Safety in Jamaica

[Wakepatrol]

[Blackduck59]

@FlaMariner While that particular chart is interesting, where do St. Louis, Baltimore, Detroit or Chicago fit on that chart. I think that anyone from anywhere could find themselves in a bad situation and proper caution is required. I just think it is ironic when people say "I wouldn't go there on a bet" and many places in their own country (mine included) are just as bad.

[Laminator]

1 hour ago, Blackduck59 said:

 

This is interesting as we all look back at a news story from Kansas City yesterday, or perhaps any number of news stories we see from the US several times a month. Think about it.

Kansas City is the 10th most dangerous city in America. Chicago does not make the top 10. Birningham, AL, Detroit, MI and Memphis, TN are the top 3. 

[Blackduck59]

3 minutes ago, Laminator said:

Kansas City is the 10th most dangerous city in America. Chicago does not make the top 10. Birningham, AL, Detroit, MI and Memphis, TN are the top 3. 

 

I was simply pointing out that there was yet another mass shooting in the US, this time Kansas City. It just seems strange that there is much hand wringing over a port call in Jamaica, when it isn't necessarily that safe at home. See my post #53.

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, Blackduck59 said:

 

This is interesting as we all look back at a news story from Kansas City yesterday, or perhaps any number of news stories we see from the US several times a month. Think about it.

Somehow I doubt the State Department will issue a travel warning for the USA.

 

Since you are from Canada, has your government issued any travel warnings for any part of the USA?

[Blackduck59]

Just now, ontheweb said:

Somehow I doubt the State Department will issue a travel warning for the USA.

 

Since you are from Canada, has your government issued any travel warnings for any part of the USA?

 

Good question, I don't know. Unfortunately the seemingly frequent troubles in many parts of our neighbours to the south (and northwest of us) has made us reluctant to visit many parts of the US. I should mention I probably wouldn't be that interested in visiting Jamaica either; that being said I'm not really that interested in the Caribbean anyway.

[Laminator]

7 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

 

I was simply pointing out that there was yet another mass shooting in the US, this time Kansas City. It just seems strange that there is much hand wringing over a port call in Jamaica, when it isn't necessarily that safe at home. See my post #53.

There is quite the difference. Many of HAL's demographic will stick out like a sore thumb in Jamaica. We will be in Jamaica Mar 3rd on the NS. I don't have an issue getting off the ship but I will be with 3 LEO's that are in their early 30's and I will look like a bum. Ratty T-shirt and shorts, no watch, my phone will remain in it's case under my ratty t-shirt and just to show the real loser I am I will wear my Blackhawks cap. There will be many more inviting targets.

[Nickelpenny]

16 minutes ago, Laminator said:

There is quite the difference. Many of HAL's demographic will stick out like a sore thumb in Jamaica. We will be in Jamaica Mar 3rd on the NS. I don't have an issue getting off the ship but I will be with 3 LEO's that are in their early 30's and I will look like a bum. Ratty T-shirt and shorts, no watch, my phone will remain in it's case under my ratty t-shirt and just to show the real loser I am I will wear my Blackhawks cap. There will be many more inviting targets.

Ok you made me go look up the meaning of LEO!  🤬🤬🤬🤬🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪

[SUESEABE]

@Wakepatrol Orson Welles  'War of the Worlds'  😮

Edited February 16 by SUESEABE

[jlawrence01]

2 hours ago, ontheweb said:

Somehow I doubt the State Department will issue a travel warning for the USA.

 

Since you are from Canada, has your government issued any travel warnings for any part of the USA?

 

 

It certainly exists:

https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/united-states

 

FWIW, with all the years I have lived in the US, the ONLY time that I have had a weapon pointed at me was in Northern Ontario.

[ontheweb]

8 hours ago, jlawrence01 said:

 

 

It certainly exists:

https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/united-states

 

FWIW, with all the years I have lived in the US, the ONLY time that I have had a weapon pointed at me was in Northern Ontario.

The only time I have had a weapon pointing at me was once when I approached an ATM with my card out and employee from the armored truck company was servicing the ATM. I had an ATM card in my hand and he had a gun pointed at me, and he said I scared him. 🤦‍♂️

[Mary229]

12 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

@FlaMariner While that particular chart is interesting, where do St. Louis, Baltimore, Detroit or Chicago fit on that chart. I think that anyone from anywhere could find themselves in a bad situation and proper caution is required. I just think it is ironic when people say "I wouldn't go there on a bet" and many places in their own country (mine included) are just as bad.

When I drive through Detroit I put the peddle to the metal.  If the police want to slow me down they will need to wait until Windsor. 
 

what are you guys doing out there that guns are drawn?  I have never had that happen and I grew up on some mean streets and now reside in Texas 

Edited February 16 by Mary229

[Davechipp74]

Travel advisories are like cancer, they only go up to level 4. Ask yourself how serious would you take stage 3 cancer? I've been to Iraq and Afghanistan. Level 3 in Jamaica I'd stay onboard. There is a hot thread going on now about 2 woman being assaulted by resort staff in the Bahamas which is at level 2, and way less ghetto. 

  "The most dangerous thing about a dangerous situation is not even realizing you are even in a dangerous situation."-my late XO Captain Dozier (K.I.A.) 

Edited February 16 by Davechipp74

[twprincessfirsties]

13 hours ago, ontheweb said:

Somehow I doubt the State Department will issue a travel warning for the USA.

 

Since you are from Canada, has your government issued any travel warnings for any part of the USA?

Yes, the Canadian government does issue travel warnings to the USA from time-to-time. For example, it issued a travel advisory for LGBTQ etc travellers to avoid certain states due to discrimination last fall. That has since been removed. And during COVID as well.

