TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Paradise damaged (crime report)

My wife and I have been going to St Martin since 2001 and have never had anything bad happen not once.

This trip was completely different to say the least.
On June 6 at 8:00pm we decided to stop at our favorite restaurant to make reservation for the next night. I am reluctant to provide the name of the restaurant because we do not want to harm his business. Let’s just say it’s in the area of the Simpson Bay Yacht Club by the Scotia bank in that area.

We parked in the same area we have parked at least 20 times; the parking is about 50ft away from the security shack for the yacht club.

By the grace of God since all I was planning to do was running in and make reservations, I told my wife to lock the doors and stay in the car and check in with our Daughter. Good thing she did.

When I exited the car I was immediately was confronted by a youth wearing a black hoodie pulled tight around his face. He had his arms extended towards me and I caught a glimpse of something shinning. He did not say anything, within 10 seconds someone from behind me hit me in the head. I did not go down immediately so he hit me again, at that point I started yelling for help figuring the guards would come to my aid, which by the way they did not. At that point they leg whipped me and I fell to the ground, when I was on the ground they proceeded to kick me several times. At that point the only words spoken by the thugs was to stop yelling. One of them put his foot on my head and proceeded to lift my wallet. The sad part is if in the beginning they would have just asked I would have given them my wallet with no need for violence. What I was unaware of was that one of them tried to get into the car after my wife. She started blowing the horn, lucky the doors were looked.

The coward security guards at least call the police.

The police show up and wrote down the information but said if I wanted to file a police report I had to go to the police station. Another fact about the security guards is one lied about the direction the thugs ran, my wife saw them run away.

When I got back to Club Orient the young man at the desk helped us cancel our credit cards. The following morning on the way to the police station we wanted to stop and tell management about the young man who helped. Both the managers we great and contacted the America consul to the island. He informed me what to do and he was going to call ahead, I will not get into the runaround I got trying to file the report even with the help of the consulate(SP).

We went back to Club O and never left the grounds. I did receive a call from the Police on the way to the airport that they had my wallet. When I went to pick it up. I thought I would have asked a simple question, where did you find it? They told me they had no idea (figure that out). The credit cards were there but the money was gone and they took my badge. The badge had very little monetary value but great sentimental value.

One thing I learned don’t rely on the security guards, this was told me by the Police.

Will we ever go back? Too early to tell. My head isn’t clear yet from the concussion.

I would like to thank the the whole staff at Club Orient and all our great friends at Club O. We have already stated that the guests at Club O are the friendliest people on earth.

Before all this happened we have a great time on Peggy and Paul’s nude cruise. Thanks Captain Paul and Muriel.

I am not writing this to scare people but to make them aware that things like this happen. Unfortunately, they happen everywhere else in the world.
Walt

Sorry you had to experience this. Things need to change on the island.

so serry to hear of this horrendous experience. Hoping you heal quickly.

Wow. So sorry to hear this. I hope you are able to physically heal soon.. Best wishes.

We are sorry this happened to you. These thugs are getting bolder, just 8pm and in a busy area, one we have walked around time and time again. We hope you have no lasting ill effects.

That certainly is the final nail in the coffin for me. We were debating a final trip to SXM next year with friends, former Pelican owners, but I'm done. Such a shame! Hope you heal quickly Walt, so sorry this happened on what was once my favorite place in the world.

Thanks for sharing your scary experience. I, too, cannot understand the need for violence - it's just so very prevalent in our world today. Thoughts & prayers for your recovery and hopes that these lowlifes are caught and punished to the full extent. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/thumbsdown.gif" alt="" />

so sorry to hear this -I keep hoping that the police will get a handle on the rising crime rate but guess not yet. I'm also sorry to hear that a long time visitor won't be returning.

Goodness, what a frightening experience! I would never anticipate that happening so early in the evening, and in particular in that area.

What a terrible experience in a place we all come to love and stay. It is very easy to post our thoughts and try to comfort the victim of these horrific crimes against tourists. But I try to put myself in his shoes and what an awful terrifying situation and find it hard to just excuse it as another crime in SXM that happens all over, even on other islands. That's okay to say but when you are the victim in this case I feel very sympathetic and hoping you recover soon. Totally understand if you never want to come back. Crime is out of hand and nothing is being done about it!

Sorry you had this experience. Hope you recover quickly.

After reading of the tourists that was robbed on Billy Folly Rd at 10:30 PM last week I was having second thoughts of ever returning. Your experience has removed my second thoughts. Maybe if the powers to be get serious and rectify this crime problem I might think about returning and spending my tourists dollars.

