with all the recent talk.... from the beginning('77), part of the allure of Jamaica, for me anyway, is the mystery and edgieness .Obeaha,Rasta,people lurking in the shadows,have always been part of the scene.Theft and vandalism are not new . When the beach had more vacant lots than developed,and ,little current,it was unnerving to walk along.shouts of hey mon,emanating from the bush. Small campfires glowing in the dark.Smells of Oil ,and tea brewing.Just putting it out there,but in my mind,it has always been part of the picture.

My in-laws started going to Jamaica when everyone else was leaving...during the 70's. To me Jamaica hasn't changed much at all in terms of potential danger since I started going, in the mid 80's. Bad Things had already happened to the in-laws, including that home invasion with the pool thing being used to get the grill keys.

Of course, I loved NYC in the 70's too...high crime, warts and all.

So maybe I know what you mean Daniel. It's like Frank said about NY - "if you can make it there you can make it anywhere"...I always felt a sense of power and pride when able to negotiate a Jamaica trip even when it presented difficulties, in terms of crime or otherwise. I wonder what that says about our personalities