Beware
Feb 24th, 2008, 12:36 PM
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Beware
We were robbed at gun point last week at Friars Bay.
This is very important to thousand of travlers that are given a pie in the sky outlook of St Martins.
We were in St Martin last week.
(16-23 Feb2008)
On Monday morning at about 9:30 am we went to Friars Bay beach to head to Happy Bay.
We have been the a least 20 times over the past four times on the island.
50 yards from the beach heading up the hill were we attacked by two armed slime bags.
One had a 45 caliber gun and the other a hugh rock.
I heard the sound of running behind us and as I turned around the 1st guy slammed the gun into my wife's head, grabbed her around the throat and started screaming" Give me your wallet Mother F***er".
I kept saying HEY HEY HEY whats are you doing as I started towards him he tossed my wife to the ground a put the gun to my face.
My wife started screaming and I looked back to see the second s*um*bag holding a large rock over his head coming towards me.
This guy was psychotic, the look in his eyes was wild.
After several minutes of back and forth with the one with the gun they ripped open our bags threw stuff everywhere they stole our money ( $50.00 + or -) ,our camera and some other crap.
To say the least my wife was traumatized beyond words.
We made our way back to the beach and asked the workers at Friars bay to call the police.
When they arrived told them what had happened.
Please let everyone know what happened. The crime on the island is out of control.
After speaking to many people that live there and being told their homes have been robbed some times on several occasions, cars broken into attacks on islanders not just tourists are so out of control, one restaurant owner we overheard talking to a friend is thinking of leaving the island, a bartender said people do not know where its not safe and no one is speaking out.
We are not naive we have traveled to all but three of the Caribbean islands and do not act foolishly or take unnecessary chances.
St Martin is NOT SAFE.
Every building, house store shed and shack has bars on every opening.
DO NOT GO, spend your money in a place that cares what happens to their oen people and their visitors.
This is very important to thousand of travlers that are given a pie in the sky outlook of St Martins.
We were in St Martin last week.
(16-23 Feb2008)
On Monday morning at about 9:30 am we went to Friars Bay beach to head to Happy Bay.
We have been the a least 20 times over the past four times on the island.
50 yards from the beach heading up the hill were we attacked by two armed slime bags.
One had a 45 caliber gun and the other a hugh rock.
I heard the sound of running behind us and as I turned around the 1st guy slammed the gun into my wife's head, grabbed her around the throat and started screaming" Give me your wallet Mother F***er".
I kept saying HEY HEY HEY whats are you doing as I started towards him he tossed my wife to the ground a put the gun to my face.
My wife started screaming and I looked back to see the second s*um*bag holding a large rock over his head coming towards me.
This guy was psychotic, the look in his eyes was wild.
After several minutes of back and forth with the one with the gun they ripped open our bags threw stuff everywhere they stole our money ( $50.00 + or -) ,our camera and some other crap.
To say the least my wife was traumatized beyond words.
We made our way back to the beach and asked the workers at Friars bay to call the police.
When they arrived told them what had happened.
Please let everyone know what happened. The crime on the island is out of control.
After speaking to many people that live there and being told their homes have been robbed some times on several occasions, cars broken into attacks on islanders not just tourists are so out of control, one restaurant owner we overheard talking to a friend is thinking of leaving the island, a bartender said people do not know where its not safe and no one is speaking out.
We are not naive we have traveled to all but three of the Caribbean islands and do not act foolishly or take unnecessary chances.
St Martin is NOT SAFE.
Every building, house store shed and shack has bars on every opening.
DO NOT GO, spend your money in a place that cares what happens to their oen people and their visitors.
Feb 24th, 2008, 01:15 PM
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Good to know. Thanks for posting. Cayman, Anguilla, and Turks and Caicos are about the only islands in the Caribbean I feel safe in.
I actually feel very safe in Playa del Carmen, Akumal, and Tulum Mexico!
I actually feel very safe in Playa del Carmen, Akumal, and Tulum Mexico!
Feb 24th, 2008, 02:07 PM
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Drippy: I'm so sorry to hear about what happened to you. I'm glad you and your wife are okay. We are heading to St. Martin next month. I originally had plans to go to Happy Bay but read a couple of weird incidents on another board. However, what happened to you was much worse. We just won't go to Happy Bay. Thanks for letting us know.
Feb 25th, 2008, 05:53 PM
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so sorry to read about your terrible ordeal......incidents/crime such as you were subjected to, has gotten worse the past years in the caribbean... guess paradise could be lost ?? aside from robberies is the huge drug problem , which of course generates more crime and so on....this has been a problem in the states for a long time, why not in the islands too ?? just that we travel to these stunning ,beautiful places and expect happy people and safe surroundings and are often times shown and ugly side we really don't want to know about. it can be very depressing. we travel to the bvi's alot and i must say the islands we have spent time on ( tortola, jost van dyke,virgin gorda )are really safe, friendly islands. gone with my husband and also with myself and other women and we've never had a problem. you'll not find people hawking their wares/drugs etc along the beaches. of course the drugs are there but it's kept more on the "down low". if you want, you can find/won't be smacked in the face with it ! of course the bvi's don't have the panache of st. martins but they are lovely islands with enough beauty, beaches,culinary delights and great people to meet my needs. i always come home relaxed/happy, planning the next trip. i'm not pollyanna, i do keep my eyes open/senses alert at all times, esp at night, esp when i travel with just the women but no more so than when ever i'm in a different town/city in the states !
