Be warned - I am also posting this on the Anbergris Caye message board, because this has happened there too. If y'all want to delete this, fine.
We feel personally that too many threads get deleted off both of these message boards. I'm not blaming any one moderator, but on the Caye Caulker boards, posts about safety problems were deleted.
On this board things are getting deleted constantly.
Now, it's one thing if someone uses the F-word to edit that out of the post, but we feel personally that very informative things are being deleted only because they may put Belize in a bad light.
It seems as if the only posts that are accepted are the ones about whether or not Banana Beach is better than the Sundiver. Sure this is informative, but isn't safe diving and personal safety while visiting the islands also important.
Marty, Sandshaker, I know y'all have difficult jobs, but could you try to be more discriminating? The Caye Caulker posts may have been BS in your eyes, but I would rather go down there being overprotective and misinformed, as opposed to having harm done to me or my family!
Let me just tell you - DisneyWorld doesn't even delete negative posts from their happiest place on earth boards.
This may stir the pot, and we're sorry if this angers y'all, but it needs to be said without acrimony.
Thanks,
Jeanne & Bill

In Caye Caulker you have crimes like these:

Immature kids travelling in bunches, getting drunk, laid and whatever else, pass their wallets around from one friend to the next and the next (whoever is the most sober preferrably) and when they awaken from their stupor the next day, they can't figure out where it is at and file a complaint at the Police Station - 'Wallet Missing'...

Okay, so they finally find it among themselves, go out the next night and do it all over again. By the time they go to complain to the Cops again, they are looking rather silly. So the Cop suggests that they check their bags ( and their friends' ) at which point they act insulted and smart assed and ask the Cops to go search it themselves - So the Cop does and finds GANGA (marijuana - illegal in Belize) in one of the bags and someone in the group gets arrested.... Compounding the situation.

After being booked and sent immediately to Belize City to be charged (being a tourist they made it quick, otherwise he would have normally had to spend at least a night in Jail!), the processed finished, the person who commits the felon and is subsequently charged, 'Smart Asses' again and askes if since he has been charged for the crime of 'possession of an illegal substance' if he can KEEP the Drugs!

Now you ask - how can anyone feel sorry for the 'poor tourist'.....??....

And the long list of immature actions continues, if anyone wants a episile on the 'Silly Things Tourists Do' in Caye Caulker, just ask.

So I say again - All those "warnings" being posted, are strictly for the Immature Traveller.

The rest of you - Stay Cool, Stay Smart, Have a Wonderful Vacation!

Cheers!

what you say is total fantasy, many people get scammed and infected with various disease by the same notorious people on the island, and they are not all teenagers on a spring break. Rape is a serious thing. in a couple of years when the real visible signs of AIDS show up im sure the island will be a catastrophe. Plus theives on the island are not just grabbing teenagers wallets, its people who methodically create scams to generate money. its a big problem that you all are ignoring!

I have traveled to Caye Caulker numerous times in the past 13 years. I have traveled alone and with others. Never once have I been vicitimized or felt threatened in any way.

In that time I have seen petty crime increase. That usually happens as a population grows. I stress that this is petty crime. Mostly thievery. If you leave your bag unattended while getting drunk at the bar it could go missing. This could happen darned near anywhere. Easy targets make easy pickings. Just plain common sense is all you need. It is not crime ridden, more the target of opportunity. Keep your valuables out of sight and your door locked at night. Just like you do at home.

As for the sexual diseases, well that one is easy to handle, keep your pants on. No problem.

Go there and enjoy. The people are wonderful the place is beautiful and it is pretty darned safe if you are not an idiot.

I too have watched as all suggestions of trouble in paradise have been deleted. Speaking as someone who has been to Caye Caulker and loves the place and its people, I still don’t see why anyone can think that deleting negative experiences and telling people that Caye Caulker has no problems other than a few drunken tourists will solve the problem (although I believe this “drunken tourist” scenario does happen). After all, far more prevalent destinations (The Dominican Republic and Jamaica to name just two) have strong tourism industries and they’re not known for their crime-free status. So why are folks so threatened???

Deleting messages does not prevent travellers from visiting their government “Travel Advisory” websites to get information on their destination where crime IS noted as a problem in Belize. And as for the “dreadlock” problem, hit the delete button all you like, but people can still read about the issue in Anne Sutherland’s book “Belize: Globalization in the Margins”. Perhaps it is not understood that in North American and European youth culture, dreadlocks are a symbol of social consciousness and spirituality (unfortunately, its Bob Marley who incidentally caused it) and ‘beach boys’ across the Caribbean are playing that cultural fact to pad their pockets (not to mention their unmentionable body parts). I wonder how much of this could be curbed if people (not just women, but men as well who want to come down and smoke an – illegal – spliff with a ‘real live’ Rastaman) were given straight forward information (for example, on your message board) and knew to opt out of this predatory game.

I think Belize is a beautiful country with many wonderful people and do recommend others to visit. But just like divers are told not to break or step on coral to protect Belize’s incredible great barrier reef, telling people realistically how to avoid physical danger could help curb the problem (although obviously not solve it).

Soooo, what I’m saying is, don’t bother with the editing jobs. Give tourists the information they need to be safe, enable and empower the local poor to benefit from tourism in legal, positive ways, and watch how you reap the benefits!

I sure hope "Fed Up Islander" isn't profiting from the tourism business, because (s)he obviously can't stand tourists!!! Then again, considering how many individuals these days who are actually (white) American and consider themselves Belizean 'Islanders' (and inadvertantly steal money from Belizeans - including city dwellers - by not sharing the profits they reap) this violent reaction is hardly surprising. Thanks for the advice that you hate tourists, Fed Up Islander. Glad to know how much you dislike us. Good luck with the lobster industry.

Hey Fuss, where does Fed Up say anything remotely like, she doesn't like tourists? Fed Up makes good sense and targets only one type of tourist whom we have all seen on every island in the tropics.

Incidentally, you don't sound much like a tourist yourself. If you're not, you sure sound like a local---maybe from off the island. C'mon, fess up.

I hope Fed Up prints out her last post and nails it to a post on the main wharf in CC. She might save a lot of grief and turn away a lot of saga boys.

Hey Fuss - If the shoe fits... wear it!

Bawn ya, Grow ya, I when die ya!

I agree with Fed Up, I don't think Fed Up hates tourists either.
The first thing I thought when I read the first "rasta" post was - "How naive!"
It was only after continuous other posts that I began asking about the safety of the island.

Rasta's won't keep me from the island, I won't play their games. I was just wondering because of my kids.
Now I know what to deal with when it comes to my kids...that's all.

If you folks had any idea of the crazy stuff that gets posted, you would not be so damn judgemental about deletions.

we are not leaving up only the rainbow stuff. but ridiculous hideous experiences that don't happen are not going to stay posted.