 |
Coming and Going: Violent crime is up in the Bahamas
Crime wave
Bahamas-bound travelers, beware.
Crime in the popular tourist destination is on the upswing, especially on New Providence Island, where the capital city, Nassau, is located. And we're not talking just petty thefts or purse-snatching, but far more serious violent crime.
This island nation finished 2009 with a record 87 murders -- a statistic tourism officials probably won't be trumpeting in their next "It's Better in the Bahamas" ad.
More recently, on Feb. 25, an American tourist was attacked in his hotel room on usually tranquil Harbour Island (60 miles from Nassau) by two men wielding a cutlass, according to the Tribune newspaper. The victim survived and suspects are in custody, but the incident prompted police and Ministry of Tourism officials to meet with concerned Harbour Island residents last Monday.
Bahamian officials from Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham on down have publicly acknowledged the problem and taken steps to address it, putting more police on the streets in Nassau, especially after 18 cruise ship passengers became victims of an armed robbery in November.
The criminal activity has prompted the operators of the world's largest cruise ship, Oasis of the Seas, to warn its passengers to "be mindful of their personal safety," the Nassau Guardian newspaper reported.
CoGo isn't waving sun-seekers away from the Bahamas, because most of the violent crime seems to have occurred in New Providence's "Over the Hill" neighborhoods, where few tourists venture. Would-be tourists should also know that crime hasn't been as much of an issue in the Bahamas' less populated Family Islands, such as Exuma, Bimini and Abaco.
Even so, "be mindful" seems like an appropriate mantra for visitors, especially in Nassau, where the State Department has reported "assaults, including sexual assaults, in diverse areas such as in casinos, outside hotels, or on cruise ships."
Some Bahamians attribute the crime wave to high unemployment (hovering around 15 percent on New Providence Island, according to the Guardian) and the nation's status as a gathering spot for drug traffickers.
On a personal note, CoGo saw no evidence of criminal activity during a recent three-day stay in Nassau, if you discount the scruffy young man who whispered "coke, weed, coke, weed" as we strolled along Bay Street, the main shopping drag, one evening.
Google your ride
Here's another reason to bike your way around town: You can now get bicycling directions on Google Maps.
Google has partnered with D.C.-based nonprofit Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) to offer the feature, which allows users to type in their destination and get directions for the best bicycling route. CoGo, for instance, was pleased to find out that it would take just 10 minutes to bike from the heart of Adams Morgan to downtown Washington.
Google has already been offering this service to drivers, walkers and transit riders. Now Google users in all 50 states will have access to RTC's database of more than 1,600 rail-trails and connecting corridors for free. RTC has been offering its trail maps gratis on TrailLink.com, where demand has grown in the past year.
"Bikers all over the country now will be able to explore new trails or find specific directions in their local community with just a few clicks of their mouse," Shannon Guymon, product manager for Google Maps, said in a statement.
Travelers weigh in
What are travelers' biggest gripes these days? Limited legroom on planes and fees for checked baggage and other in-flight services, according to TripAdvisor's second annual air travel survey.
The survey of 3,200 U.S. respondents revealed some other interesting traveler sentiments. Sorry, Kevin Smith, but 74 percent said they think that travelers of size should pay for two seats on their flights. (Actor-director Smith waged a Twitter campaign against Southwest Airlines after he was forced off a flight for being too big to fit comfortably in a single seat. Southwest later apologized.)
Thirty percent said that they would be more likely to book a ticket on a flight offering WiFi. Some travelers -- 45 percent -- said they want Internet access so badly that they would put up with a seatmate accessing inappropriate content. Another 27 percent, however, said that they would alert a flight attendant and 22 percent would ask their seatmate to shut down any lewd sites.
And what of those controversial full body scanners that can see through your clothing? Seventy-nine percent had no problem with them.
|
|
|
