Hey!

We get down to SXM a bit and have been going for 11 years. Here’s a few SAFETY TIPS for y’all that are in the back of our minds ALL THE TIME when “on Island”.

Don’t be too friendly with strangers. Be prudent when in conversation at bars and remember…you don’t have to tell anybody where you’re staying…..or what room…or for how long. You never know who’s listening and why.

If it’s possible when partying late at night organize a group….a group of four is usually enough to thwart problems.

Dress like a local…forget the flowered Tommy Bahama shirts…the tasseled loafers and $100.00 sandals. Look at some pics…jeans are the local uniform in most cases…day and night….flip flops, deck shoes and runners the norm. T shirts and golf shirts on most locals at work and play. Sport shirts worn outside, not tucked, at night….long or short sleeved.

If you’re in a casino, bar or wherever and there are some folks around you who seem suspicious….leave !

Driving late at night and you feel you’re being followed ? Keep your doors locked and slow down and let them pass. If you know you’re being followed drive as fast as you can to the bright lights and activity. Don’t stop for anyone or anything.

Ladies, in your purse or handbag…NOTHING you can’t replace at the makeup counter. Carry cash someplace else on your person.

FORGET the Blackberry, Palm Treo , Iphone or any other cell worth over $50.00…they’re magnets to some of the snatch and grabbers…..same for stuff like Ipods stuck in your ear when walking or jogging.

Parking a long way from a bar or restaurant is not advised. Use a valet when available or ask for someone to walk with you to your car.

This has been said over and over and never makes an impression: rent a junky car…NEVER lock it…..crack the window enough so it doesn’t get too wet when a shower hits…forget about insurance and what the rental people say…..locked cars are a green light to petty thieves.

Don’t go out of your way for the perfect picture…don’t take pictures of locals without asking…..or their houses, or their cars, or their kids, or their gardens, or their pets. Going off the beaten track to take pics is not a good habit….unless in a group.

I've seen a lot of road rage during the last few trips. Locals know how to drive..they will let you in..learn the "beep" thank yous...DON"t get in a shouting match or respond to another drivers irritation with you...close your window and move on.

I try to avoid groups of young people day or night and I’m on alert when shopping or waliking and groups are around. Most of the petty crime is done by 14 year olds and up and they travel in groups…..as you know from recent events some of them are armed with something dangerous.

Need gas? groceries. booze? Do all this as soon as you can in the daytime. Stay out of 24 hour gas stations after dark.

Finally; there is no such thing as a remote beach...or a deserted beach...if you can get there so can somebody else...usually easier than you did. We stay away from empty or sparsely populated beaches...strength in numbers again.

There are a million other tips out there and no matter what you may do to keep your trip safe it’s a fact that crap happens. Best advice is to stay alert and watch what’s going on around you. You can still have a memorable vacation without incident if you’re aware and a little bit street savvy….

ENJOY !

Denis

Thanks, Denis, for taking the time to share your thoughts and your island knowledge though I will say, most of these are suggestions that would/should/could be applied almost anywhere and not necessarily reserved just for island vacations.

Again, thanks for your thoughtfulness.

Respectfully,

pat

great advice Denis
thanks for posting it

[barcann.livejournal.com]

Very good, Den!

Annie

Seems like alot of stuff to think of while on vacation. RULES - some are necessary, but to consider all this bull-o-knee doesn' tquite fit with a vacation.

You should not have to consider all this.

Don't talk to strangers, be thoughtful of the pix your are taking ????? - So Much For The Friendly Island. Sadly, the people of the island maybe friendly, but don't be friendly yourself - it will only lead to consequences ??????


It is so sad to see the number of RULES about how to enjoy your vacation and NONE on how to enjoy them.

So many rules DON'T prevail else wher. It is you time you worked for and the money you are spending, pleae consider how you spend both.

I think Bigdenx's overview is excellent and would apply to any place on earth you would travel.

Not too many rules to remember, just two: Common Sense, Common Courtesey

I agree with jimandi!! Common Sense and Common Courtesy...that goes any place and where in the world..to travel and to think you don't have to use common sense or common courtesy is just down right dumb! Thanks Bigdenx for reminding everyone how to use ones head for something other then a hat rack!

Know what scares the hell out of me? EVERYWHERE I look, I see stuff about crime on St. Martin - especially the Dutch side. Don't talk. Don't walk. Empty the trunk of your car. Empty the car. Leave it unlocked. Carry nothing of value. Don't go out at night. Don't go to a beach unless it is very crowded. Pay someone to watch your car while SHOPPING.

THIS IS RIDICULOUS! If all this is so true, I feel very sorry for the good people of the island. In all truth,if we were not already booked, I doubt I would waste my tourism dollars on St. Martin.

What I would really like is to hear from some locals. Is all this stuff I hear true???

If it REALLY this bad, why have you not fired every cop on the island and hired a force who could do something? This would help with both your safety and your INCOME since St. Martin is getting a very bad reputation.

I live here. I don't leave anything in my car, I do walk many places and talk to everyone I meet. I go out at night, and even walk the beach in Simpson Bay frequently. I have NEVER paid someone to watch my car.

Unfortunately, I can't vote.

Elaine Wrote:
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> Unfortunately, I can't vote.

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Why?... do you need a new fridge Elaine ??...

Kind Regards,
Philippe



[www.facebook.com]

Well sir, Papa_Smoke, after you have visited the beautiful Island of St. Maarten, please give us the overview of what is being done incorrectly

Philippe, is it true? Can we really get a new frig if we can vote? Grand news since the entire left side of our frig is rusted out.><><

New fridge, or a flight home from my European education.

