I was waiting for the 5.50 water taxi from Belize City to arrived here at Caye Caulker,then to go on to San Pedro, a full boat, but to incluld, I beleave some 12 handcuffed prisoners,all seem to be making there selves known in very lould manner, my point is what do the tourest think having to travel with then,do the Police give this any thought?

You have a good point but they don't have much choice, it would be too expensive to transport them any other way.

Could you not feed them to the sharks?

Wishful thinking.

As soon as the water taxi guys in CC knew about this they should have begun informing any ticketed and/or potential passengers about the prisoner transport so those who could might make other arrangements.

At that time of day there are no other arrangements.

So, am I reading this correct... the water taxi was bringing prisoners FROM Belize City TO San Pedro? It is usually the other way around, they are taking prisoners off the islands to go to Belize City or from Caye Caulker to San Pedro for an arraignment, and then on to Hattieville to be locked up. I have never seen prisoners going in the other direction. Strange.

I think they have to return for their hearing in the place they supposedly committed the crime.

Pehaps the police should charter a boat for THERE sole use, use there own boat or whatever but the public should not have to sit next to or traval with these people,in these numbers !
Surley The Water Taxi Ass. do have a say in this.

Not sure about San Pedro but the Caye Caulker police boat isn't always available for prison transport. Often they are out on some other activity. Also, the police boats aren't always in running order. I doubt the Water Taxi Association has much say in whether the police use their taxi's to transport the prisoners. Perhaps a special boat for just prisoners should be purchased with the proceeds left in the council's budgets. Personnaly, I think they should have to swim to court.

As tourists, we encountered the same thing..it was no big deal.It just added to the Belize experience. At the time I thought it was pretty cool as other countries, saddled with debt would have gave the prisoners a private cruise at huge expense. I know there is the old "innocent until proven guilty" thing but having a boatload of people watching you in handcuffs might make some of them think twice about their actions next time.

Or just drop 'em off at Porto Stuck

The water taxis take the prisoners as paying passengers - although the police department does have a discounted fare if it pays in cash.

It is not financially viable to run prison boats back and forth.

You will see handcuffed US criminals flying out on the commercial airlines both locally and internationally.

Besides, in every mode of public transportation all over the world, you never know if you are sitting next to a criminal who is not in cuffs. Personally, I'd rather know who they were.

Last year I was on a boat with 3 guys in cuffs...and this one drunk tourist that had a bottle of one barrel, he was feeding them, and all of them smoking cigarettes,,all of those activities are not allowed on the water taxi,,signs are posted..but in the end all was fine,,,,

hmmmmm... does that count for white collar criminal as well? :P

In the US actually the feds have there own airlines including
reservations and all of it for Federal inmates moving around.
Convict Air. States use more public transportation for bringing
them back from another state and vans and buses for moving
them within the state. I think they did a special on one
of the cable channels a while ago.

They don't even have an engine on the Caye Caulker police boat.

Comparing Belize with what the United States does get kinda old.
I mean this in a nice way Zardoz, its just helpful info for you. It seems to annoy Belizeans and more often than not, is condescending.
I truly mean this in a friendly helpful way.

If they are that sensative I guess I won't write on here anymore.
I have travelled all over the world and this is the first time
I have been called condescending. I just thought it interesting.


Bye bye

That wasn't fair, Elbert.

Didn't seem that way to me.
Aren't you a Belizean?
Don't you get tired of constantly being compared with 'How we do it in the states'.
Its annoying and condescending.
Belize doesn't want to grow up and be like the states.

And the US has 1,000 times more prisoners to transport, so a special airlines make sense...for them.

I guess its all in the interpretation, I read it as somone just stating what they do in other parts of the world - as an informative comment and not in any way condescending.

I am an American, just love to visit Belize for vacations, nothing more, nothing less.

I always thought that taking them out to the Marianas Trench would be a great idea.....

:-)
I might have after all these years on an island with heavy tourist visitation have acquired a twisted attitude.
...but I'm willing to wager if you poll Belizeans about this I would be with the majority.
Zardoz is being to sensitive, I meant that as an helpful enlightening remark.
Its the most common 'Ugly American' attitude.

And your attitude toward North Americans is not overly
sensitive? Pleease...I have traveled to over 60 countries
and I speak 5 different languages and now you are calling
me an Ugly American. You sir are an ugly Belizean and If
this is how Belizeans feel about us why should we come
and spend our money. I have cancelled my trip for next year
because of the dog situation. I now feel like never coming
back. Look at yourself in the mirror before you accuse others.

Everybody chill, only 1 more day until the weekend...

Zardoz, Calm down. Elbert is a good guy and I don't think he meant you any harm. Some times you have to let things go. In general (maybe not to do with your statement) his statement was correct.

I don't like being insulted and he has insulted me. I choose
to leave where I am not wanted. I don't think he is a good
guy. I grew up on the coast of maine and believe me you don't
know what large numbers of tourists are until you go to maine
in August. Yes sometimes the tourists were a pain in the butt
but we never insulted the folks that feed us. Yes sometimes
you have to let things go but calling me " an ugly american"
is as offensive as it gets.

Done and account deleted

Were waiting Zardoz, your account is still showing.

Sorry,this has got out of hand,I only thought it was a good idea,that as a Tourest Island it seemed not a good advert that so many prisoners were all seen together on a public boat, Not to compair counties......AND im from the UK !

:-)

This message board is a funny little virtual world for folks who spend a lot of time on the computer. For better or worse, it is it's own little thing. It's not really not representative of the "other" 90% of folks who live in or visit Belize and who probably who spend most of their time working, or swimming or enjoying the company of people instead of cyber-things.

Zardoz --- you love dogs and you love Belize - DO come back !!
( in person and have a fabulous time).

No doubt, message boards can provide for a quick; vicarious jaunt to fascinating and exotic places, like Belize. I find even the real world sometimes has to wait. I thought Zardoz was replying to a comment about handcuffed US criminals on domestic and international flights.

..US domestic and international flights????? Huh?????

"You will see handcuffed US criminals flying out on the commercial airlines both locally and internationally."

She said what she meant. Local/domestic and international flights. Flights within Belize and flights to other countries. Point well taken.

I was thinking it's possible that Zardoz or whomever, might have misread or misunderstood the post because, as you can see yourself, it's not uncommon.

But aren't we in Belize????????????

"This message board... (is) really not representative...of folks who live in, or visit Belize."

For security purposes you might choose a designation for us interlopers who aren't (yet) in Belize.