American Tourists Arrested For Assault
Six American tourists charged with assault and malicious damage in Antigua
ST. JOHN'S, Antigua — Six American tourists in Antigua were charged with assault and malicious damage after refusing to pay a cab fare they thought was excessive and later scuffling with police officers.
The defendants — Shoshannah and Rachel Henry, Nancy and Dolores Lalane, Mike Tierre and Joshua Jackson — were released on $5,000 bail each Monday and are expected to enter pleas during a court appearance Wednesday. Their hometowns were not immediately available.
The tourists, who were visiting the Caribbean island on a cruise ship stopover, refused to pay a driver who gave them a tour Friday because they believed they were being overcharged, according to police.
The driver charged $50 for a tour ending at a beach, and the dispute started when he told them he would have to double the fee to take them back, police said. A fight broke out after the driver drove them to a police station, and two officers were allegedly injured.
A defense lawyer, Steadroy Benjamin, said the group will challenge the charges of malicious damage, assault and wounding the police officers.
The Carnival Cruise Lines ship left without them.
Comments
i have no problems with police i have a problem with how athority is being taken advantage of sometimes. I had some videos seen at http://hiddensoulz.com in which how rude the customs are at travelers.
It's funny, "Antiguans do not like Obama" and yet they change the name of the tourist attraction "Boggy Peak" to "Mt. Obama"... Its even on the maps. :)
Don't generalise, its not pretty.
i would like to ask you a question madge the tour operator was an antiguan? because we even have people from america that work done here so it would be good to know the info, because i work for the tourism industry, but the whole story about the 6 american was not the whole truth. and antigua does like obama so i dont knw wat u talking about.
Let's face it, no driver normally gives half of the price of a cab/transportation trip in advance.
I can see him taking this people 20km into the boonies (or a deserted beach) and then say, "and now, about the fare for the return trip..."
The Antiguans do not like Obama, nor are they very partial to Americans (and some Europeans for that matter).
Tourists are their cash-cash, and since most tourists only stay a week or two, and since the tourist flow is so high, the methods and manners of the Antiguans (and several other islands - remember Natalee Holloway) are questionable.
Most foreigners do not understand the local dialect (patois) and do not realize that they are thought of by the locals as simply money fonts (fountains).
They do not have to be polite, honest, or courteous. It doesn't matter, because every day a different boat-load of gullible suckers arrive.
In this specific case though, the Americans were not as gullible and naive as the islanders thought.
That was their mistake. If they were nice (i.e. - stupid and naive) tourists, then the islanders would have smiled, and said please and thank you as they double and triple-charged them.
In any third-world country, the locals prefer stupid and spend-happy tourists who never figure out local currency (or cab-fare for that matter). The biggest mistake these people made was to question (the very unethical) motives of the driver.
Big mistake. Word to the wise: try to smile when they steal from you...
its a fact that tourist a being taken advantage of all over the world an i see why they would be reluctant to the payment.what i dont understand is why the police officers let it go that far.police officers are most times protected and hidden from the real truth and escapes procecution of wrong doing.all am saying is that Antigua depends on tourism alot to get by in these hard times an they should have thought of the consequences of their actions not for themselves only but the impact it will have on the entire country.wrong or right they should have find an other altanative in handling the situation.i have no problems with police i have a problem with how athority is being taken advantage of sometimes.
I visited Antigua in Just and the tour guide was very rude and insultive. He bluntly told us he hates American and President Oama. We were extremely uncomfortable and prayed for the trip in that vehicle to be over, so I can just imagine what those tourists had to endure at the hands of American haters.
I am a travel agent and will encougage everyone encluding cruiselines to discontinue trips to Antigua. I was there a few weeks and was insulted by the tour guide who bluntly told us he hates Americans and President Obama. We were very uncomfortable on the trip the whole time.
I have done some traveling and tourists do get taken advantage of at times. I can see why the passengers would refuse to pay a ridiculous fare. The odd part of this report is that a scuffle ensued. And then a scuffle with police?
I find it hard to believe that foreigners would engage in a fight with the locals for any reason... you cannot win. So, do you suppose the cab driver started a fight? The irony in all of this is that the ship left without them as well. A bad week for these people.casino
Post new comment