Interesting Development… A Response from Hedman Alas, at long last… UPDATED

So if you remember, two friends that came to visit me, Miguel and Arcelia, and myself, got robbed on a bus December 2006 in Honduras. Since then, I’ve been back and forth with Hedman Alas bus line in regards to how its investigation was handled, and its horrifically feeble attempt to compensate us for our losses.

More than a year later, today, I get an email from one of the Hedmans, who attempted to respond to my posting linked above, which I posted almost a YEAR AGO TO THE DAY. I’m inserting his email, then I will paste in my email response to him that I just sent him. More on this as it develops…

—– Original Message —-

From: Aaron Hedman xxxxxaaron@hotmail.com
To: tony@theandiamo.com,xxxxxxxx.hedman@hedmanalas.com
Sent: Tuesday, February 5, 2008 1:33:37 PM
Subject: Tony’s idea of a good time…2/2/07

Hello Tony,

My name is Aaron Hedman, i was working in Hedman-Alas when our misfortune occurred. I discovered your website in an online search and was saddened by what i read. Hedman-Alas does care very much about their customers and their safety. We were all victims in those robberies. I attempted to post a comment on your blog but encountered errors. I am attaching what i wanted to write you… I know you went through alot but i would appreciate it if you could see things from our perspective. The chaos of the season and that years robberies may have made things very hard to make sense of what happened.

My attempted comment:

“Hedman-Alas is the safest bus company in Honduras. They were robbed for the first times in over 50 years in those instances. No other company in Honduras will give you the same attention as Hedman-Alas does simply because nobody operates on their level. I am deeply sorry to hear about your misfortune. Since that instance the robberies have not reoccurred and the delinquents have been arrested. This indeed has tarnished their record but since the occurrence Hedman-Alas has immensely updated their security to a modern first world level, they have more cameras, guards, and throughly check everyone. They have always had good security, but now it has been intensified. Robbery is something that has happened to every single company in Honduras, and most Central America.

That same days three other transportation giants of Honduras were robbed, including Viana, and Saenz, they are other 5 star lines. It was a gang activity targeting only transportation companies of all levels. I can almost guarantee that in an event like this Hedman-Alas took care of you more than any other company would. Most companies don’t care, you were the victim of misfortune and bad timing, Hedman-Alas prides themselves on customer service. Just like any major airliner that have a large fleet and high passenger traffic so sometimes its hard to give everyone special treatment. During the season of the events Hedman-Alas counted with over 5,000 people a day, and 80-100 departures, with the events of that month it made things extremely chaotic. Hedman-Alas followed exact protocol provided by the Police. They could not do more for you because they were following within the law which sometimes appears to be backwards at times. Unfortunately robbery is part of the risk involved in traveling in Central America. Please take the time to reconsider some of your words because perspective is very important. You were treated the best that Hedman-Alas could, in light of their own devastating loses with hospitalized personel, the brand new equipment damages and theft of all multimedia.

Im not saying that what you say isnt true, but it all has to be put in perspective. The laws of Central America differ to those of the United States. Hedman-Alas does more for its customers than anybody else, including large amounts of community donations to educate the less fortunate, free travel for the blind and deaf, senior citizen discounts before it was a law, student discounts though they are not mandatory by law, and free securty. It was because of Hedman-Alas camera systems that the police successfully captured the perpetrators, we were the only company that could provide such ground breaking evidence. Everyone was a victim, including Hedman-Alas. May it be circumstance, timing, or by Honduran laws, we were all victims.”

Thank you for taking the time to read this Tony, i know it may not make you feel any better about Hedman-Alas but i do want you to understand Hedman-Alas does care, despite what you wrote i sincerely hope to see you again.

Sincerely,Aaron Hedman
xxxxxaaron@hotmail.com

My email response back to Aaron Hedman that I sent him today:
From: Tony Santos theandiamo@yahoo.com
To: Aaron Hedman xxxxaaron@hotmail.com,xxxxxxxxhedman@hedmanalas.com
Sent: Tuesday, February 5, 2008 3:18:57 PM
Subject: Re: Tony’s idea of a good time…2/2/07

Aaron,
While I appreciate your email and attempted comment to my posting, I’m afraid that I must say that as far as I’m concerned, your talk and “promises of safety” fall on deaf ears. You are apparently rather late when it comes to addressing the matter. It’s been over one year since the robbery and you JUST NOW respond to my post? Took you guys long enough, that’s for sure.

