i know there have been "safety issues" in the u.s. virgin islands in the past. my husband and i like to rent a car in t he caribbean for the week we're there in february and just explore the island and have adventures. would st. thomas be the kind of island, in terms of "safety" that we should consider?

In this day and age no island is "crime free". The thing you have to remember is while palm trees, sandy beaches and torquoise waters make islands seem like pardise they DO NOT make them heaven. Use common sense and take the same precautions you do at home and you should be just fine - be aware of your surrounding, don't go around flashing large sums of money or showing off the "crown jewels", don't leave valuables unattended especially in your car, lock the doors to your room, don't go walking down dark alleys late at night, etc. Keep in mind that while most people you'll encounter are honest there's always a few who are not - it is a fact of life EVERYWHERE. The tourist staying in the next room at your hotel can just as easily be a thief as the stranger standing on the street corner.

To put things in perspective thousands of tourists visit St. Thomas each week and almost all do so without encountering any untoward incidents during their stay.

i agree with you about using common sense. after over 20 years of going to different islands in the caribbean, my husband and i are pretty streetwise. st. thomas is an island we've never visited and i just wanted to get some idea of the "mood" there and what to expect. thanks for all of your "advice".

I've lived here for 20 years & nothing has happened to me. As Roamsaround stated, just stay out of iffy areas late at night. Hope you have a grand trip!

putch,
re car. roads are windy and hilly, busy the closer to charlotte amalie you get. there is a rush hour twice daily in char am.
re safety. don't walk around in char am at night. some have suggested one not even plan to walk from bars to parking lots late at night. if you've been traveling for 20 yrs i'll assume you aren't 27 and dying to party til all hours so none of this should affect your plans. normal precautions, lock your condo and car.
re secret harbor more than just my recommendation. type secret harbour into the search box above - quite a few fodorites have been. and this page from trip adviso: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Search?re...mas&geo=147237

I have been to St Thomas & St John three times, and never had a problem, nor ever encountered anyone that did. Ch Am seems fine to me during the day, but I've never been there at night. I've been out in Cruz Bay as late as maybe midnight, and it did not seem any different than being out late in a US City - which is to say it seems pretty safe, but you certainly want to be careful & use good sense. Touring the island in a car during the day, & going over to St. John on the ferry to tour there as well should be lots of fun, and as mentioned above, just don't leave valuables lying around.