“Fear is known to keep people safe.â€
While I understand what you are saying Macy that statement in and of itself terrifies me. It is the tactic the US has used these past 11 years – instilling fear and distrust into the hearts of Americans to garner support for wars that should be well over and done by now and for political power. Fear as a motivator does not make sense to me because it is blind and not always based in knowledge or experience.
I refuse to walk my life in fear – but I will not be reckless either. A little education goes a long way and we all do the best we can with what we know. I prefer to empower myself with knowledge that quiver in fear. My life experience with travel and living in cities such as New York and San Francisco have opened my eyes wide to all sorts of possibilities where ever I go. Hell – my brother and I were walking in Paris late at night and a couple of guys were following a bit too close for our comfort level. So we didnâ€t freak, we didnâ€t run – we simply crossed the street and walked into a cafÃ.
I believe I mentioned in the original thread that these little “points of advice†were a collective effort. I do not live in Negril for three months in a void. When something happens, it is discussed – with my friends and neighbors there, Jamaican, expat, part time residents and tourists. The advice about getting in the car with someone in the back seat was something Iâ€d personally never thought of until it was brought up by another resident – and I do try to follow that advice. Is any advice a guarantee of safety? Does advice from anyone HAVE to be followed? If someone takes advice of any sort and the outcome is bad – is the advisor to blame? Again, its about knowledge and empowerment. You can disagree and disregard any advice given by anyone – the couple who were robbed in February did – but to declare it as bad advice to be disregarded by anyone is unfair to readers who have intelligence and presence of mind. Thereâ€s lots of advice out there – good, bad and indifferent. In the end we are all responsible for our actions and knowing the risks and consequences of anything we do. Advice followed blindly is not well....well, well advised.
Like you LeeAnne, I prefer to travel with a private driver at night. These days Iâ€m seldom out so late that my regular drivers are not on the road in the wee hours. I do have the number of a couple of “night drivers†that live in my neighborhood that weâ€d call. Even after dark, not late at night, in the unlikely event that I canâ€t get a hold of one of my drivers since I have been living on the West End for so many years I have come to know the route drivers there – even better, my friend knows practically all of them and he will wait with me and put me in a taxi with someone he knows and trusts.
Also, like you, I no longer walk alone at night – when a neighbor comes over to our house a couple of us walk him or her home as well. No one is walking on the street alone at night!
“If something doesn't seem right...don't get into the taxi.â€
I agree…and have dispensed this advice many times over both publicly on the ‘net and privately in discussion. In any situation – taxi, vendor, talking with someone on the street – anywhere in the world – go with your gut and never second guess your first instinct.
Iâ€ll repeat how horrible a situation this is. I did not know the woman or how long sheâ€s been visiting Negril though that doesnâ€t really matter in the scheme of things. I think whatâ€s upsetting is that as far as we all know she did everything and still everything went wrong. So often with crime the victim and the people discussing their plight tend to blame – the victim – they got into a white plated car, they flashed cash, they walked on the beach alone at night….in our minds I guess we need to “justify†a horrible act in some way and that just blows.