Again I hope you have a speedy recovery mentally and physically.

Wendell

So sorry to see this happen to you, and also hope a quick recovery for you. I am surprised you were even able to finish your vacation!! The presence of mind you had to have you wife lock the doors, I am certain they were trying to take the car, too. Thankfully she could honk the horn and get them the heck out of the area, but so sad. Isn't it true most security guards can't have guns, and of course the thugs know that. Time for more police walking presence on the island, and in truth, I have seen that during busy season. What next, back to cruises for people???

Walt has been a TTOL member since 2000. That's a long time.

You didn't get into details about your injuries, but it sounds like you really got roughed up. I know that Club O is the reason that a lot of folks go to SXM, but that does not apply to me.

Thanks so much for sharing, as now I will delete TTOL from my internet experience and will never consider another trip to SXM.

[quote]SXMWendell said:
Sorry you had this experience. Hope you recover quickly.

After reading of the tourists that was robbed on Billy Folly Rd at 10:30 PM last week I was having second thoughts of ever returning. Your experience has removed my second thoughts. Maybe if the powers to be get serious and rectify this crime problem I might think about returning and spending my tourists dollars.

Again I hope you have a speedy recovery mentally and physically.

Wendell [/quote}
Exactly!!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" /> So many think that it will never happen to them. Walt is just like any one of us and he unfortunately met with this horrible incident. How many posts have we read that this has happened to????

So sorry for you, but thank you so much for posting. We return for our 7th trip this November and your experience reminds me not to let my guard down just because we are on a tropical island far away from NYC.

I don't think that he let his guard down-really scary-main street Simpson Bay-8:00 pm-jeez!

So very sorry to hear about your awful experience!! I'm to the point myself thinking about not returning. During my visit in March, persons at the SBR were robbed on premises while I was there and it truly frightened me. I thought being in a place with security I had no worries...NOT! These punk thugs need to be taken off the streets,but I don't see the island doing anything about it. Wishing you well in your recovery, both physically and mentally.

Thank you for posting. I always want to be updated on anything going on St.Martin. Honestly I do not go out as much as I did in the past. I do lunch with friends and spend the evening close to the villa. It is very sad that even I can write this. Sincerely, Wendy

I printed Walt's op to show our friends, the former Pelican owners, it was so sad to see their reaction. My first visit was in the mid 70's, I was a FDNY firefighter and Viet Nam riverboat gunner, not a great deal scared me. There was no crime and we walked around Marigot late at night, cocktails aplenty, never had an issue or felt threatened. I'm pushing 70 soon, waiting for shoulder surgery so I'm basically 1 armed and don't feel I can protect my wife. Hopefully the powers in SXM will read these posts and take action, if not the island is doomed, what will it take to get their heads out of the sand. I was flamed here a few years ago for suggesting that traffic stops for tourists who might have had 3 wines with dinner was a bad allocation of police resources, so this is what we are dealing with. Good luck SXM, been a good ride.

Walt, I am sorry to learn this happened to you and your wife, and I hope you both heal soon although the whole experience will probably never escape you. This island that relies on tourism for 85% of its existence is going downhill fast. Remember that not all SXM visitors are TTOL members or check in with this site, and I can only imagine the number of criminal acts that take place, like yours, that doesn't get advertised on the net. The government doesn't care is the truth. Period.

And now it is 9 days later and I have seen nothing of this in the newspapers. Makes you wonder how many more unpublished incidents there are.

Wendell

Dear Walt, I hope you have recovered emotionally and physically, what a horrible situation you had to deal with especially away from home with no comfort from friends and family. My thoughts are with you.
Be well,
Ellen

We are currently on island and we're talking to another couple staying at SBR who were approached by two young men while getting out of their car by Jimbo's last week. It was around 8 pm, I believe. The one guy had him trapped between his car door and the building wall, but he apparently managed to scare them off when he stood up out of the car and asked what they wanted (he was a pretty big guy, apparently much bigger than the thugs were). It could have been a lot worse. Scary.

Thanks for the report. We are on island now and have definitely oiled our heads on their swivels. 2 nights ago (before reading your report) we ate at toppers (parked right in front of bar). We had no issues but noticed several youths hanging out in the parking lot. We discussed as to whether they were up to no good or perhaps the owner wants them there to scare off others. Definitely not security guards. Ate at chesterfield last night and they have a great, well lit, fenced parking lot with a gate card. Again, thanks and keep your guard up.