First of all, I have to say, that I don’t appreciate you not telling me the truth about the robberies. I looked into this matter myself of course, after the robbery occurred. According to the DGIC, there were TWO other robberies on Hedman Alas buses in Honduras after the one I was on was robbed on December 10th 2006, and one before. There was also one robbed in Guatemala that same month according to a news report that I read. That makes FOUR robberies on Hedman Alas buses in the month of December 2006.

Second of all, I was told by the DGIC that only the criminals who robbed ONE bus from Tegucigalpa to San Pedro Sula, three weeks after December 10th, were caught. The thugs who robbed our bus were not caught, even though they think they knew who they were as of February 2007. So why are you telling me all the “delinquents” were caught when it is not true? Can you provide me with proof of this? If you did catch them, were any of the stolen items recovered?? If so, what, and why were we not contacted? And did you ever investigate or arrest your own employee (the bus attendant) on your bus that was obviously involved in the robbery?? I’ll bet not.
And one more question on this subject. Why was Hedman Alas’ security NOT INCREASED after the VERY FIRST ROBBERY?? Why were three other buses on your line allowed to be robbed in more or less the same manner?

Even further, when a good friend of mine, Mitzy Camposeco, spoke with Alexander Hedman in Guatemala City about this matter no less than a month after the robbery, he told her that he wanted to “do everything he can for us” to somehow compensate us for our losses. I personally was robbed of over $1500 in luggage, boat parts, and other gear, as well as my passport. My two friends, who had just gotten off a plane in San Pedro Sula to visit me for a week, were robbed of over $2500 in cash, jewelry, clothes, and other items, INCLUDING their own wedding bands and my friend’s wife’s clothing that she wore on the bus! You are aware that we were all ordered to strip down before being able to flee right?

Despite all this, the best Alexander Hedman can offer us was $25 US per bag stolen! Sorry, but considering the fact that despite your “security”, two women were able to smuggle guns onto the bus, with the help of one of your OWN EMPLOYEES, to hold up the bus tells me just how good the security actually was. Let’s face it, security was a joke, just like Alexander’s offer of compensation was. It only added insult to injury. I’ve talked with people who have traveled on Hedman Alas buses since then, women in fact, who have told me that they were photographed, and had their purses completely searched before getting on the bus. Perhaps you guys should have been doing this ALL ALONG? And then you tell us you “care” about the safety of your passengers despite the fact that your bus line ALONE was responsible for the robberies being allowed to happen in the first place?

Be aware that by that time, I had been in Central America more than three years. I know and accept the dangers involved in traveling in countries like Guatemala and Honduras and the rest of the continent. I understand that there are risks. If these robberies had occurred in a way that Hedman Alas could not have avoided, I would not dare hold your bus line responsible. But that is not the case. Your system FAILED, you managed to allow an employee who was involved in criminal activity to remain on the bus, and your security allowed a woman to smuggle a 45 automatic in the blanket of HER BABY, and another woman to smuggle a shotgun inside of a large teddybear toy without detection. Furthermore, I highly doubt that Hedman Alas invested any of its own resources into a SERIOUS investigation of the robberies to get to the bottom of it. Especially when you consider that your buses were robbed FOUR TIMES in ONE MONTH.

You seem to speak awfully highly of your company’s civic activities and dedication to its passengers. So tell me, why was there not a REASONABLE offer to compensate your passengers for their HEAVY losses due to the robberies? One passenger on the bus was robbed of over $3000 in cash. Why did your bus line NOT STEP UP and take responsibility for the lack of REAL security that allowed the robberies to happen in the first place? Surely your company is insured to some degree for liability, why was not an effort made to compensate your victimized passengers beyond an insulting $25 per bag lost?

