Barbara, I'm so happy you're OK and feeling better. I felt so bad yesterday I was going to send you a postcard from the 70's for your collection. I figured it might cheer you up.But now that you're feeling better I guess I should wait till I see you, right.HaHa When you have a chance I need some info from you in a PM.Glad you are back, Bob

Barbara,

I'm so glad to hear you are OK physically, though I know from experience that the emotional effects of this will take a little longer to hit home. Take care of YOU, and be kind to yourself.

Georgia

Thanks Georgia and thanks to all others who sent good wishes too.

Bob, you know I'm really not feeling so good today.. a 70's postcard would sure cheer me up.

Thanks for the thought.
send me a PM any time. I am fine and taking care of business.. Life must go on.

[barcann.livejournal.com]

irina,

Thanks for the e-mail last night. My computer's been down for almost two weeks but Kim called me and I called B personally and we spoke for a little while. She's one amazing lady, I want to tell you!! And I love her cure-all - a drink or two or three coupled with a zanax and a gooey, sloppy ice cream sundae - yikes!!

This was a particularly crummy week in the annals of SXM - more crimes happening and to good people like Barbara and Kim and Bruce and the poor family who's son's life was lost.

It's got to stop somewhere and hopefully soon. If only these criminals, be they druggies or crooks or kids on a lark or WE, could cme to understand that ultimately by doing what they're doing, they are only hurting themselves in the long run.

Personally, whether it comes from Curacao or Guadeloupe, the governments in charge over-all had better become pro-active and protect what's left of their image because at the rate it's slipping away, there soon will be not much left to salvage.

As a veteran St. Maarten traveler with 35 years of SXM vacations under my belt, I never thought I'd actually be saying this, but I'm finally beginning to wonder if it's really worth visiting there anymore. Much as I love the island and the good friends we've made over a long time, I just have to wonder......

Respectfully,

pat

I having been reading about this horrible crime and am very sorry for the lady involved. I was a visitor to St Maarten in June staying at La Perla on Dawns Beach and our house was broken into while we slept. Thank God we did not wake up during the robbery or it sounds like it could have been alot worse. Numerous items were stolen but no one was injured. We found out the house was broken into the week before we were there. I feel like more could have been done to protect us and would not feel safe staying at that beach again and perhaps not on the entire Island. What a shame because we had a great time before that and what a beautiful place!

hey pat
come on. every island has crime, every place has crime.you have to be careful everywhere and sxm is one of the safer places. dont try to SCARE everyone.

Elaine - scare everyone!! haha, reality sucks. While I love the island, I have considered canceling my trip for November. I made the mistake of subscribing to The Daily Herald online. While work is being done to prevent crime, 4 men just back from training to join the police force. The criminals are getting more and more brazen. Holdups taking place during store hours while people shopping, it's that type of crime that bothers me. So please tell me how you can be more careful? How could Kim and Bruce been more careful? How could Barbara been more careful? Were not talking about crime late at night, or dark alleys, it's much more than that. While I probably won't cancel I'm not feeling the excitement I usualy feel before a trip.

This island has become crime infested. The worst is Phillipsburg and the area along Front Street

IT's all just so scary .. and so sad . we want to return because we love the island and its people but i am really having a hard time telling myself that we will be ok this trip ...we can't take being victims again ..

helena
with all due respect, Philipsburg and the area along Front Street is NOT the worst area.
Crime unfortunately is happening all over the island ..on both sides...but I am tired of people giving Philipsburg such a bad rap as being the worst , because that just isn't true.

[barcann.livejournal.com]

WE have always felt safe in P-Burg because it has lots of people around ... its the beaches , villas , parking lots, and mostly guns that now worry us ...people should not have to vacation let alone live like this ..

Barbara,
I was not aware that you had been robbed at gun point! Sort I know what it feels like, the same thing happened to my father right in front of our villa when he had just returned from the restaurant. To clarify the matter this took place 8 years ago.

And to clarify further, although I have not been living in SXM for 7 years now, these kind of crimes happen everywhere. Just two days ago I have run after a car-thief that had just broken into a car, of somebody unknown to me, and wresteled with him and chased him away. Upon calling the police, they did not even come, the answer was: "Sorry we are too busy"!

The fact is this does not happen everywhere. It happens anywhere there is over population and too much tourism hype. Too many people, too many possibilities of a threatening person.

There are islands in the caribbean with far less people and no crime. Take for example, Jost Van Dyke. Many of the 200 residences live there cause they can feel free of any crime, anywhere, 24X7. Many more islands exist this way, ya just got to get away from the bi
g names.

Sure these places have no airport,no great shopping experience. But within a short ferry ride you are somewhere else to sate your appetite for these things, many with more to offer than Front St.

SXM has changed. We all have tried to endorse it's glory. However,it is gone, caused by the exploitation of the tourists that visit there.

For those who still visit - ENJOY. For those who have tired of the not gettng what your money has paid for, find and enjoy your new destination.

Anonymous User Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
every island has crime,
that may be but Tortola and Virgin Gorda and Bermuda and these are just a few that don't have the guns and knives problems of smx.
every place hascrime.
Difference is most PLACES have PDs that come when you call them and can get there thru the traffic and the police will actual try to solve the problem.
you have to be careful everywhere and sxm is
> one of the safer places.
Well the first half of this statement is true anyway.
dont try to SCAREeveryone.
SCARE? more like a warning or a headsup. Everyone should know whatS GOING ON and that its not the island it used to be. If your kewl with it - go for it but if not mebbe an other island would be better.

Anonymous User Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> hey pat
> come on. every island has crime, every place has
> crime.you have to be careful everywhere and sxm is
> one of the safer places. dont try to SCARE
> everyone.
-------------------------------------------------------

Hey, Elaine b,

I don't generally read back that much lately on these threads, but seeing this pulled to the top again brought your post to my attention.

Please believe me when I say it was never my intention to "SCARE" anyone but by the same token, knowledge/awareness is not a bad thing, IMHO. And I'm not sure if your post was intended to be taken seriously or not but........

I am fully aware there is crime everywhere and that you need to be careful everywhere, be that at home or when travelling, but my personal knowledge of the experiences of friends and acquaintances on SXM of late, plus my own 35 years of annually visiting here, leads me to disagree with your assumption that St. Maarten/St. Martin is one of the safer islands in today's world.

I've personally vacationed on Anguilla, Barbados, Bermuda, Grenada, Saba, St. John, St. Kitts/Nevis and Vieques and my own personal belief and fully aknowledging that each of these places has had issues of their own, is that any of these islands today seem to me to be safer than is my personal perception of St. Maarten/St. Martin. Again - my personal perception and this may or may not agree with the feelings of others but this is my personal experience given my stays on and my current awareness of these other destinations and St. Maarten.

This doesn't stop me from loving St. Maarten, nor does it stop me yet from visiting her, but a few years ago I would not have even considered NOT visiting the island for safety considerations and sadly, today I do.

That said, I have two future trips booked but like Kim, my anticipation level just isn't as high now as it has been in years passed and I am concerned about the problems there of late, more so than ever in the past.

Respectfully,

pat