If it wasn't so sad, it would be funny.

jimandi - I plan to do just that. I expect we are dealing with a variety of factors - especially the economy and lots of growth without the infrastructure keeping up. I won't know until I see the island myself.

The one thing this forum will ALWAYS get from me is an honest and unbiased viewpoint. If I see good things (and I certainly expect to) I will report on them. If I see bad things (I honestly don't expect to) I will also be posting about them.

Thanks for reading.

papa_smoke Wrote:
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> Know what scares the hell out of me? EVERYWHERE I
> look, I see stuff about crime on St. Martin -
> especially the Dutch side. Don't talk. Don't walk.
> Empty the trunk of your car. Empty the car. Leave
> it unlocked. Carry nothing of value. Don't go out
> at night. Don't go to a beach unless it is very
> crowded. Pay someone to watch your car while
> SHOPPING.
>
> THIS IS RIDICULOUS! If all this is so true, I feel
> very sorry for the good people of the island. In
> all truth,if we were not already booked, I doubt I
> would waste my tourism dollars on St. Martin.
>
> What I would really like is to hear from some
> locals. Is all this stuff I hear true???
>
> If it REALLY this bad, why have you not fired
> every cop on the island and hired a force who
> could do something? This would help with both your
> safety and your INCOME since St. Martin is getting
> a very bad reputation.

papa_smoke,

As has already been suggested, I think you need to take a deep breath and rethink and reread your own posts and then read many of the long-timers' posts on this subject as well.

I would agree absolutely there is a lot written about crime, but often what is written is the same incident played, and replayed and replayed again, sometimes even to the point of having little or no resemblance to the thing first talked about; and many of the crime posts written are meant to be helpful suggestions and alerts which are often construed as absolute warnings of dire things to come.

I mean no disrespect to the posters and moderators who have direct ties to the island and I know they are very honest and forthright as well as realistic about the faults and short-comings of their island, too, but what you really need to do is pay particularly close attention to those of us who go back year after year, trip after trip for no other reason than our deep love of this place as we can not remotely be thought of as having any agenda beyond our personal enjoyment of the island, and there has to be a reason for that.

We're long time repeat visitors to St. Maarten/St. Martin and like you, when we travel anywhere new we like to know where we're going and have a sense of what its all about and be somewhat informed as to what's going on in the place we choose to vacation, but at the same time we also know that we need to take things that are posted in chat forums with a grain of salt.

I have been visiting SXM every year since 1973, often times multiple trips in a year and only once in all those vacations have we been a 'victim' of anything, and that problem was directed at our rental car and not at us. I should add, it was the exact same kind of victimization that might have happened had I parked my car in the local mall parking garage.

Things do happen, and crimes of this nature and much worse are becoming more of a problem on the island just as they are in the sleepy little area where I live in CT. Sadly, many young people are out of control today; drugs are all too prominent and add to this the influence of music, movies and TV, much of which is sending all the wrong messages, and parents who all too often are not there to set the right examples. And before you know it, all of this leads to serious problems but no more or less, IMO, in St. Maarten/St. Martin than anywhere else in the world you might choose to vacation.

I truly and honestly believe, given the number of visitors, both stay-overs and day-trippers, to the island each and every year, crime is no worse here than anywhere else you might choose to go, but for sure, it is way more publicized here than in many other places. This isn't a sleepy little island anymore and it does have plenty of media getting the word out as it should, along with forums of this nature where people can air their opinions, fears and concerns, just as we're both doing here.

I think, were I forced to make a guess, it would probably be a safe bet on my part that we've spent at least a year and a half's worth of weeks on this island over all our cumulative years, and there's no way I'd do that if I were all that concerned, which isn't to say I don't think about the problems. But I absolutely refuse to spend my life in fear of what coulda, woulda, mighta and I intend to concentrate on enjoying the hear and now in an educated and aware way.

I think it's great you're trying to familiarize yourself before you go, but please, please, please, don't make yourself crazy with all these concerns. It really is a wonderful place to vacation and the people I've been blessed to come to know over so many years are really some of the kindest and nicest people in my world. Honest!!

Respectfully,

pat




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/19/2010 07:00PM by pat.

Pat - I thank you for your excellent response to my worried thread. I had hoped all who read it would have seen the words IF THIS IS ALL TRUE. Of course, what I have been looking for is reassurance that it is NOT ALL TRUE. That is why I specifically asked for local input. I know that they know the reality of the situation.

While not a local, you may as well be, based on your great experience. I respect everyone's viewpoint or I would not waste time asking. Your response, especially, gave me an insight that is beneficial. Thanks again.

TO ALL READERS:

I do think it is sad that a great majority of publicity I have been seeing about SXM is negative. The reason we are returning to the island is that we, also, fell in love with the place, via Bernard's Tours last March and have since wanted to return.

When looking into it, I saw repeated negative comments and threads about crime. I am just one of tens of thousands who have seen all the negative talk. Rather than accept that talk as reality, like so many others have done,, I am searching and researching for the truth. If true, it needs to be fixed. If not true, a good public relations campaign will help tremendously.

Why do I care so much? I love my wife and will protect her at all cost. There is no island, no place on this earth, that is worth more to me than her. So, while I may come off a bit strong at times, please bear with me. I only seek the truth.

<STEPPING OFF SOAPBOX>