I’ll answer the question for you Aaron. It’s because Hedman Alas does NOT really care. You are comfortable with your share in the travel market your family’s company holds in Honduras and Guatemala, and do not feel that it is threatened. This is why the only thing I can do is discourage other travelers from using your bus line, and successfully so thus far. Believe me when I tell you my rather tiny efforts thus far have been effective. My posts on my blog, Lonely Planet, TripAdvisor, VirtualTourist, and several other travel and cruising sites have garnered response, thanks, and questions about alternative travel options within Honduras and Guatemala, to which I gladly respond to all. And this continues to be an ongoing hobby of mine, particularly since I’m actually going to be working as a writer this year rather than cruising on my boat.

So if your bus line is REALLY serious about caring for its passengers, particularly passengers of yours who have been VICTIMIZED due to your own staff’s ineptitude, faulty security policies, and other faults, you would make a SINCERE effort to compensate them for their losses, and for the horrendous way that their own lives were endangered due to those faults. Furthermore, your bus line woulc consider the value of the “education” your bus line gained from these robberies, that allowed you bring your perceived security up to the levels that they SHOULD HAVE BEEN UP TO at the time we boarded your buses in 2006. Perhaps you should compensate your victims for gaining this knowledge and experience at their expense, helping you make your bus line safer. Wouldn’t you consider that fair? I know I would.

Remember, your bus line will be recognized for how it deals with the DIFFICULT and INCONVENIENT aspects involved in caring for your passengers. Giving senior discounts, and free travel for blind and deaf passengers is easy. Stepping up and taking responsibility for your OWN FAULTS and YOUR OWN RESPONSIBILITIES for allowing at least four bus thefts that I know of to happen when they should NOT HAVE, now that’s hard. So tell me, are you guys willing to step up? If so, SHOW ME HOW. What compensation is your bus line willing to make for ITS FAULT AND RESPONSIBILITY in this matter?
Otherwise, I will stand by my words, and continue speaking the truth about Hedman Alas. You can be assured I will stick with only the facts as I have been.

I await your response to this. Here’s hoping that it doesn’t take another year. BTW, I will post your comment on my blog, along with my response I’ve emailed you just now in rebuttal.

Tony Santos

Then, Aaron replied to me this evening:
From: Aaron Hedman xxxxxxaaron@hotmail.com
To: Tony Santos theandiamo@yahoo.com; xxxxxxxhedman@hedmanalas.com
Sent: Tuesday, February 5, 2008 10:26:23 PM
Subject: RE: Tony’s idea of a good time…2/2/07

Mr.Santos,

You have many unproven allegations. I am sorry our guidelines are to your disapproval. As i stated laws in Honduras are different than those of the United States, and Hedman-Alas operated in its full legal right, and desire to assist you. I was not involved in the case so i cannot provide information as to your robbery. I’m dissapointed you feel our security is inadequate as we are constantly improving and evolving our methods to best provide that free service to our customers. The robberies of Guatemala were unrelated, there was international assistance provided to stop those through the Honduran Embassy, and our serious implications to protect our customers. Our employees were not involves, through the trauma of the incident i can understand how you could believe that. I was stretching a hand of assistance. I, Aaron just read this today, and was compelled to acknowledge your situation. I did not mean to anger you more, we are all upset about the situation, including Hedman-Alas. The robbery discovered was in the city of La Lima, that is the best i can provide you. There was news coverage and from what i understood a band of thieves assaulted many bus lines not only Hedman-Alas. Hedman-ALas, Catisa, Viana, Saenz, City, Impala, and many other bus lines were assaulted. Merchandise was recovered but the police would know much more about the whereabouts.

Alexander Hedman is my father and he is a good man, i assist in maintaining our companies image. I was doing a random search on the internet and just now found your article. I put my heart forth for the company because i have grown up in it. I did not mean to offend you, as i mentioned prior i was saddened for your situation. We cannot offer you the compensation you wish to achieve. Our company policy provided on the back of your ticket/receipt demonstrates our guidlines, as we are equally upset about the robberies. Hedman-Alas despite what you see is a family business, not a corporate monster. We as a company incurred far more losses, and cannot do more than accept it and move forward to improve our service. I apologize but i cannot improve the situation you are experiencing. You have very valid points but it has been confusion through the legal system.

