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All I have to say is, THE LOCAL DRIVERS, PARTICULARLY ON ST THOMAS, wow!!!!! Seriously, what is the deal? Do you all do that on purpose? If you wonder what I'm talking about it is about going through the hairpin turns at about 40 to 45 mph and you are TOTALLY in half of my lane! It was so bad and so clearly locals only (the tourist were going 10 mph and staying in their lane) that I am certain this has had to have been discussed before. There must be something behind this........ It was just THAT BAD! Any of you locals know why you do this? Is it a scare tactic or something? Learning to drive here was not that bad, but I mean it locals, you ca be as pleasant as you want face to face, BUT PLEASE DO IT ON THE ROAD AS WELL! Are all yall just that uncorodinated and don't have the skills to stay in your lane? I would not waste my time in paradise writing this if it was not bad, so let me tell you, IT'S BAD! You get run almost off the side of a 1000 foot mountain every 30 seconds! Oh, and driving from Magans to Smith Bay around 3:30 on a week day, THE FLIPPIN SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS DO IT AS WELL! I understand they are big vehicles, WELL SLOW DOWN THEN! NO NEED TO GO 45 AROUND A HAIRPIN TURN AND SEND SOMEONE INTO THE CARIBBEAN SEA! OK, that was my rant, now can you locals tell me why you locals drive like this around hairpin turns???? I am not making fun of anyone, I am just curious why it is done and why the locals can't stay in their lane around turns???? I am serious with my question as I would love to know, bit I have to throw in THE USVI IS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!!!! I am already telling friends and family you must visit or move here at least once! The people, other than when they are driving, are sooooooo friendly! I will go on more and more about the greatness when I finally get home 🙂 it is great, but I just want to know what is up with the darn local drivers, particularly STT! RRRRrrrrrrrr.....
You should have been around when there were no guard rails or lights.
I can not speak for STT but as a former resident of STJ I will say this...
Not everyone is on vacation. People are trying to get to work, to pick up their kids, to get to X before it closes. It may seem like they are going 45 but in most cases, they are not going much over 30.
Sure they may take the corner a little wide but as you know, the roads are narrow, it is not all that hard to cross over the line on most any road to avoid a pot hole, make a wide turn, etc.
And....it is not just locals, try driving along to work and having a tourist come along in your lane because they forgot to drive on the left.
Just part of life on-island:-)
Xisland.... Sorry but I gatta disagree. Nobody in Vi is in a hurry, especially the locals! More often than not I'm stuck behind two cars parked in the middle on the road while the drivers shoot the breeze. Only in VI have I witnessed a car driving backwards for over 1/2 mile. Once I even saw a goat in the passenger seat of the car behind me. How can anyone not drive erratically with goat in the car? Drive slow. Drive sober. Enjoy the trip.
Before anyone asks....nope, the goat was not wearing a seatbelt.
"..Only in VI have I witnessed a car driving backwards for over 1/2 mile. ..."
blu4u
Not as unique to USVI as you might believe. Try Houston and on the freeway. At least they were not in the left lane (or would that be the right lane?). I must admit to several scary encounters on STJ especially with oncoming dump trucks. I chalk it up to their familiarity to the roads and my initial fear of same. After a week or so on the same road I can look ahead to assess potential issues and wait before entering the turn.
Damn, that just sounded like a line from a defensive driving course.
It's all relative and relatively STT/STJ isn't all that bad. Try Santo Domingo ........at rush hour.
We rented scooters on our honeymoon and a Jeep for our second trip. Just drive sober and keep an eye out and you will be just fine - no need for "ranting" while you are on vacation. And if you don't like driving there, take a cab - granted I do feel for the cab driver that would get an ear full....
I was always late for something; work, party, etc. and I was always in a hurry. When I would take my car to STT for the day, I was in a hurry to get to where I needed to go and then get back to the next barge. Sure, some folks stop in the middle of the road to chat, but that is why others are in a hurry because those chatter make us late.
🙂
Have you ever driven in Boston??:-)
I think just4steven needs alot more time in the islands to relax. That's what makes those who are fortunate to live in the islands so special, they don't sweat the small stuff, and everything is small stuff. I've been going to STT/STJ for over 20 years and sure drivers swerve across the line from time to time, but they do that in the states as well. Relax, get a pina colada and quit complaining!
LOL, yes, read my other comments on the islands.... they are BEAUTIFUL and had a blast! This was sort of a joke, but it is true. Yes, as I mentioned before I have driven pretty much everywhere in rush hour you can think of as well as many mountains on the mainland. STT is by far the scariest! And for those that said they really were not going 40 to 45, that it just looked like it. No way, they were no doubt! Still, it was fun though and yes I chilled with many drinks. It is just a fact the locals are crazy there! 😎 I can't compare L.A. because it is just always stopped, Atlanta can get pretty scary because of the high speed, D.C. and Jersey are pretty nuts, the West Virginia/Carolina mountins in winter are pretty psycho, south Florida has it's moments, but over all the most scared I have been was STT. Maybe I just caught the locals on a bad day 🙂 So smile and you have a pina colada and know I was happy other than the crazy locals driving. 🙂
Ha, I am reading this while coincidentally wearing my drink right drive left tshirt from St. John. Definitely takes getting used to but after a couple of days we were used to it. Kind of scary, actually ... being "used" to it I mean. We'll be back on STJ in just a few months and I can't wait. It's all part of the charm, in my opinion. What's more scary is how amazingly good all those frozen drinks are ...
LOL, right on, Ruby! Enjoy some of those for me! And yes, while it is very true, this was posted a little tongue in cheek and I figured the mellow locals and visitors would enjoy it 😎 Again, it IS true, and I am very sure you adapt after a few days, but wow! LOL, think of it this way, I think the highest roller coaster in the US is 400 and something feet. Last year I was on Top Thrill Dragster at over 400 feet. Yes, that is much faster, but the pounding of your heart the first time you are on STT............ wow! OH, OH, LET ME CLARIFY SOMETHING BEFORE I GO ON! THIS WILL HELP MORE WITH WHAT I AM SAYING AND HOPEFULLY PEOPLE GET A SMILE OUT OF IT MORE THAT KNOW THAT ISLAND. LOL, especially those that just arrive at the airport and head east! Ok, here's the deal. We arrive, none of us have driven on the opposite side before and with the hairpin turns and potholes and very limited road signs with sucky maps and gps just as sucky. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooo, that being said, WE END UP GOING WEST FIRST! We planned this. Um, but unfortunately........... THIS WAS OUR FIRST TIME EVER HERE! We are climbing and climbing up the west end....... all these hairpin turns, no guard rails at some points, people flying around the corner at 40 in both lanes about to drop us off the edge at about 700 feet............... WE WERE FREAKING OUT! LOL! Think of it in a funny way............ tourist, first time here, and all of that. I highly recommend driving east out of the airport first and getting used to some flat roads first! No offense to the locals, I love the locals and you all have your way of life, but for a first time visitor trying to immediately explore out west (and yes, we got to the very end!).............. WOW!!!! LOL, JUST INSANE FOR A NOOBIE! 😎
Well I'm used to driving around Washington DC and we regularly travel to Snowshoe West Virginia on icy roads so I guess I am acclamated to crazy roads and drivers. I sort of agree with the person who said try living here and trying to deal with new tourists every week that aren't used to driving left. I would think that is way more scary.
