Why do some people think that they can get away with more in a foreign country? Jamaica is ALWAYS pushing drugs, not because they're legal, because they want money. They cannot be brought on board, and if the police find the drugs on a foreigner, you're going to jail-period. Only a few will let you buy your way out of it.
Dave, you should have taped that. It would have been a great orientation to foreign travel. Greece, Italy, France, the Caribbean, it's all the same. They're foreign countries with different laws, and just because we're tourists doesn't mean they give a rat's rear about us.
Our friend was in Mexico with a college break group doing service work and one of the kids hit a mexican national with a car and killed him. This was a not for profit group and could not pay his fine. Turned out at that time a rural mexican laborer was only worth about $149 and the kids were carrying that much cash, pooled their resources and got the guy free. The Mexican jail was not a good experience.
Also think I may have posted before some spring breakers on our cruise bought drugs in Jamaica and tried to bring them aboard, went to jail in Jamaica. They were in the same holding cell overnight as a murderer. It was a 6x8 cell if memory serves. They were scared to say the least. They caught up with the ship in Cozumel. Trust me, my kids would have been flying home, and probably never leaving home again until they were 30.
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Laurie
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Drug dogs are used in some ports. I do know in Jamaica the local police check passengers before they board the ship. In Montego Bay they had x-ray and metal detectors, plus they were patting people down. As a minimum at Ocho Rios the police search all purses, packages, bags.
Let's not forget that in a lot of places the sellers work hand-in-hand with the police; they sell you drugs, tell the police, and get a kickback from the cops on the fines they collect. No dogs or x-rays needed.
Good point, Rick. I am reminded of Hank's recent post where the Italian police were standing by as tourists bought counterfeit handbags from a vendor. After the sale the police arrested the tourists but never hassled the vendor.
Years ago in my still dry county (although the largest city is finally wet), one had to go to the neighboring county to buy booze. The management of one of the contract partners at my plant decided to throw a party. They gave a wad of cash to a couple of their employees and sent them to the Alabama ABC store in that neighboring county, which was right on the county line. These guys bought a trunk load of booze and when they left the store the ABC clerk watched them drive back into our dry county, and proceeded to call the police. Alabama got the money from the booze sale, they got the booze back via confiscation, and the guys got arrested for bootlegging.
It is my understanding that the US State Department has issued a warning regarding passenger transportation scams on the island of Antigua. Perhaps it is a direct result of the incident on the island reported in this column!! I think Cruise-Chat.com gets an official "ATTABOY"!!!!
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