hi there- seen your posting for $1 buses in red hook.... wandering where you got that information....have been trying to find alterante transportation other than renting car or cabs.....cut down on costs..... which can be expensive....if you know of any web listing or personal knowledge let me know Thank you!!

sungirl32:

The $1 bus is generally a customized pickup with a top added for shade and rain protection; we call them "safaris", or "dollar rides". They are supposed to charge $1 for locals because of the scarcity of city buses - they were allowed to run outside the taxi medallion system to fill a public need.

They pull over to bus stops to pick up passengers. They run pretty much the same routes as the city buses, which includes the East End "strip" where many hotels are, on the way to the Red Hook ferry dock. They are not bound to the taxi rate schedule, so they are economical for visitors as well. I may be missing out on a few details here; others can probably fill in.

They run on the schedules of their operators, which means that you will not be able to move on a tight schedule, so flexibility is key. After hours, these "dollar rides" are limited. If being able to get up and go on demand is important, renting a car (even if it's for only part of your stay) may be something to consider.

In response to the food shopping question, there are several different locations. There are roadside produce stands. One that comes to mind is just on the far side of Red Hook from Sapphire Resort. There may be others closer. I love the Marina Market in Red Hook. Not a supermarked, more like a grocery store. It's a great place for cold cuts and produce. There's also a meat section and some fresh baked goods. A similar store, but a little less basic, more specialty foods, is the Gourmet Gallery in Havensight Mall, much closer to town. Another great place is the Food Center, along the South Shore road. It's closer to being a supermarket and a good place for a variety of foods. Then there are the full supermarkets, such a Pueblo. I know there are two outside of town, one to the east and one to the west and I believe also one in Tutu Mall. There are two K-Marts on the island and a Cost-U-Less, which is a warehouse type store. I may have missed something or gotten something wrong. Perhaps some of the island residents can fill in the holes.

I believe you can catch the dollar rides right on the street at the entrance to the resort. Probably in either direction, bringing you to either Red Hook or Tutu. I would suggest, if possible, you take the opportunity to rent a car, at least for a day or so, The island is a wonderful place to tour. I've gone on my own and enjoyed having the freedom the rental car gave me.

Have fun.

Gerie

Hello Sungirl,

Here is some more on the $1 rides that was written for a similar question...

A safari is a type of vehicle used to run taxi. (The other major vehicle used is a van and then cars/suvs.) A safari is a converted truck; truck bed is customized with bench seating in an open-air covered area.

There are taxi drivers that run 'dollar rides' (with discounted fare) and they are typically in a safari vehicle therefore sometimes people call the 'dollar ride' a safari... however not all safaris are 'dollar rides'.

The dollar rides don't have signs.

The 'dollar ride safaris' generally run the same route as the public bus and pull into bus stops.

The 'dollar rides' came into existence as a way to alleviate some of the public transportation needs among residents that the buses weren't filling, it is not a regulated system therefore some 'dollar ride' drivers will charge the regular taxi rates to people they assume aren't residents... ie. tourist.

Island Paul had added this info:

The safari, or open air taxi's vs passenger vans and other 'closed' up taxis, as noted above by Islander are not all $1 ride safari and it is sometimes hard to know for sure which is which.

After depending on them as my main transportation for my first 10 months on STT let me tell you a little on how to spot the difference between them. Remember these are just generalizations and they do NOT all fit exactly into this 'mold'. $1 rides are often the not-so-new vehicles, they might have more local folks than generally white "tourists" (can't always tell who is a tourist of course!), once you are away from downtown, you might have a better chance at distinquishing between $1 and the others.

And the route - another key - $1 ride safari's all tend to circle the eastern portion of the island in a clockwise direction ONLY! The tourist safari's can be seen going both directions. Their is a main route that goes from the Tutu Park Mall, East to and through Red Hook and back to the Tutu Park Mall. It will stop along the way, almost anywhere you'd like to get off or on - you just push the buzzer/bell when you want off, or in some of the ones that don't have a signalling system, you just thump on the side of the vehicle to alert the driver. Another route takes them (again Tutu Park Mall is the East End of this route) into "town" (as Charlotte Amalie is called - vs - "country" which is the Eastern End of the island). Those going into town, travel up and over, and journey past downtown Charlotte Amalie and continue on to the Univeristy of the VI, then somewhere over there turn round and head back the same route, ending at Tutu or, in some cases going all the way round the loop through Red Hook.

Easy to figure out once you're here. You might make some miscues as to which one you are actually climbing on ($1 ride vs the others), as I did once or twice, but no biggie.

Hope that helps.

--Islander

Guess what. With permission to add a surcharge of $1 to taxi tariffs until September, the 'dollar ride' guys are adding it too! So, lots of 'dollar rides' are now two dollar rides! The smart ones will remain at one dollar while the two dollar guys get cursed!

Ronnie