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Dear Editor,
Have you traveled out of SXM and returned to witness what it is like to be a tourist on our beautiful island? How about visiting some of our local hotels? How was your experience?
Recently I had the opportunity to travel out of our island and because I haven’t traveled for a long time, I didn’t know what to expect. I had no standards and was just happy to be able to travel and take the much-needed break but on arriving at other airports and seeing how very friendly some of their staff were despite being an extremely busy airport, I was amazed. I started to realize how much a smile on arrival at an airport can make or mar your day.
After my vacation, I returned to SXM, I unfortunately forgot to reduce my standards and expectations. First and foremost, we landed on time and as we exited the plane greeted by the friendly members of the flight crew, I realized that some of our local airport staff members stood at the entrance as you exited the plane. One can only guess that they are either there to assist or clean but their faces were very unhappy and stressed. They looked very unfriendly for a friendly island.
As you pass through them, you approached a section at the airport where one staff directed the queue. You can hear her screams from afar. Nobody says hello just screams and stay here or there. Other airports I have visited have same screaming staff but they always say good morning or hello before you are directed. I watched as the lady struggled to get everyone on the right queue. After a while, a member of staff rolled up an elderly man on a wheel chair and abandoned him right before he was checked by immigration. I watched as he sat down there without any help. He kept complaining that he had been abandoned but no staff member did anything. Immigration looked over to call him next but realized he was alone and couldn’t move. After several people passed him on the queue, he decided to force himself to get up otherwise he might have to pass the night at the airport. I watched sadly as this man on a wheel chair struggled to stand up. He was shaking all over and I was scared he would fall down in the process. One could guess that he had a stroke and early signs of Parkinson disease. We were all on a separate queue from him. He succeeded in standing up for a few seconds after what look like a painful attempt. He handed over his passport to immigration but as he did that, a cold blooded staff member coming from another direction of the airport saw him and smiled as she passed by and blurted out “Oh he got up” and then walk away briskly smiling. I couldn’t help but wonder what was so friendly about our friendly island if the only smile I had received on arrival was the one at an obviously disabled person in need of help.
I went through immigration, picked up my bags and went outside. I was sad and trying to find a suitable name for SXM besides the friendly island.
I was happy to be back home but surprised to be welcomed in this manner. I started to wonder what some of our tourists had experienced. I wondered if the disabled man was a tourist on his first trip to our beautiful friendly island.
I walked out of the airport in need of a taxi and was approached by a taxi driver. He smiled at me and asked if I needed a taxi and I said yes. He said there weren’t too many taxis available so for that reason I would have to share my taxi with other passengers. I had no problem with that. All 4 passengers got in the taxi and were charged the regular amount per passenger as if we were to be carried alone. I smiled, got in the taxi and was ready to go rest after a long trip. As we approached the airport roundabout, our taxi driver suddenly stopped the taxi in the middle of the road. She said she had other passengers from Air France that she needed to pick up so we have to join another taxi. I was amazed! Within a few seconds she had moved us from her beautiful, neat taxi to a taxi that looked like it didn’t have the license to operate. The new taxi was neither clean nor cozy. I felt used. I wondered how others felt. This wasn’t a good look for a friendly island. This lady did all this without apologizing. She moved us into the new taxi and reversed back to the airport.
I had to check into a hotel for a day or two because other family members hadn’t arrived on the island as yet from their vacation. I lodged in one of our reputable local hotels in the Simpson Bay area. As I was lodging, a group of tourists were checking out of the hotel complaining about how bad the internet was and how slow the elevator was due to improper maintenance. This wouldn’t be a problem if people weren’t paying almost 500usd per night. The following day was a disaster, there was no hot water in the entire building and all kinds of little but annoying issues here and there. As an island, we need to be mindful of what we do and portray. None of this is friendly for a so-called friendly island. The reputation of our county is in the hands of our visitors and locals, we can do better.
Identity Known to the Publisher
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