Feb 28th, 2008, 03:43 PM
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Hi Faithie. How nice to hear from you again. 
All is well though I sure can't wait for spring. Too much snow and ice here and I've slipped on it a few times too. Had a broken rib and the mother of all elbow bruises 
though thankfully nothing broke this time. We will be on a Carib. cruise this summer on the Adventure of the Seas. Its supposed to be a really neat ship which has among other things an ice rink of all things. After this winter I won't get anywhere near ice. Take care, Larry
All is well though I sure can't wait for spring. Too much snow and ice here and I've slipped on it a few times too. Had a broken rib and the mother of all elbow bruises though thankfully nothing broke this time. We will be on a Carib. cruise this summer on the Adventure of the Seas. Its supposed to be a really neat ship which has among other things an ice rink of all things. After this winter I won't get anywhere near ice. Take care, Larry
Feb 29th, 2008, 11:44 AM
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drippy, I'm really horrified at your experience on St. Martin. I'd probably be tempted to badmouth an island, too, if I had experienced what happened to you. But what makes you say that St. Martin doesn't care what happens to its own people and its guests? Do you feel that the police didn't take your report seriously? That they won't follow up on the attack?
Larry, sorry to hear about your fall. Hope you post a TR on the cruise when you return. Faithie, it's nice to see your name around here again. Hope your family is doing well.
Larry, sorry to hear about your fall. Hope you post a TR on the cruise when you return. Faithie, it's nice to see your name around here again. Hope your family is doing well.
Mar 1st, 2008, 11:40 AM
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wow, so sorry to hear this happened! thank God u r both alive!we have stayed on ST.Marten once & have since moved on to Anguilla & we also stay on St.John (usvi) but have been thru out the caribbean. u r so right about precaution & common sence while vacationing but sometimes just like at home the thugs still prevail!Crime is everywhere even on the beautiful islands that r paradise to us! may we all have safe travels!! & so glad u r alright!!!!!!!!
Mar 1st, 2008, 11:41 AM
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wow, so sorry to hear this happened! thank God u r both alive!we have stayed on ST.Marten once & have since moved on to Anguilla & we also stay on St.John (usvi) but have been thru out the caribbean. u r so right about precaution & common cense while vacationing but sometimes just like at home the thugs still prevail!Crime is everywhere even on the beautiful islands that r paradise to us! may we all have safe travels!! & so glad u r alright!!!!!!!!
Mar 4th, 2008, 12:30 PM
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jacketwatch you should really like Adventure of the Seas. It is a nice ship. Some people complaing that there are too many Puerto Rican passangers but on our cruise it was about 50/50 and we thought it made for a nice mix of cultures (but there were few kids or teens and the worst reports seem to be when there are lots of teens on board). Regardless, she is a great ship and the southern itinerary is great!
Have fun!
Have fun!
Mar 5th, 2008, 07:09 AM
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drippy: What a horrible horrible story, and so important that you're telling it. It serves as a reminder of the realities which exist, and a warning to the island's government and tourism industry that failure to intensely control crime will spell economic disaster. The problem on most Caribbean islands is the fact that sustaining life is actually tough. Housing is very expensive, government is often corrupt, and social programs inadequate. Throw the prevalence of alcohol abuse and drugs into the mix and you've got some desparate people willing to accost tourists all times of the day and night. Hopefully, the St. Martin government addresses the critical level of this before it's too late. IMO, as for the USVI and Puerto Rico, if the U.S. government is going to claim these places as U.S. territory, more Federal law enforcement as well as assistance needs to intensify.
Mar 6th, 2008, 10:57 AM
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Hi Christie:
I'm miserably still up north! The economic turn has really effected our business so we've had to stay and mind the shop more intensely. Hanging in there, though. A few friends have gone down to the house, but we'll have to stick around a little longer. About the U.S. territories... they're suffering because the locals need enforcement of the rule of law like any other place in the U.S., and economic support that is carefully monitored. The cat's away and the mice are fighting over the crumbs. There have been some unsettling and unfathomable responses from the police and the judicial systems. A young man was murdered last summer, and there's no word on when justice will be had. That's not due process. The governor recently visited Washington D.C. to request aid. Uh-huh... you know, my mother used to send us to bed without supper if we wouldn't behave. Not to be too sarcastic, but it's been very frustrating to watch. Hope all is well with you and your family. Are you getting away soon? All I can do for now is enjoy everyone else's trip reports and give my two cents about that lovely island. Take care all, Tuxedocat (forgot how to do that cat face, anyone remember?
I'm miserably still up north! The economic turn has really effected our business so we've had to stay and mind the shop more intensely. Hanging in there, though. A few friends have gone down to the house, but we'll have to stick around a little longer. About the U.S. territories... they're suffering because the locals need enforcement of the rule of law like any other place in the U.S., and economic support that is carefully monitored. The cat's away and the mice are fighting over the crumbs. There have been some unsettling and unfathomable responses from the police and the judicial systems. A young man was murdered last summer, and there's no word on when justice will be had. That's not due process. The governor recently visited Washington D.C. to request aid. Uh-huh... you know, my mother used to send us to bed without supper if we wouldn't behave. Not to be too sarcastic, but it's been very frustrating to watch. Hope all is well with you and your family. Are you getting away soon? All I can do for now is enjoy everyone else's trip reports and give my two cents about that lovely island. Take care all, Tuxedocat (forgot how to do that cat face, anyone remember?
