at a time, the difference between taking route taxi vs. chartered comes to between $200-400 per trip for me, depending on how much I'm out and about. That's not including excursions, that's just trips around Negril, to/from town, to/from cliffs/beach for drinks/meals/concerts. Bare bottom minimum difference would be $200. Just one trip to/from town and one trip to/from cliffs a day would be a difference of $400 for the trip. And that's not considering "after hours" when fares double since I personally am rarely ever out late.

That's NOT pinched pennies for a lot of people. But, unfortunately, it may be the price now necessary for safety and an additional amount that needs to be budgeted.

For someone staying a month or two (or for the woman this particular incident happened to who was there for I believe 4 or 6 months) you're talking about a difference in the thousands. Again, far from pinched pennies.

Tammy, I wish I could suggest something - I'm coming up short on this one. Brenda makes a good point about stolen red plates - I'd never heard it having been done or stories of such but its all too possible.

Bren - as someone who does stay on island a long time, this is what I do - I take route taxis primarily during the day when I have to (I like to walk from point A to point B whenever possible). When I go out at night I call one of my drivers. As stated above if I happen to be out really late (past midnight) I have a couple of night drivers I can call.

It all works out in my transportation budget and is something I've pretty much always done since I got "hipped" to the route taxi system 15+ years ago. Back then route taxis were 30JMD per person...these days at 100JMD the charter can cost just a little more.

In my opinion it has very little to do with the cost of the taxi,it has to do with the safety of the passenger.Why does a person have to be on your "A" game all the time. It's not the tourist's fault !!! the locals have to get a better system. I still find it best to get a taxi from the driver's at the bar OR !!! bar called taxi at night.In the day I go route taxi's and most say they get about 20-25% of their business during Dec-Apr from tourists...that's quite abit. If I'm alone in a route taxi I usually give him an extra 100J. If your in parts of Jamaica that is not tourist driven then switch to their systems,if your in an area that is tourist driven let them switch to cater to the demand.SAFETY IS THE BIG ISSUE !!!!

"I have said before, the only thing a red-plate guarantees is a properly insured ride, not morals."

Amen sistah. Also, please remember - not all red plated taxis are ROUTE taxis. My private drivers have red plates (meaning they are licensed and insured) but do not drive a route.

"I had a recent experience where I wasn't comfortable with the last passenger still in the car when I was being dropped off, and I didn't know how to handle that. "
I've had similar experiences with drivers, passengers - the minute my gut says get out is the minute I say "one stop" wherever I am.

"What do I do here? I carry - and am prepared to use - pepper spray."
Pepper spay saved a friend of mine's life in Little Bay. It is a smart move - P-Spray rental business, yes good but yee gads - this is what it's come to?

I did talk to my husband about this and he said it was most likely either a stolen taxi or stolen red plates because no legit taxi driver is going to do something like this and put his livelihood in jeopardy. I said maybe the legit red tag drivers/owners should get together and form some kind of protest or all go to the police station and make some demands that this case be thoroughly investigated. Something should be done by the taxi owners and drivers themselves to prove to tourists that they are outraged by this incident (and others like it - this is not the first time this has happened). His words: "They would be putting their lives in danger by doing something like that."

And so it go..... around and around and around, in circles.

"Can you ever let your sense of personal responsibility lapse? I don't think so."
Nope - not anywhere in the world should you ever do that.

Tammy. I would never blame a victim. Of course people should have the freedom to travel anyway they choose. Which was why I stressed the victim was not at fault. Im sure the girl didnt get in the taxi thinking "I might become a victim but what the heck..." God forbid.

Everyone the world over and especially women have to think twice about who we make contact with and how we get around from A to B. By highlighting the fact that this lady got into a taxi with what I at the time thought was 2 guys, I did find bizarre. Its something the majority of single females wouldnt do in my part of the world, but how does that make it her fault? By urging others not to do the same could indeed help even if only 1 person thinks twice the next time and I think that's quite cool.

Sorry to make your blood boil

"I've never been able to understand this type of response but conclude that maybe this picking apart the victims actions comes from people fortunate enough to have not had random violence placed on them. Or maybe it creates enough fear in them that they try to find a reason why it wouldn't happen to them and search for a reason or explanation why the crime was enacted. I don't know..."

Or maybe it comes from having grown up in a neighbourhood where crime and creeps are all to common.
http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/li/recorded_crime.in.Camden/

Sadly I have to move back to London. Living the dream on a Greek Island is temporarily over. I have to put my 3 kids who have only ever known freedom and carefree abandon into an innercity Borough. So am I going to sign a zillion petitions and protest outside the Town Hall for the local council to clear up the scum? Maybe, but while it falls on deaf ears I will in the meantime drill in to their beautiful minds a crash course in Streetwise. If anything happend God forbid, to one of my babies, would I say they were asking for it? Never! Would I ever be so smug to think it would never happen to me? I know better than that.

Found this Gleaner article from last year. I thought it was interesting.

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20110604/lead/lead2.html