myTobago – your questions, review and comment about Tobago

We are a familly of four and have recently spent two weeks at the rex turtle beach resort.Returning home with Excel airways on Sunday the 27th August at 7.25pm. We believed we were quite fortunate not to have anything stolen during our stay [Editor: libellous statement removed]. Upon our arrival at Crown point airport, we transferred our childrens IPOD and MP3 player to our small suitcase as we were unsure of the security situation with regards to hand luggage, on our return to the uk we discovered that the above items have been removed from our baggage ans are no longer in our possesion, therefore we can only conclude that the baggage handlers are quite sure of the situation and more than willing to take advantage by thieving from peoples luggage. it begs the question does anyone escape from Tobago without being thieved from.

Michael

I am sorry, but your post is clearly libellous and whilst you may not care about being sued, I am not prepared to be a party to it. I have therefore edited your post to remove the libel.

Can we please be very clear as your post seems somewhat ambigous. Are you saying that these items were stolen at the Rex Turtle Beach, at Crown Point airport, or somewhere in transit?

As you are probably aware, there is a HUGE problem with theft from baggage at all the UK airports at the moment, due to the chaos caused by the current security situation.

Steve Wooler wrote:Michael

I am sorry, but your post is clearly libellous and whilst you may not care about being sued, I am not prepared to be a party to it. I have therefore edited your post to remove the libel.

Can we please be very clear as your post seems somewhat ambigous. Are you saying that these items were stolen at the Rex Turtle Beach, at Crown Point airport, or somewhere in transit?

As you are probably aware, there is a HUGE problem with theft from baggage at all the UK airports at the moment, due to the chaos caused by the current security situation.

Steve, i dont wish to appear negative but i am confident that the items were taken at crown point airport, this is due to the experiences other holiday makers suffered. Theft seems to be a big problem in Tobago, i am ex Royal Navy and have travelled extensively and have never encountered such a problem, the people we spoke to all seemed resigned to theft as part and parcel of Tobago which is sad

Sorry to hear of your experience Michael. We travel to Tobago extensively and have done so for very many years and have NEVER had a problem with our luggage - nor have we encountered anyone who has.

Likewise.

It could be that someone in baggage handling saw these very desirable (and small) items being placed in the hold baggage and took the opportunity to steal from you.

Apart from this sad end to your holiday, did you enjoy your stay?

Cheers
Steve

'this is due to the experiences other holiday makers suffered.'

Could you please elaborate?

Hi Michael

Negativity would be dissapointing, but certainly not a problem. My only concern was that the deleted comments were serious allegations and read as if they were made against the Rex Turtle Beach. The management of that hotel, there or here in the UK, would rightfully quickly jump on that.

Without in any way defending Crown Point airport, I have to say that I've never heard of a theft problem there. If you had been round the back of the check-in area, as I have, you would understand why - there are virtually no dark corners where baggage handlers can rifle suitcases without being seen. However, there is - and always has been - a serious problem at Gatwick. If your items went missing between Crown Point and Gatwick, then I would put a grand to your hundred that the theft happened in the UK and not at Crown Point.

As a matter of interest, were the items in a locked suitcase?

'the people we spoke to all seemed resigned to theft as part and parcel of Tobago which is sad'

What people? Please elaborate.

Will your travel insurance cover the loss?

Steve Pitts wrote:Likewise.

It could be that someone in baggage handling saw these very desirable (and small) items being placed in the hold baggage and took the opportunity to steal from you.

Apart from this sad end to your holiday, did you enjoy your stay?

Cheers
Steve

we very much enjoyed our stay Steve but wont be returning, we had only been there a day when the aloe man struck and began intimidating me to pay for a service i had not requested but felt obliged to undergo , beleiving it was a custom and not wishing to offend.I hope that gives you an indication of the respectfull person i am. And some of the people are down right rude in their manner , being polite and courteous is a world wide custom, yet some people find it excusable in the tobagans and try and justify it.Being rude inpolite and discourteous should be called as such.

Carole Beckett wrote:Sorry to hear of your experience Michael. We travel to Tobago extensively and have done so for very many years and have NEVER had a problem with our luggage - nor have we encountered anyone who has.

Carole everyone we met had experienced theft of some sort, it would appear to be a tolerated irritant for every visitor.

Robert Wiseman wrote:'this is due to the experiences other holiday makers suffered.'

Could you please elaborate?