Hedman-Alas is obligated to follow the law and indeed has taken all legal measure to assist in the capture of the perpetrators. The company conducted full investigations on our staff and can assure you that our employees were not involved, we were all the victims of robbery. I cannot provide you further information because it is not my place. This was my effort to show you that we understand your situation, we are operating within the law, we are operating in our company policy clearly demonstrated on your ticket, none of our employees were involved.

I am third generation attempting to sympathize with you because i was saddened by your blog, you are in your right to be disturbed. Yet i wanted to offer you some insight so that you may understand that we also were at a loss and did not want to specifically target you. Everybody was held to the same policy, and the policies ensure our safety as well. I may try and make you special arrangements for free travel for a certain period of time so that you may re-experience our service. That is the most i can do, I am sorry if that is inadequate for you. Please do not take offense to this, i only wanted to attempt to make things better. I am not a lawyer, nor am i immediatly at Hedman-Alas, i am a college student and i was concerned.

Thank you
My best wishes,
Aaron Hedman

And then, interestingly, his father, Alexander Hedman, felt the need to chime in with his own email (I´m just going to leave his email address visible on this one in case anyone wants to give him any feedback):

From: Alexander Hedman alexander.hedman@hedmanalas.com
To: Aaron Hedman xxxxxaaron@hotmail.com>; Tony Santos theandiamo@yahoo.com
Sent: Tuesday, February 5, 2008 11:14:52 PM
Subject: RE: Tony’s idea of a good time…2/2/07

Thank you Aaron just drop it….assholes like this guy you always will encounter and not worth it to waist your and mine time on this….

And then my response to him:

From: Tony Santos theandiamo@yahoo.com
To: Alexander Hedman alexander.hedman@hedmanalas.com; Aaron Hedman xxxxxaaron@hotmail.com
Sent: Wednesday, February 6, 2008 2:48:51 AM
Subject: Re: Tony’s idea of a good time…2/2/07

Oh, so I´m an asshole now? And why is that exactly Alexander Hedman? Because I was not willing to stay silent when we were first subject to extreme danger due to your bus line´s ineptitude, and then when you insulted us even further when you offered to compensate us at $25 per bag lost?

Congratulations Mr. Hedman, you have shed an incredible new light on your family´s and your company´s nauseating arrogance. It will add an interesting new shining facet to this situation. I applaud your forthrightness, and be aware that it will be celebrated throughout the internet so travelers the world over can see and decide if they want to entrust their lives and their safety with your bus line while traveling in Honduras and/or Guatemala.

Tony Santos

And then, my response to Aaron:

—– Forwarded Message —-

From: Tony Santos theandiamo@yahoo.com
To: Aaron Hedman xxxxxaaron@hotmail.com; alexander.hedman@hedmanalas.com
Sent: Wednesday, February 6, 2008 3:18:36 AM
Subject: Re: Tony’s idea of a good time…2/2/07

Hi Aaron, I was going to respond to your email tomorrow, but thanks to your dad´s lovely email, I´ll take care of it today and will enjoy publishing it on my blog.

I will reply to your email, item by item… it will be easier that way:
Mr.Santos,

You have many unproven allegations.

What unproven allegations are these? You should itemize and list the allegations you claim are ¨unproven¨ before calling them that.

I am sorry our guidelines are to your disapproval. As i stated laws in Honduras are different than those of the United States, and Hedman-Alas operated in its full legal right, and desire to assist you.

I´m not talking about legal rights. Of course, the laws are different. Honduras is a banana republic at best where its rich upper-class exploits the rest of the country. The reason crime is such a problem is because of the abject poverty and exploitation that occurs in your country. You are lucky to be born into a privileged family where you do not have to deal with the daily inconveniences of your average Honduran. Of course there are no laws that protect victims of crimes, particularly when a crime occurs at the liability of a company that´s owned by a well-heeled Honduran family like the Hedmans.

I was not involved in the case so i cannot provide information as to your robbery. I’m dissapointed you feel our security is inadequate as we are constantly improving and evolving our methods to best provide that free service to our customers. The robberies of Guatemala were unrelated, there was international assistance provided to stop those through the Honduran Embrassy, and our serious implications to protect our customers. Our employees were not involves, through the trauma of the incident i can understand how you could believe that.