We always found Chesterfield's to be a good dining choice, breakfast, lunch or dinner. Nice to read they have extra security in place however it worries me that this should be necessary in the first place, once one leaves their property they are on their own.

Sounds like the same 2 guys. I out weighed the guy by 50lbs and could have "bum rushed him" against another car but I thought twice because of what he had in his hand.Bobcat as I said in my post don't put much faith in the security guards.

Yes Walt, we enjoyed Sint Maarten / St. Martin for many years, now we enjoy Aruba, so much safer, easier to get around, much more to our liking as we grow older.

In fairness to the security guards, their job is to protect a certain property. So, if they leave their post to help, the property they are paid to protect goes unprotected. They DID call the police. Think about it from their point of view. What if those two guys beating you up was a ruse to get the security guards out of their place so that OTHERS could go an rob whatever they were protecting.
Damned if they do, Damned if they don't unfortunately and it stinks all the way around. It certainly gives me pause as I often considered that the more violent robberies occurred late at night. I am so sorry this happened while in SXM or ANYWHERE.
I hope you start to feel better and have no lasting ill effects.

So sorry for your experience! Sad to hear. In April another couple and us ended up walking from Taste Factory to a restaurant, quite a ways down from there. Didn't remember how far it really was until we started walking. I was nervous because of stories I had heard and kept telling the others in the group to be careful...watch surroundings etc. We probably arrived at the restaurant around 5:30? and it was probably 8 or a bit later when we walked back. We chose to walk mainly due to a huge traffic jam on the street. We were walking faster than the cars driving. Sad that you can't be out and about enjoying the evening.

So sorry this happening to you and your wife. Hope you are on the mends physically and emotionally.
We had a bad experience years ago and it was a few years before we felt comfortable enough to come back. If it wasn't for the Club O experience I don't think we would have ever returned.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your wife.

Walt,

We are forty year plus visitors and I have to tell you, while personally speaking we've been pretty lucky, hearing about things such as this are heartbreaking on many levels.

I am so sorry to learn of what happened to you and relieved your injuries weren't worse than they were. I hope the physical healing process is rapid and complete. The emotional healing - that's a whole different thing and I understand completely the memories will never go away. It's a sad thing to think that as we age, and we all do, we have to give up the places and people we love because of creeps and experiences like you encountered that night.

And in light of so many things that have happened on the island over the years with regard to the security staff hired by many places, one has to scratch their heads in wonder. I thought the police were starting to take some control back over the island but it sounds like things are just as bad as ever, and given the time and location of your experience, possibly even worse.

I'm glad you at least have the positive experiences of your sailing day and the staff at Orient Beach Club along with their efforts to help you. Good wishes to you and your family. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

That's pretty much been our Trip Report since 2010. We came to that realization quickly after Trip 1. SeaStar said it well... if Club O goes, we'd never return.

We do hope you're healing well.

We started going to St Martin in 1984 and loved it.
We stopped in 2010 because of the crime

WOW!! What the heck has happened to our wonderful island?? It's not paradise any longer. We're reading too many similar stories. I've been going for 32 years and I've never seen and heard of so many horrible stories as I've heard in the past year or so.
The good news is you're OK, physically. The outcome could have been much worse. We need to become more vigilant or our surroundings everywhere on earth, sadly.

Take care.....

<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> Contessa

Just a question....but how would the papers have even heard about the incident? Did the OP contact the media?

Has anyone let Jimbo or other restaurants in the area know about the problem in the parking lot?

So glad you had your wits about you Walt, and that your wife was quick thinking enough to sound the car horn. I may have panicked and started screaming. Hope your healing continues.

Perhaps from police reports?

Walt,
I am so sorry to hear of your horrific experience. I hope that you recover from your injuries quickly. It is so sad to hear that a member of our TTOL community was a victim of this type of crime. It really drives home how the island we love so much has changed over the last several years. I think it is going to make many of us reconsider coming back to the island . It will us .
Sincere best wishes to your family.
Susan

Do they have a "police beat" reporter? Someone that goes through cases or listens to a scanner?

Based upon what I read in local (SXM) newspapers on a daily basis, there appears to be some access and dissemination of news regarding crime. It seems to be hit or miss and not everything is going to be covered.

Greetings J.D., The local newspaper in our new Florida home often does downplay crime incidents I'm told by our acquaintances in the police dept, keep the tourists happy. Thankfully we have TTOL for the real story. Thanks.