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+--- Thread: Held up at knife point in Negril (/showthread.php?tid=100854)
Held up at knife point in Negril - Hashley - 03-07-2015
Hi there!
I tried to post this on TripAdvisor, but they deleted it. Someone there PM'd me and said I should come over here and post this safety info. I hope I'm posting it in the right place.
I'm a long time visitor to Jamaica (about 20 years now) and especially to the Negril area. I've dealt with a few sketchy experiences but most of my trips have been sublime. I have a few Jamaican friends that I hang out with most of the time and that seems to curb attention from unsavory characters.
This year, however, some of my American friends came to visit. On the night after their arrival, we met up at Roots Bamboo (along with my Jamaican friends) for a great show. We then walked the beach to see what was going on at Bourbon since it was lit up and loud. Upon arrival, we determined it wasn't really our scene. At that point (around 1:30 a.m.), I went to my hotel next door (Kuyaba), my four Jamaican friends headed home on the road and my American friends decided to walk back to their hotel (Firefly) on the beach. As they reached Lazy Days two men wearing bandanas over their faces jumped out and held a knife to my friend's belly as they rifled through his pockets. Luckily, my friends walked away unharmed, and my friend only lost $60. The incident really freaked them out, however, and now they will probably spend the next two weeks of their vacation a little paranoid something like that is going to happen again.
All the locals I spoke with about the incident recommended walking the road after dark (or even better taking a taxi) and to avoid walking the beach altogether. There seemed to be a LOT of concern about safety in the West End as well. More than one of my Jamaican friends said they are avoiding traveling through the West End completely right now...???
RE: Held up at knife point in Negril - Westenders - 03-07-2015
Sorry to hear this hashley.... hope your friends are ok.
Thanks for posting first hand experience too..
Did they report their ordeal to the police?
And yes forget trip advisor for issues other than best plant pots on the beach ha ha.
RE: Held up at knife point in Negril - Timbo alogo - 03-07-2015
that's why I dont walk the beach in the dark late at night.
RE: Held up at knife point in Negril - Hashley - 03-07-2015
Yes, we were able to report the incident to two police patrolling the beach the next day.
RE: Held up at knife point in Negril - Timbo alogo - 03-07-2015
I didn't mean to make light of what happened to your friends.
Sorry if I came off that way.
RE: Held up at knife point in Negril - CardBoardBox - 03-07-2015
(03-07-2015, 07:44 PM)Hashley Wrote: Yes, we were able to report the incident to two police patrolling the beach the next day.
I am confident the policemen expressed concern. Was there any written report submitted? Otherwise, it would be as effective as telling a pattyman.
Long time rule was never walk near the bushes at night, as one could always run into the sea to escape and yell your bloody head off. Recent photos of the beach makes this aspect moot. I'm a west ender
The last paragraph "All the locals ..." could be a rather lenghty discussion of safety which some might view as undermining the ideal Negril vacation.
http://kingston.usembassy.gov/travelalerts05032015.html
The above link basically says to be alert. Disappointing that my effort in actually finding the TA wasn't acknowledged, while others said it did not exist.
RE: Held up at knife point in Negril - Cynthia C - 03-07-2015
Thanks for posting this, Hashley. I saw, after the fact, that it was deleted over there and was wondering what the story was. Glad you followed through with the info. Sorry that happened to your friends.
RE: Held up at knife point in Negril - Oldtimer2 - 03-08-2015
My ex use to carry a whistle just in case . I had friends robbed at Funtime Village (sp) with people that used jet ski's to escape . Taxi's are the way to go...or are they ?
RE: Held up at knife point in Negril - RaStar - 03-08-2015
Walking the beach at night is never a good idea, especially in areas that are not well lit. Walking in large groups of say eight or more people is helpful, safety in numbers and all that. If you are there as a couple or just by yourself you can wait until you see a large group of tourist heading in the direction you want to walk and politely ask them if they mind if you walk along with them, more often than not they will be very agreeable.
Also, and this may sound crazy but I have found that if you are walking the beach at night and you see a figure up ahead pop out of nowhere or notice a person approaching you from behind (always keep looking behind your back). Head for the surf. I should of mentioned you should be walking barefoot near the waters edge and carrying your shoes. These young thugs generally are wearing the latest, most fashionable footwear (Nikes etc...) and there is no way they are going to approach you if you are walking in the surf between your ankles and knees. They will call for you to come up and talk to them but just ignore them and keep walking, they will eventually give up and leave you alone. This works for everyone, day or night, whether it is a potential threat or they are just trying to sell you something. The guys on the beach do not like to get their feet wet.
RE: Held up at knife point in Negril - JamaGinger - 03-08-2015
I am very sorry this happened to your friends. I would caution anyone not to walk the beach at night except maybe one to two properties over and then only if well-lit. It may have been okay to do it at one time years back, but it is definitely more than risky now. Any of us who are members on other boards owe it to visitors to caution them against walking the beach at night. I know several of you do provide words of caution. I am always bothered especially recently, when I see someone say, "We've walked the beach at night with no problem."