I am more than 95% sure that the bus attendant on our bus was involved. Why? Because as I told your crack national DGIC police investigators (I´m being facetious), that the bus attendant was engaged in a whispering conversation for more than 15 minutes with the girl who smuggled on the shotgun via her big teddybear before the bus even left the station. The whole thing struck me as odd when it was going on. Furthermore, this same attendant managed to keep all his clothes on, when everyone else, including the driver, were forced to strip down and run naked or in our underwear into the swamp. So yeah… that further led me to believe that he was involved.

I was stretching a hand of assistance. I, Aaron just read this today, and was compelled to acknowledge your situation. I did not mean to anger you more, we are all upset about the situation, including Hedman-Alas.
So upset that your own father, the good man, remember? Called me an asshole for responding to you.

The robbery discovered was in the city of La Lima, that is the best i can provide you. There was news coverage and from what i understood a band of thieves assaulted many bus lines not only Hedman-Alas. Hedman-ALas, Catisa, Viana, Saenz, City, Impala, and many other bus lines were assaulted.

That´s funny, because the attorney I hired in La Ceiba was only able to find information on the Four Hedman Alas robberies other than my own. DGIC only mentioned that Hedman Alas buses were robbed, not Viana, Saenz or any others. Can you provide me with evidence that these bus lines were robbed by the same gang at the same time?

Merchandise was recovered but the police would know much more about the whereabouts. Alexander Hedman is my father and he is a good man, i assist in maintaining our companies image. I was doing a random search on the internet and just now found your article. I put my heart forth for the company because i have grown up in it.

Well, maybe you´ll give a positive change to your company, since your father obviously doesn´t believe he or you should waste any more of his or your time on assholes who have been victimized while riding your family´s bus. Because right now, your family´s reputation is quite negative as far as I, and many fellow travelers I talk to, are concerned.

I did not mean to offend you, as i mentioned prior i was saddened for your situation. We cannot offer you the compensation you wish to achieve. Our company policy provided on the back of your ticket/receipt demonstrates our guidlines, as we are equally upset about the robberies. Hedman-Alas despite what you see is a family business, not a corporate monster.

No, Hedman Alas is a bus line owned by a family who doesn´t feel the need to protect or compensate its passengers when they have been victimized due to their own lapses in security. And then uses the laws or lack thereof, and a lame disclaimer printed on the back of your tickets as a way to get out of doing the right thing for your passengers. Very noble.

We as a company incurred far more losses, and cannot do more than accept it and move forward to improve our service. I apologize but i cannot improve the situation you are experiencing. You have very valid points but it has been confusion through the legal system. Hedman-Alas is obligated to follow the law and indeed has taken all legal measure to assist in the capture of the perpetrators.

Sure they have, exactly what legal measures did Hedman Alas take? DGIC didn´t seem to point out much extraordinary cooperation from your bus line. And again, why are you still telling me that all the perpetrators were captured when I know that this is not true?

The company conducted full investigations on our staff and can assure you that our employees were not involved, we were all the victims of robbery. I cannot provide you further information because it is not my place. This was my effort to show you that we understand your situation, we are operating within the law, we are operating in our company policy clearly demonstrated on your ticket, none of our employees were involved. I am third generation attempting to sympathize with you because i was saddened by your blog, you are in your right to be disturbed.

Thank you for acknowledging that I´m in my rights. What I also hope you do understand is that I put TWO OTHER PEOPLE on that bus along with me. These two people are two of my dearest friends who have kids. How do you think I feel after this happened? So spare me your sympathy, it does little to soothe the wounds and that damage that was done due to your company´s lack of real security. On one hand you say that the laws in Honduras don´t address the situation, and then on the other you say that you were operating within the law. Sorry, but you can´t have it both ways.

Yet i wanted to offer you some insight so that you may understand that we also were at a loss and did not want to specifically target you. Everybody was held to the same policy, and the policies ensure our safety as well. I may try and make you special arrangements for free travel for a certain period of time so that you may re-experience our service. That is the most i can do, I am sorry if that is inadequate for you. Please do not take offense to this, i only wanted to attempt to make things better. I am not a lawyer, nor am i immediatly at Hedman-Alas, i am a college student and i was concerned. Thank you

Again, I appreciate your concern, and your desire to address this on behalf of your father and the company. Quite frankly, it´s your father, the man I spoke to originally about this situation when he exhibited a genuine interest to help via my friend in Guatemala, that should be communicating with me, not calling me an asshole because I have an educated opinion and several facts supporting my assertions.

