Dear Editor,
There is responsible and then there is responsible. I do not know who is in charge but in this case I am sure that it does not take the Minister of VROMI [Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure – Ed.] to deal with the missing traffic signs and name-of-road signs. Even if it is a question of money, again I am sure that there are enough traffic signs in stock which can replace at least seventy-five percent or more of the missing traffic signs on Sint Maarten.
On Thursday morning on two occasions as I was walking through the Hotelsteeg from the Frontstreet towards the Backstreet I had to stop, first a rental car and later a car with a French number plate, from driving through the Hotelsteeg coming from the Backstreet direction Frontstreet. Fortunately on both occasions the cars had driven only about ten meters into the Hotelsteeg, so I stopped them, helped them to reverse and turn safely onto the Backstreet and after I explained them that they could make a left by the Kadaster to get to the Frontstreet.
I don’t want to sound sarcastic but I made sure to tell them to make a left turn on the Frontstreet because I was not sure if the sign obliging drivers to make a left turn on the Frontstreet is anywhere close to the Oranjeschool.
It is no secret that several government employees as well as leaders in government have been convicted for not doing the right thing with government monies, so since it is a while now that traffic signs have not been replaced, I hope there is no hanky panky and would love to hear a reasonable explanation why can’t those traffic signs and road-names signs, as well as number plates, be made from the old (crushed) cars which are on the Pondfill?
By the way, for those of you who are asking me if I don't feel the difference in temperature between cars with dark tint and light or no tint at all, I cannot say, because the car that I drive never had tint. Permit me to ask this: How much time of the day do people who work during the day spend in their car during the time that there is sunlight? So let’s be realistic and fair. What is more important, to have a car with illegal tint or the disregard for law and order while hiding behind the dark tint?
Russell A. Simmons
