Barbara1 Wrote:
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> hey Kim
> love your post. why don 't you post it on ALL the
> BB like the crime stories get posted?
> the good stories NEVER get as much publicity as
> the bad ones.
>
> glad you had a good time. It would have been so
> much better though,if you had called me.



And the good stories outweigh the bad ones 10,000 to 1....!!!! Great report Kim..!!

Looks like the mods over there came down on contessa like a ton of bricks. Must be getting tired of her garbage.

Good Report, Kim.
I'll be down in 3 weeks and can't wait!
I love trip reports...almost like being there...

Kim
Admit it. You are sugar coating the whole thing. I tried to post in response but it was already blocked.
Ha!

i

Quote

the moderator had still the intend to let people read

That was my conclusion too

Thanks for posting, Kim! The drama people do a great disservice to the island they supposedly love...

Norbert

DineSXM - St. Maarten / St. Martin restaurant guide & online reservations.

WOW!!! MY feelings EXACTLY! As I was "on island" 11/23- 12/10 and found SXM "on the ropes" BUT "alive and working hard to survive.The scars of "OMAR"were visible when looking for them and the VISITING ALARMISTs were in abundance informing what not to do and places not to go.
The weather could not have been better as I've NEVER seen Maho & Mullet Bay beaches as calm and for so long.Was always out until until the AM hours traveling to/from Port De Plaiasance---Atlantis & Casino Royale and returning to Cupecoy OR the EMPTY "ghostlike garage at Royal Islander La Terasse.Driving the empty strech thru the "lowlands"-Or visiting a funky little jazz club on Frontstreet in Philipsburg at night I was never threatened OR felt threatened. The Lido ribs continue to be smakin---the lobster thremidor (5-pounder shared) @ Uncle Harry's could not have been better---the Grilled Waho & conch soup one night and conch fritters another @ Lee's--OMG The Grouper @ Chesterfields--for me & grilled shrimp-for my baby was just fantastic.AND I cannot believe I ate the whole thing---the Brisket with mashed potatoes-gravey & veggies @ Toppers BY-THE-SEA.They REAKKY put their foot in that dish.I'm a seafood creole type preson BUT heard SO MUCH about the "BRISKET @ TOPPER"S I had to try it.Bursting with flavor---THE BOMB!!My baby had a different dish BUT sampled the briskit and it sent her in orbit ---the result being----returning another night for her to have it...OMG!!SXM is still a great island to visit---still rough around the edges--FANTASTIC PEOPLE---still kickin and surviving!!
BY-THE WAY....An observation 1) the police presence--an evening --after dark---setting up a checkpoint @ Maho infront of the Driftwood Boat Bar---6-7 uniformed police persons & 2) an evening roadblock in front of Pineapple Pete's---wrecker's parked and /or loading confiscated cars/motorcycles. I was pulled/flagged to the side but never questioned---set there about 10 minutes and then was told to proceed/leave.Hmmmm? DiveDive2

The weather was beautiful and oh my, was Mullet awsome!! Spent hours just floating! Now looking out at all this white stuff, getting ready to head to NYC for the day in the -2 windchill, and expecting 50 degrees and rain for christmas eve, I'd rather be in SXM!!!

Loved your report.

I booked us for a trip three monthes ago and then really started to have buyers remorse after reading all of the reports of doom, gloom and crime. Even when I wrote in to varius forums talking about taking sensible prevautions, a few active boices left me feeling like I was a dreamer and that St. Martin was now more dangerous than the back streets of Jamaica.

I figured to heck with all of that and that it couldn't be all that bad. You have reinforced that we made a great choice and we are counting the days till we leave for the friendly island!

Thanks for the great news!

We just returned after two weeks (12/6 - 12/20). We never felt in any danger. This is not to say that there is not crime; there definitely is. But I do feel that you can conduct yourself in a way that minimizes the chance that you will be a victim of it.

i hate to dash the euphoria some of the bloggers on this site want to throw on the 'friendly island' of st. maarten/st. martin, but it is all balderdash.
the fact is that st. maarten and any dutch-owned island like curacao have much more crime -- and violent crime -- than any other island i have visited in the caribbean.
i worked as a journalist on st. maarten, st. kitts and nevis for half a dozen years, returning to america last december. the crime on st. maarten is appalling. jewelry stores, casinos, businesses, tourists and private residents are hit on a regular basis by criminals from the french and dutch sides of the islands. they are targeted by criminals for a couple of basic reasons that the dutch government fails to recognize and refuses to correct: the issue of guns. private security guards, whether on the streets in front of businesses, in banks or in casinos, CANNOT carry guns. they are basically defenseless when some culprit armed with a shotgun, machete or pistol marches into a place or confronts a tourists and demands his cash -- or his life.
i have a close friend who won $1200 in a poker game at atlantis. when he left the casino at midnight, there were two unarmed security guards watching as he made his way to his car. suddenly out of the night a motorcycle with two black men rushed up and confronted him, one waving a pistol. they demanded his money, my friend wavered and they shot him, leaving him with a bullet near his spine and near death.
THE SECURITY GUARDS NEVER MADE A MOVE TO STOP THE CRIME IN PROGRESS.
and why should they? they have families to go home to, they are being paid the equivalent of about $4 per hour u.s. and they were not armed.
i once enjoyed st. maarten for its beauty, its restaurants and its beaches. no more. these days i visit the other lesser known islands like berry, dominica, nevis, isle de saints or st. kitts. until the dutch government changes its policy on guns and self defense, st. maarten/st. martin will remain one of the most dangerous island destinations in the world.

Okay .. mostly I just lurk on this board while having lunch, but after this last post, I had to weigh in with my own two cents. First, there is crime everywhere and you must be careful but for pete's sake, rick's post above is a bit harsh. I am a single female, age 45, and I often vacation ALONE on the island and have never been the victim of a crime. You simply have to adjust your actions and be careful. In my opinion, frequenting a casino and leaving at midnight is NOT being careful! And Atlantis? I reside at Ocean Club and know that you don't walk down there after dark. I also don't order a drink at a bar and leave it unattended while I run to the washroom. Use common sense and you will have a less likely chance of becoming a victim. Of course, I come to the island for the sun, sand, food, beaches, people, shopping, etc. NOT the nightlife, which probably helps keep me safe. Just make smart choices people!