Trust me when I tell you that this only adds to my apathy and lack of respect for what your family business really stands for. It´s a real shame that the son of the principal of the company had the guts to come forward and discuss this matter. And it´s also a shame that your father thinks that talking with an asshole like me is a waste of time. Then again, it shows me what I told you before, that deep down, Hedman Alas really doesn´t care.

I do thank you for your response. Feel free to respond again, if you don´t feel it´s a waste of your time that is.

Tony Santos

Aaron responded again this morning, February 6th:

From: Aaron Hedman xxxxxaaron@hotmail.com
To: Tony Santos theandiamo@yahoo.com; alexander.hedman@hedmanalas.com
Sent: Tuesday, February 5, 2008 10:29:19 PM
Subject: RE: Tony’s idea of a good time…2/2/07

Mr. Santos,

A person is entitled to their opinion when attempts to destroy the integrity of their company are made by strong alligations. We work very hard to maintain the level of service that we do and it is unfair for you to base your entire situation on our company. You have demonstrated you are willing to go great lengths to attempt and sabotage our public reputation, and i feel the further i pursue this will result in more negativity. I am sorry about how you feel but I wrote you very kind letter expressing sympathy, may you consider it genuine or not, you replied with threats and mistruths of our companies involvement in those illegal acts. When you post it on your blog please be sure that it is in the correct cronological order so it can be observed in context since you have decided to go “public.” I was not expecting the storm you gave me when i wrote you; like i mentioned prior i was not involved with the case, and am saddened by your words.

You mention interesting information, and i believe you should contact your attorney so he can further discuss this with legal authorities so that you may satisfy your own conspiracy theories. It is a fact that many other companies were hit by the robberies, Hedman-Alas is most likely the only one that went public with it and pursued their capture. This was never attempted to be hidden, we did not see it as something to run from, if anything it was something to fight against so we assisted the athorities with all mediums of information we could offer. We wanted to prove to the assailants that we were not going to stand back and let that happen so there large security improvements made. You may not have spoken to the right person because it is a complete fact that Hedman-Alas took measures pursue this investigation.

Unfortunately in Central America if someone wants to rob you, they will, as many many people know even myself. There are legal measures that were taken and merchadise was recovered. I understand your concern, it is valid, when you speak to your attorney do not be fueled by anger because it will distort the truth and negate your credibility if you have obvious spite torwards Hedman-Alas. Hedman-Alas is willing to have your attorney speak with their attorney to further clarify the situation. We do care, but unfortunatly with your views of Honduras as you expressed are quit belittling. I am entirely aware of Hondurans situations, i have done more than my part to assist, and do good. I find joy in community work. We are not an aurogant family, we have been operatating in Honduras for over 50 years, and have proven our reliability time and time again. Your issue is not with Hedman-Alas because we followed our policy and the law, your dilema is with the investigating forces who have not fully responded to you. I understand you are upset but i mentioned what i can offer you. Since the incidents mentioned happened not one has reoccured, and there have been ongoing further improvements to our securtiy and passenger screening process.

On behalf of Hedman-Alas Family i extend my sympathies, yet i a cannot engage this further. The latest investigation by the authorities states that no Hedman-Alas employees were involved. If there is anybody who is interested in this information i am sure that it is on record at the public courthouse or wherever public records are stored in Honduras. Our ongoing reputation speaks for itself, your incident was one is over 100,000 departures, we move 800,000 thousand people safely to their destinations each year, and continually do what we can to provide the latest and safest conveniences. In more recent years the crime rate has fluxuated and that sudden surge in robberies may be contributed to that, ultimately that is not in Hedman-Alas hands and it is an issue with the authorities, so please contact them. If you have any further concerns please email info@hedmanalas.com

I wish you the best and acknowledge i cannot assist you any further with this,Aaron Hedman

And my response…

From: Aaron Hedman xxxxaaron@hotmail.com
To: Tony Santos theandiamo@yahoo.com; alexander.hedman@hedmanalas.com
Sent: Tuesday, February 5, 2008 10:29:19 PM
Subject: RE: Tony’s idea of a good time…2/2/07

Mr. Santos,

A person is entitled to their opinion when attempts to destroy the integrity of their company are made by strong alligations.