Robert almost everyone had experienced theft of some sort from money to shoes etc, we became paranoid the second week and couldnt believe our good fortune at not having been stolen from during the first week when we were unaware such a problem existed

R Shah wrote:Will your travel insurance cover the loss?

i am led to believe so, but thats not the point, these were my childrens belongings, it dismays me that someone will open the Ipod and see titles of dads songs mums songs sisters songs etc

Carole Beckett wrote:Sorry to hear of your experience Michael. We travel to Tobago extensively and have done so for very many years and have NEVER had a problem with our luggage - nor have we encountered anyone who has.

Carole ordinarilly these items would be taken on in hand luggage, but due to the security situation people are putting valuables like these and cameras camcorders etc in suitcases, and somebody as switched on to this

Sorry to hear about your theft Michael,i must say that i have been to Tobago many times now and have never encountered any problems,nor have i heard reports from anyone else.
I ALWAYS lock my suitcase with a padlock to prevent access.

1. the only time in my life that something got stolen from my suitcase was either in miami or gatwick wich I both passed on a trip with the luggage checked through

2. the airport in tobago really does not have any dakr corners (no corbners at all) where a baggage handler could take anything and it is swarming with immigration officers all over, no chance all of these people would stick together to give anyone a chance to steal from the luggage

3. the rex turtle beach hotel is not the whole of tobago. if they have a security risk there or a gang of aloe guys and thiefs on the beach it is a horrible thing and the police should do something, but it is wrong to give out the impression that the whole of tobago is like that. here in castara I always leave my keys in the car, the car open and my purse in, nothing ever happened and I am white and often enough mistaken for a tourist. Attention: I don't tell anyone to risk that, too!

4. I hope everyone whos property gets stolen reports it to the police and the hotel so they can take better security mesures. they can't change anything if they don't know.

5. due to the new situation for hand luggage why not get little padlocks, most bags have double zips these days anyway. sad enough that the situation forces to give up your hand luggage, but you lock your suitcase because you have to give it up, why not the handluggage.

I hope everyone else still enjoys their holidays and keep my fingers crossed that the police is getting a grip on the situation

STEPHANIE

I have been to Tobago a number of times now and have met probably hundreds of other guests on the Island,from all parts of the world,and I can honestly say that I have never heard of anyone being robbed.In fact two years ago I left a money clip with perhaps TT$350 in on a bar in Scarbro',I went back about an hour later and my money clip-including cash had been handed to the barman.As for luggage theft at Crown Point,I agree with Steve and Steph,having been"airside"with a member of the police,it would be a miracle if someone could open,rifle,remove items and then close luggage without being spotted!As for 'Bagonians being rude I have never found this to be so,treat people civilly and they will respond!If you are the gent you say you are,you should write an un-reserved apology to the people of this wonderful Island.
David.
ps,did you write a similar attack to the Gatwick handlers?I think not

One of my friends found his padlock broken when he picked up his suitcase in Heathrow (not from Tobago I should add), presumably by customs officials. Since then he uses cable ties to lock it, so that the case isn't damaged during random searches.

I believe the majority of people in Tobago adhere to a high moral code and would rather work hard to earn money instead of stealing to make a quick profit or to obtain desirable goods.

I do not believe there is an endemic proportion of theft taking place in Tobago against tourists, which the regular travellers to Tobago among us will vouch for.

Seldom do you ever hear on this forum or anywhere else, people returning from Tobago to find they have had items stolen from luggage.

Michael feels obviously hard done by from his experience, but is completely wrong to assume that Tobago is synonymous with theft against tourists as he so clearly states.

I await the time when this forum is bombarded with constant rants and complaints that high rates of theft is going on in Tobago against tourists.

I think not so.

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As a regular visitor to Tobago, I look forward to my weekly catch-ups on this forum. I invariably log out with a grin on my face and fond memories refreshed. Sometimes, like today, I switch off after banging my head on the table.

it dismays me that someone will open the Ipod and see titles of dads songs mums songs sisters songs etc

Is this a wind-up, or have I finally lost the plot?

Steve, I have tremendous respect for your honesty and candor and invariably agree with your comments. Why haven't you come out more strongly on this one? You know, as well as I do, that theft is NOT a problem in Tobago - at least no more than anywhere else and not in the way that this ***** portrays.

The huge increase in theft of/from baggage was reported on the main BBC news a few days after the recent security threat. Why jump on Tobago, Michael? Surely all the evidence points to Gatwick?