The roads on StJ are narrow compared to what you would find in the states. Most are not marked with a center stripe. Speed limits are 25 mph or less all over the island. You will encounter the rare (excessive) speeder. You will find that the roads have sharp turns and switchbacks (180 degree turns) and steep grades are common. Limited sight distance is the norm. I will try to return with some links to video showing some average StJ roads.

Short answer; I wold not feel safe on a scooter on StJ roads. I am sure that others enjoy it.

Here is a link to some of the On St John Jeep Cam videos;
http://www.on-stjohn.com/page/4/?s=jeep+cam

Nuts, and not advised. There is, I believe, one car rental company on STJ which rents out scooters as a sideline. I wouldn't do it.

I don't recommend renting scooters on STT either. Tons of posts on this subject on various travel sites. Best you do a google and research! Cheers!

Good God, NO! take a taxi, the roads are steep and if it rains you will slide down them.

We've seen two people on a scooter, and we wondered if they would be able to get up the hills. It didn't look good.

No way. Simple, it's dangerous.

If you do rent a scooter watch out for the goats in the road, not to mention the narrow and steep inclines.

If you do decide to rent a scooter, can you answer a question for me, please? Do they (the renters) make you add them to your life insurance policy? 'Nuff said.

Pamela

Just to add, I got stuck behind a short line of traffic just last week going along Weymouth Rhymer Highway on STT which is a busy two-lane highway. Although the traffic hold-ups there can be slow at certain times with people going into town, I try to avoid those times as much as possible. This delay was caused by a visitor's rental scooter with two aboard which were two vehicles ahead of me.

They were so cautious but rather than sensibly pulling over to allow other vehicles to overtake, they just kept on putt-putting around. Nobody ahead of me was having a hissy fit but then, all of a sudden and out of the blue, the driver of an SUV two or three cars back from me decided that he had to get there right now. He had no idea what was the hold-up but saw there was no immediate incoming traffic in the opposite lane and thus revved up and crossed the centerline to make an illegal overtake.

As he illegally overtook the four vehicles in front of him and sped into the adjacent lane, another vehicle suddenly appeared from the opposite direction, the a-hole swerved left to avoid a head-on collision with that vehicle and it was only serendipity that the scooter riders weren't nailed

Not a good idea. Be smart!

I would only use a scooter on St. John if you have a death wish. Or at the very least you will return home a total physical wreck from verve's or accident of some sorts.

My brother-in-law was nervous just being a passenger in jeep cherokee on the ride from Coral Bay to Cruz Bay. May husband is our driver and always does just fine, but there are cars, busses, and big trucks that go over the center line which is nervewracking when you come around a bend in the road. As I said previously we would never rent a scooter on St. John.

If you haven't written your Will yet I will PM you with my name.

vi_bound wrote:
If you haven't written your Will yet I will PM you with my name.

That is so funny. Im sure the original OP now see's that it is dangerous to rent a scooter on St. J.....and were not laughing at them just the thought of being on a scooter on St. J....

I know you probably have got the point by now but I wanted to share a funny moment with you about scooters on St. John. I was watching a movie the other day with Ben Affleck "Forces of Nature" and at the end when they escape to their honeymoon it cuts to the couple riding a scooter and they pass by the scenic turnout over looking Trunk Bay. I'm not kidding you it was Trunk and they were on a scooter on their honeymoon. The moral of the story is that only Hollywood doing a movie scene with the roads shutdown and the scooter being fixed to a movie sled dragged behind a truck is the only way you get on a scooter on St. John. If you have a broken leg after the inevitable crash you will have to secure a medical flight out of the Virgin Islands because commercial flights will not fly broken femur's.

In my seven years of visiting the island I have seen several really bad car accidents. All have been on the north shore going out to the beaches or on centerline drive heading to Coral Bay. Like my dad always said "it doesn't matter who's fault it is you always loose when your motorbike has a crash with a car". He also said "Nothing good goes on after midnight" he may be right about that one as well.