They are allegations supported by facts, Aaron. Every assertion I have made has been supported by a fact. Including the assertion that the employee was involved in the theft. He was TALKING to the girl who smuggled the shotgun on, for an extended period of time. That is a FACT. I also left a 5% chance that he’s not involved, but sorry, my gut tells me that he is. You are entitled to try to debate those allegations with other facts, but you have only given me opinions and conjecture thus far.

We work very hard to maintain the level of service that we do and it is unfair for you to base your entire situation on our company. You have demonstrated you are willing to go great lengths to attempt and sabotage our public reputation, and i feel the further i pursue this will result in more negativity.

All I am doing is sharing FACTS with other travelers, so they can make an educated decision on whether or not they should use your service. Since there are numerous alternatives, including air travel to any major city in Honduras for only about $30-40 more than the cost of a bus ticket, I will gladly list those options.

It’s not about “sabotaging” anybody’s public reputation, Aaron. It’s about sharing experiences, and sharing information that may help a fellow traveler NOT have to go through what I did. And yes, I do hold Hedman Alas responsible for the robbery occurring. Because Hedman Alas IS responsible in this particular case.

I am sorry about how you feel but I wrote you very kind letter expressing sympathy, may you consider it genuine or not, you replied with threats and mistruths of our companies involvement in those illegal acts. When you post it on your blog please be sure that it is in the correct cronological order so it can be observed in context since you have decided to go “public.”

And I acknowledged and appreciated your effort to communicate with me, however too little and too late. But there are no “threats” or “mistruths” in anything I say. If you wish to rebut any of the assertions I’ve made, then you need to provide me with documented proof, and I will gladly examine your proof. This is how it’s done. For me, I have had an attorney research the robbery incidents, and I have spoken with DGIC at their headquarters in San Pedro Sula (what an enlightening experience that was, no wonder you guys have to live behind walls and barbed wire fences to feel “safe”), they told me what they know.

I was not expecting the storm you gave me when i wrote you; like i mentioned prior i was not involved with the case, and am saddened by your words. You mention interesting information, and i believe you should contact your attorney so he can further discuss this with legal authorities so that you may satisfy your own conspiracy theories.

So you’re saying that the robberies weren’t conspiracies? A conspiracy by definition is any scheme that involves more than 2 persons, Aaron. There were at least SIX people involved in our robbery, NOT including the employee. So there is no “conspiracy theory” here. It’s a FACT that it was a conspiracy.

It is a fact that many other companies were hit by the robberies, Hedman-Alas is most likely the only one that went public with it and pursued their capture. This was never attempted to be hidden, we did not see it as something to run from, if anything it was something to fight against so we assisted the athorities with all mediums of information we could offer. We wanted to prove to the assailants that we were not going to stand back and let that happen so there large security improvements made. You may not have spoken to the right person because it is a complete fact that Hedman-Alas took measures pursue this investigation.

Unfortunately in Central America if someone wants to rob you, they will, as many many people know even myself. There are legal measures that were taken and merchadise was recovered. I understand your concern, it is valid, when you speak to your attorney do not be fueled by anger because it will distort the truth and negate your credibility if you have obvious spite torwards Hedman-Alas.

Again, any IMPROVEMENTS in security at Hedman Alas were at THE VICTIMS’ expense, and you’re trying to say that this has no value. The security measures you beefed up should have been beefed up in the first place.

Furthermore, how can any bus line keep their robberies quiet? Do you have any idea how silly that sounds? You don’t think one passenger on any bus who was affected would not contact the media or an attorney about the incident? Come on. I’m sure that other buses were robbed Aaron. But what I doubt is that it was at the same time by the same gang. Just like the DGIC, I don’t think you have your facts straight on this.

Hedman-Alas is willing to have your attorney speak with their attorney to further clarify the situation. We do care, but unfortunatly with your views of Honduras as you expressed are quit belittling.

