As we're looking for the perfect retirement condo to purchase. I fell in love with St Maarten except for ONE annoying aspect.. The local women during off season.. Why are they so pissy? I felt like a complete annoyance to them for 6 straight days. I'm a southern gal, so we're highly inviting and pleasant to everyone generally, I was not used to this behavior. I've been to a lot of countries and just about everywhere in the USA have never felt so uninvited as I did here, with the exception of Marty at "The Dream" bar of course! I'd love an explaination, I'd hate to think it was actually me (and other Americans I compared notes with while we were there!).

Perplexed..

Can't explain something I have seldom experienced. Everyone has a bad day.

Last I heard Marty isn't a local woman

Everyday was a bad day for these women we experienced everyday. And it DID get to the point we asked others experiencing SXM as guests if this was their norm too..it was, including an embarrassed local driver who experienced it with me at a pool bar getting coffee. Otherwise, I wouldn't be asking now. Marty doesn't have to be a woman, he's one of the reasons we fell in love with SXM. SXM tourism needs to take note if they like having the helping hand of the tourist there.. Otherwise, there are other inviting Caribbean Islands to give my hard earned salary to. Jes sayin'..

Tracy.....I'm with Elaine on this one...have never had that problem myself.....always found the "locals" to be most friendly.

I wish I could say the same.. 8 (corrected) days of it was exhausting, disappointing and just sad (because I was wondering why they could be in such a state while living in paradise, even if living under housing circumstances I saw on a daily basis). Maybe it was paying $6 for a 99cent bag of Fritos?

Reading your last sentence I am getting a feel of your problem. Knocking some one elses life, home or lifestyle like you did isnt what some might call endearing. There are times when it pays to keep your fingers off the keyboard. Or in other words your mouth shut.
Like the two other posters here said in 26 years I never had a problem with the local ladies and I spent a lot of time there.
Maybe they dont like Southerners?

I take offense to this entire thread. I think making a blanket statement like that is completely unwarranted and prejudiced.
the local women..why so pissy?
I have local women in my family and believe me they are not pissy.At least not unless, they are not treated with respect.
so I resent on a personal level what you say.
You do not state details or anything else. You just make a general statement.

I guess if you have a problem with our pissy local women, then maybe St. Maarten is not the place for you.

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tracy
i have been to sxm 25 times and have not ever endured what you are saying. yes, there have been a few cases ,like everywhere else, but mostly found them very very friendly, accomodating and cheerful. i think maybe sxm is not the place for southerners like you (athough i have met many southerners over the years that had a wonderful time and we still keep in touch and try to go to sxm at the same time)please,please dont trash someone (everyone) on the island because you maybe have a bad attitude.

Tracy,

With all due respect, I second everything Barbara, Dan. Anon, Elaine and Tom2 have already said.

In almost 40 years of at least annual trips, I don't think I've ever had issues with the local women. Now that I think about it there was one but she had issues with her boss, too, so I didn't take that personally.

I'm thinking that if you referred to them as 'pi$$y' here, there may well have been things in YOUR attitude that brought this about and perhaps you didn't even realize it.

We've always been polite and respectful of all the local people we come into contact with and it comes right back to us time and time again. The simple act of prefacing any conversation with a good morning or afternoon and engaging them with a smile always seems to work for me. And this applies to the beach vender ladies and the timeshare hawkers when they used to be on every corner, too.

Respectfully,

pat

Thank you Barbara.

Tracy... Marty wasn't the only reason why you fell in love with SXM... Captain Allan Charters too, no? Am I wrong?

Kind Regards,
Philippe



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I echo what Elaine, Barbara, Pat and everyone has said. Perhaps Tracy should look into how she treated the local women.

Annie

Philippe,said"Captain Allan Charters too, no? Am I wrong?"
Dude, you are so aware.

Augie;

I am an agnostic dyslexic who questions if there really is a dog.

OMG!! Yes Philippe!!! We absolutely fell in love with you and the amazing charter!! I am still in awe of the beauty you shared with us on that day!! Many thanks again!! I never knew an Oreo could taste SO GOOD!! lol

So guys and gals, if you're getting so defensive over what happened to me over 8 days being in paradise, then there must be some truth to my experience. I really thought it was me. But as I'm a nurse, compassion is in my nature, and a true southern gal. I DO say good morning to everyone I pass and was just getting nothing back. I don't expect it, but it was heartbreaking being nice and getting scowls back. If you bought what the beach vendors were selling, they were all smiles and nicities. The women checking you out at the grocery in Maho, Phillipsburg and in between were not accomodating, (we would buy our nightly dinner each night to cook) pleasant and wouldn't say a word to us even after a polite "Hi, how are you??".

Take it for what it is, I didn't dream it and I've traveled all over. If I hadn't compared notes with others, I WOULD have thought it was me. But you're not listening now. So it's whatev.. I will come back, thanks to amazing people like Philippe and Marty and a few others, but I just know what my boundaries are. I asked because I had thought there was a reason for the blanket pissyness we encountered from the local women. Nothing constructive here.

Tracy, you really don't get it, do you?
You are insulting our intelligence and our people.
enough already!


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