 

[Menocchio]

13 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

@FlaMariner While that particular chart is interesting, where do St. Louis, Baltimore, Detroit or Chicago fit on that chart. I think that anyone from anywhere could find themselves in a bad situation and proper caution is required. I just think it is ironic when people say "I wouldn't go there on a bet" and many places in their own country (mine included) are just as bad.

According to FBI data from 2019, the worst city rate for "Murders and Non-Negligent Homicide" in the USA (among the top 100 cities by population) was St. Louis with 66.07 deaths per 100,000 people annually. Which is indeed worse than Jamaica (as a whole). Baltimore basically tied with Jamaica. Third place was Detroit at 39.8, a significant drop-off. The USA as a whole was 6.1 deaths per 100,000 annually. 

 

So while there are some pretty dangerous pockets of the US, Jamaica still does pretty poorly in comparison.

[trivia addict]

I will take the original question in another direction from the safety debate here.

 

The poster states that her husband will feel uncomfortable getting off the ship in Jamaica. My answer is why would you want to spend one of your vacation days feeling anxious? Perhaps if there was something in Jamaica that was incredibly wonderful to do or see, but in my experience, neither of these are true. There is nothing here that cannot be seen on any of the other Caribbean Islands.

 

I spent my honeymoon there nearly 50 years ago and then had a port stop on a cruise about 15 years ago. In that time space neither landscape nor culture had much changed and I suspect has not now. I would venture that a day experiencing the joys of shipboard would be much more relaxing for this couple.

[ontheweb]

18 minutes ago, trivia addict said:

I will take the original question in another direction from the safety debate here.

 

The poster states that her husband will feel uncomfortable getting off the ship in Jamaica. My answer is why would you want to spend one of your vacation days feeling anxious? Perhaps if there was something in Jamaica that was incredibly wonderful to do or see, but in my experience, neither of these are true. There is nothing here that cannot be seen on any of the other Caribbean Islands.

 

I spent my honeymoon there nearly 50 years ago and then had a port stop on a cruise about 15 years ago. In that time space neither landscape nor culture had much changed and I suspect has not now. I would venture that a day experiencing the joys of shipboard would be much more relaxing for this couple.

We did the Bob Marley bus tour; that is something you cannot do in any other Caribbean Island.

[jlawrence01]

3 hours ago, Mary229 said:

When I drive through Detroit I put the peddle to the metal.  If the police want to slow me down they will need to wait until Windsor. 
 

what are you guys doing out there that guns are drawn?  I have never had that happen and I grew up on some mean streets and now reside in Texas 

 

When I was working in the housing projects in Detroit, my vacations were spent hiking to the ghost towns of Ontario all throughout the province guided by a book that I picked up.

 

On one particular hike, a guy appeared with a rifle pointed at me and my wife telling us to get lost.  While we were on public property, I did not fell like pushing the point in a remote rural area where our bodies may not be found.  We went back to the car and moved on to the next town.

[trivia addict]

New movie. Bob Marley: One Love. Could always watch that😊

[HappyInVan]

4 minutes ago, jlawrence01 said:

 

On one particular hike, a guy appeared with a rifle pointed at me and my wife telling us to get lost.  While we were on public property, I did not fell like pushing the point in a remote rural area where our bodies may not be found.  We went back to the car and moved on to the next town.

 

The difference is that you got the courtesy of a warning.

 

Anyway, I just don't understand why HAL is making a stop in Jamaica. Its gonna be the next Haiti. I would stay onboard and enjoy the sun.

[twprincessfirsties]

1 hour ago, Menocchio said:

According to FBI data from 2019, the worst city rate for "Murders and Non-Negligent Homicide" in the USA (among the top 100 cities by population) was St. Louis with 66.07 deaths per 100,000 people annually. Which is indeed worse than Jamaica (as a whole). Baltimore basically tied with Jamaica. Third place was Detroit at 39.8, a significant drop-off. The USA as a whole was 6.1 deaths per 100,000 annually. 

 

So while there are some pretty dangerous pockets of the US, Jamaica still does pretty poorly in comparison.

Remember too that Jamaica is bigger than a city and parts of the country, like Mexico, are quite safer. I felt safe doing outings from  Ocho Rios (no travel warning) but not in Montego Bay. 

[Menocchio]

35 minutes ago, twprincessfirsties said:

Remember too that Jamaica is bigger than a city and parts of the country, like Mexico, are quite safer. I felt safe doing outings from  Ocho Rios (no travel warning) but not in Montego Bay. 

That's true. Heck, I'm going to Baltimore on a business trip later this year and I'm not at all nervous about that. This is because I understand that even within city limits some places are better than others. 

[Laminator]

It's like the bear chasing a group of people. I don't have to be the fastest runner. I just can't be the slowest. It boils down to pax knowing and accepting their limitations. Go in groups and leave the bling on the ship. 

[*Miss G*]

2 hours ago, jlawrence01 said:

On one particular hike, a guy appeared with a rifle pointed at me and my wife telling us to get lost.

 

Are you sure they weren’t American?  It’s hard to tell until there’s a gun in your face.  🙃

 

Here’s what I think really happened:  You came upon a homicide-in-progress and they didn’t want to dig a bigger hole to bury the evidence so they gave you a chance to escape.

 

See?  Easily explained.  😃  (And polite.)

 

Edited February 16 by *Miss G*
^^The above is a joke for those who lack that gene.

[mcrcruiser]

The questions begs why do cruise ships even stop in Jamaica with crime  so elevated  ?