Belittling?? It is what it is. Most of Honduras’ problems are due to massive exploitation of the lower class. Look, I can tell you as an American, that our country has ENORMOUS problems, and am big enough to admit them, it’s one of the reasons I don’t live there anymore. You should do the same, particularly if you intend on continue living in your country. Don’t go trying to gloss over your own country when it’s clear that there are SERIOUS economic, class, and crime problems. I’ve spent enough time in Honduras to learn how things work.

The corruption in your country spans many levels, and the “upper class” is clearly in control. Thanks to the Fruit companies, oppressive labor laws, horrifically low wages, and the UNWILLINGNESS of the privileged upperclass to share any of the national wealth with the rest of the country, you have people shooting each other over disputes. You have drunken gun battles in the barrios. You have buses being robbed by greedy thugs who just want to stuff that they can’t afford, and more.

I appreciate you being philanthropic and benevolent towards the disadvantaged of your own country, it’s the LEAST you can do, considering you’re part of that privileged upper class. All you need to do is look at the gates, armed security, and barbed wire you live behind to understand that your country has MAJOR problems.

I am entirely aware of Hondurans situations, i have done more than my part to assist, and do good. I find joy in community work. We are not an aurogant family, we have been operatating in Honduras for over 50 years, and have proven our reliability time and time again.

Not an arrogant family? Your father just called me, a victim of a crime that occurred on your family’s bus line, an “ASSHOLE” for being vocal about it.

Your issue is not with Hedman-Alas because we followed our policy and the law, your dilema is with the investigating forces who have not fully responded to you. I understand you are upset but i mentioned what i can offer you. Since the incidents mentioned happened not one has reoccured, and there have been ongoing further improvements to our securtiy and passenger screening process. On behalf of Hedman-Alas Family i extend my sympathies, yet i a cannot engage this further.

My issue is with Hedman Alas, because they refuse to take responsibility for their crap security that allowed the robberies to take place. Look at it this way, Aaron. If security was where it was supposed to be in the first place, then you wouldn’t have had to make any changes or improvements after the robberies.

The FACT that you now take photos of all the passengers, check the women’s belongings to greater lengths and any other new policies you’ve implemented, SHOWS that SECURITY WAS FAULTY TO BEGIN WITH. This is an express ACKNOWLEDGMENT that things needed to be improved on. Yet, you don’t think that we as victims due to your bus line’s inability to protect its passengers at the time, is worth anything more than $25 per bag. And this is why I have a BIG PROBLEM with Hedman Alas.

The latest investigation by the authorities states that no Hedman-Alas employees were involved. If there is anybody who is interested in this information i am sure that it is on record at the public courthouse or wherever public records are stored in Honduras.

So are you saying that the burden is upon me to disprove my assertions I’ve made? Interesting.

Our ongoing reputation speaks for itself, your incident was one is over 100,000 departures, we move 800,000 thousand people safely to their destinations each year, and continually do what we can to provide the latest and safest conveniences. In more recent years the crime rate has fluxuated and that sudden surge in robberies may be contributed to that, ultimately that is not in Hedman-Alas hands and it is an issue with the authorities, so please contact them. If you have any further concerns please email info@hedmanalas.com

No, the crime rate has INCREASED. It will continue to increase as long as things in Honduras remain as volatile as they are now. I know TWO PEOPLE who have been shot and killed in La Ceiba and Roatan in the past year. The police shot and killed a guy right on the beach in West End while I was anchored there, and at the same time riddled a dock full of divers with bullets when they did it. My regular taxi driver in La Ceiba has had THREE family members shot and killed, and one of his bosses’ brothers killed in a 7 month period last year.

So pardon me while I state these FACTS about the climate of your country. What this means to Hedman Alas is that if you truly want to protect your passengers, you better do things bigger and better than you have been, and stop trying to blame the state of your nation for the problems incurred within your own buses.

Oh and thank you for those impressive statistics. My guess is that things are not as rosy as you so present, but what’s the point? The point is that you can only gloss things over so much. In the end, the question is whether or not Hedman Alas is capable of TAKING RESPONSIBILITY from its mistakes as much as it LEARNS from them. It’s obvious so far that Hedman Alas is NOT. Therefore, I will continue to remain vocal.

Tony Santos