Bruce

Please give her my best.

As long as you are together that's all that really matters.

Take Care,


Michelle

Try St. Kitts-reminds me of SXM 20 years ago-and by the way-bet all you naysayers are back in SXM next year JMHO

David and I recently spent a week in Provo, TCI in July. I wrote a trip report which is still available on TTOL under General Caribbean. We pre arranged drinks with Gretchen and Ken whose company we really enjoyed and extended drinks into a night out with dinner. Gretchen and Ken are lovely people, we had a lovely evening with them. She's a wealth of information and very helpful.

Louise

Hmmmm......be careful how you bet! Many won't go back until things look better. We're looking for results!!


Contessa

we have been going every other year in oct for the last 10 years. this would be our year to go again, but we, too, sadly are not returning. we were involved in the "towing scam" where we parked in phillipsburg (no signs that we couldn't park there) for a day of shopping and when we went back to our car, it was towed away. we then had to track it down and pay a CASH fee to get it back. we did not park illegally.
this just ruined our trip and after all the $$ we spent on the island, this is the thanks we got.
we love st martin, but the do need to stop the crime.

Wow Tulle you might be a bit to hard on the island there , don't let a parking scam stop you ...that happens in every cicty in the world

Tulle Same thing happened to me in Oct 07 and you are right it is scam, Spent 2 hours atthe Police Station waiting for the Spanish speaking ow truck driver to show up. When I went in april 08 I parked at Sangs and paid the $2.00 to park. It was worth it.

Stuff happens everywhere that does not happen at home..but once biten....


I am just more careful where I park..but no reason not to go back.

They see people with $ and try to figure out a way to let you part with it.

I will not let the buggers take anymore of my hard earned dough!!!

My thoughts

Michael

the parking scam isn't the only reason we are not going back this year. when we left the island last time, my husband had a small carry-on that the airline insisted he put in the bottom of the plane (we were already on the tarmack). he didn't want to, but they weren't going to let him get on with it. so he did and when we got to p. rico his laptop and camera were stolen out of the bag! we only had a few minutes to make our next flight, so we couldn't file a report until we got back home. well that was a huge mess because in happen out of the country. in the end, nothing could be done and my husband was out about $2500. we think this is just another scam that the st martin airline workers are now pulling.

when i see pictures of the island i get really sad and want to go back, but we will wait until things get better...they will right??!!

Sorry you were ripped off on SXM and by the airline workers. In the last few yrs we've been vacationing on SXM. I've been feeling as though they want to turn us upside down and shake every penny out of our pockets before letting us leave the island.We've been crime victims 3 times during the last 3 yrs of trips(6).We will continue to vacation on SXM and see how the trips go.good luck

Could the laptop and the camera have been stolen out of your bag by Puerto Rican Airport worker upon your arrival and downloading the plane of its luggages, or are you sure without any hesitation this have commited by St Martin Airport workers?...

Kind Regards,
Philippe



[www.facebook.com]

Isn't it time to give this subject a rest. Enough already. Go or dont go but why keep beating this dead horse. After eight pages and a hundred posts people should be able to get the island crime picture without the whole freakin world piling on with each and every injustice real or perceived thats every possibly happened on sxm.

Hey Tulle!

Can you help in explaining your theft?

If the plane was a prop job ( ATR) your bag would be red tagged and placed in the hold of the plane on the tarmack by SXM workers. You would retrieve your bag at San Juan on the tarmack as you exited the plane.

The only way stuff could be stolen is within plain sight of the whole ground crew at SXM. This crew could easily be traced as it is recorded who worked each flight.

I have had my camera kit "red tagged" many times on ATR and other smaller planes in SJU, STT, SXM, SBH, Tortola and throughout the States and Canada without a hitch. There is very little time for a thief to take your stuff in this scenario. I wait to board and watch my bag as it put into the hold and pick it up immediately when I arrive.

BTW, No need ever to stow your laptop, carry it aboard...it's exempt..

This is something new and quite disturbing....

BIGDEN

Usually airline cargo theft is a problem in PR not here.
That is a well known problem in PR.

[barcann.livejournal.com]

we had our "approved" carry on bags with us as we were about to go up the stairs and get on the plane (outside). we all had 1 bag (me 2 kids & husband) and they told my husband there was no room on the plane for his and that they would put it below and give it to him when he got off the plane. no claim ticket was given. it was a last minute decision by the airline person and didn't even give my husband the option of taking the laptop out. when we got off the plane he got his bag and we then ran to our next plane. when he got on the next plane, he discovered his stuff was missing. thus, it WAS taken on st martin.

ANON, you are always so negative!! i am only bring this situation up because hopefully others will be aware what is going on and learn from our experience. don't read the posts if you are bothered by them!!! i think that it makes people more aware of what is going on. if the law enforcement isn't going to help, we need to help out each other.

Tulle ... we also hope things get better so we can return ... i would have refused to put my carry-on below .. thats why its called carry-on , they would have found space behind a first class seat or somewhere else ...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/29/2008 04:53PM by .Bruce.