TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Couple robbed at Cupecoy Beach

Lovely.

Unbelievable!

Sadly, it's not unbelievable at all. It stinks, but it's not surprising!

It's the low and slow season and the island 'low-life' will take advantage of every situation. Sadly, nothing new here.

The article doesn't say so specifically, but I'm guessing these people were alone and that in itself is NOT a particularly good idea, and for sure not in the more isolated locations of the island. Probably not the best time to enjoy some of these more isolated venues - Cupecoy, Happy Bay, Hidden Beach, etc., unless doing so in a group. There is usually more safety in numbers though not always, but it really stinks we have to think this way.

yes, but it is ok to walk the back roads of Beacon Hill after dark. Even though a local real resident advised against it.

Wendell

This is not surprising at all! This happens both low and high season so its really up to you to not put yourself in harms way.

Wendell,

Please don't confuse the issues. I get your reference but that was an old post and really NOT the same thing at all. Many will not be aware of those old posts and will try to conflate the two based on your comment. This particular event was a gun point robbery and during the daylight hours.

(But for what it's worth, I agreed with Lesley then and wouldn't do it, regardless of how 'safe' some think it might be.)

dmweiser--"putting yourself in harms way"??? 2 PM on a Sunday afternoon on a beach? I guess they were robbed because they had backpacks, perhaps with cell phones, etc??

I think the key here is to not go to an isolated or vacant beach without enough people there to discourage something like this. Safety in numbers.

But when a gun is involved, the "safety numbers" does not always work out.

I really don't consider Cupecoy to be that 'isolated' of a beach.

I spoke to Danny about it yesterday. Danny was away from Cupecoy for two days, off-island. The robbery happened while he was gone. The version I heard is that this was a car jacking, and it happened at gunpoint. In any case, it didn't happen in Danny's parking area, and it didn't happen while Danny was there.

Today Cupecoy beach is calm. Danny is there, and there are two couples on the beach.

True, if your thinking about mass shooting but having numbers with an incident like this could be a deterrent. They might think twice before they commit a crime of opportunity like this.

Cupecoy Beach is easily watched from above on the cliff. The robbers could have watched the couple from above and might even have known Danny was not around.
Very sad to here this and hope it is a one time incident.

Like armed robbery In the middle of the day in P'burgs jewelry stores? These gun carrying punk thieves don 't give a hoot who is around because most of the time they never get caught and get away with it. So now what beaches shall we go to?





And do you believe this would not have happened if Danny were there? Is he a police officer with a gun who would stop a robbery? And I don't believe this is a "one time incident". SXM is no longer safe.

Danny is a deterrent. Robbers want to get in and out quickly and not be noticed.
I still feel they scouted the beach and knew Danny was not around.

Danny told me that last week he saw two young guys approach the beach on a scooter, wearing helmets they didn't want to take off. They didn't look like they came to enjoy the beach, and he approached them and told them to leave. Danny also let me know that he has a machete tucked into the rafters of his bar -- he wanted me to know that he keeps it handy.

Not putting yourself in harms way is not placing yourself in an isolated location anywhere on the island day or night. Its knowing that for as much fun as the island is and how "friendly" the islanders can be, there are still non favorable elements/predators out there. It requires a person to use common sense and to watch ones back wherever you and at whatever time of day it may be. I am not sure why this is surprising.

Does Dany have someone servicing the beach when he is not there?

Not as far as I know.

Why should he? It's not his job to police it or provide a policing service when not there. He's just is a vendor on the beach trying to make a buck.

And now, a lot of other people know. That may be a good thing or it may not be a good thing.

This type event really bothers me. I understand the the criminal mind that is conducting these activities (robbing a tourist in broad daylight) is not a representation of the island as a whole. But unfortunately if this type of activity continues to take place the bad news will spread. People in general tend to gravitate towards drama and bad news over positive things.

If people start to not feel safe going to the Beach on an island that boast the "Best Beaches in the Caribbean" then how will that affect the tourism? Like I stated earlier, bad news always spreads much faster that the good.

Now, I personality have always felt safe going out on St. Martin. Whether it was walking down the strip in in the evening Grand Case, going out for dinner after dark in Cul De Sac, or just driving back to our condo after dark from anywhere on the island. But that may be just my personality. We are pretty adventurous folks and I think people can tell weather or not you make an easy target or not just by the way you handle yourself.

Anyways I sincerely hope that this is an isolated event. This poor island has been through enough in the last couple of years and doesn't need any more bad press or bad karma.

Many years ago!!! We were on mullet beach, but the far side away from crowd. My husband took a walk, and I was just laying in the sand on my stomach. I all of a sudden looked up and two guys where approaching me. I stood up and pretended to be calling my husband out loud and I mean loud... they started to walk back and away, but had I not done that who knows... Now we never go where its secluded no matter how nice it is. by the way they took off on motor bikes... yup they were headed to me, and not for my noise who knows... Ok well. Your surroundings are all important, and for those that think you can go and come any time of day without thought?? think again. We now are very careful at night, and never go out to isolated places. We try to stay local to where we are staying, and have changed life style alot over the years... thats the way it is. And by the way??? Major hurricane, expect crime.. just the way it is. we know, we lived through luis and the small ones after and now irma... too be expected... my nine cents

I don't think that this should be on a public forum. I would hate for potential robbers to find out about it and use it against Dany or anyone else.

Honestly, you don't think that the bad guys know it already??? Dany does not seem to be making any secret of it...

JazzGal,
Anyone on the island who opens coconuts has a machete. It's a common kitchen utensil, found at any bar that opens coconuts. It's not an unusual thing, frankly.

My question was not whether he is 'policing' or providing security for the beach but whether he had someone providing service on the beach meaning chair, umbrellas and food and drink when he is not there.

OK. I miss understood your question. I was reading it another way and responded to that.

My understanding from the DH article is that the incident occurred at the section of beach close to the Ocean Club, which is somewhat difficult to access, and Dany rarely services that section of beach. 20 years ago my husband and I encountered a couple who had been carjacked in that parking lot at gunpoint. As was stated earlier in this thread, there are many places and beaches on the island where one should not go alone. Period.

This morning we noticed that a police car had pulled into the parking area near the Ocean Club that Wendy is talking about, and then pulled out after checking the area. Increased police patrols can't hurt.

By the way, active demolition work has been proceeding at the Ocean Club over the last three weeks. They're knocking down the buildings and hauling away the rubble. Not done yet, though.

Some good news there--police patrols AND demolition at Ocean Club..

Thank You for the update! The demolition of Ocean Club should really clean up that area. I hope that guy who charged for parking comes back.
I would pay him two bucks and he stayed all day to watch my car. Paid security should be supported in the interest of beach goers and tourists.

SXM Martini,
Danny charges $5 for parking, I think. You can park in his lot, near the beach bar.

Yup, that's what we paid. There was a sign that said $5, I think the sign also said 'Dany's on it too (pre-Irma). You could pull right up to middle beach.

I'm sorry....what? Dany owns the lot and has the right to charge for parking?

No, but he leases a piece of it from the owner so folks have somewhere to park. The owner had blocked all access to the beach. The $5 helps pay for the lease.

We were one of those 2 couples!!

Care to share what happened??

Sorry I meant to quote AUCSpouce's post, we were one of the 2 couples they saw on the Beach, we were not there when the robbery happened