Dear Editor,

  Let me start by stating that no effort made to have any situation improved is a waste of time. I am responding to an observation from someone who commented on what Rene Lammerse wrote concerning the behaviour of the drivers on Sint Maarten. That person asked: “Why is that man (Rene Lammerse) wasting his time writing about these drivers on Sint Maarten?” My response to that person was: “At last someone in the community is starting to accept that it is our behaviour in traffic that is causing traffic congestion and traffic accidents.”

  More of you should follow his example, but we have to press on government (VROMI) to maintain the markings and signage on the roads. Leading by example helps to alleviate a lot of negativities. If the drivers notice that government is nonchalant, and being irresponsible with that which is necessary to promote safe traffic, especially those irresponsible drivers (and they are increasing daily) will show their real colours. Laws are there to be implemented, but also when because of structural changes it is no longer feasible to maintain those laws, they have to be amended to accommodate the present situation.

  For example, if because of congestion, it will no longer be able to park on Front and Back streets of Philipsburg, then we will have to see about parking on the pond. Or like I maintain, we will have to limit the import of motor vehicles and regulate our public transportation, otherwise we will have to fill the whole Salt Pond and suffer the consequences of flooding after every heavy rain.

  A lot of these traffic perils could be alleviated by having the Control Unit out there doing what they were originally appointed to do. Deal with the traffic. I know, I was the supervisor at that department. There are a lot of little things that I avoid commenting on, but I am not comfortable when I hear comments from the public that when the Control Unit used to be on the road things were better. I was told who participates in making those changes, but government seems to like it so. Unless we have people directing the traffic by the bottle-necks, and during rush hours by the Kruythoff roundabout, it will not change.

  The other big problem is the irresponsible drivers at the roundabouts. Every day without exception, someone looks at me as if I am crazy or something of the sort, because of how I drive by or around the roundabout. To begin with it will never be remedied as long as nothing is done to drivers with dark-tinted glass. That is more dangerous than driving without fastening a seatbelt around you. Because more and more drivers do not adhere to the traffic rules and are constantly swerving and squeezing in and out of the row of cars, trying to get ahead of the slow-moving traffic; other drivers cannot see the driver with dark glasses and are not aware of those drivers’ intentions. Again, because they cannot see them in the car with the ensuing consequences.

  You are aware of this because of the increasing articles of admonishment from the police to drivers and their behaviour in traffic. The parking and driving off of the motor vehicles at those businesses on A.T. Illidge road between The Cottage roundabout and the entrance to Arch Road is one of the main causes for the holdup of the traffic by the traffic lights by the Bernhard Bridge.(Longwall Road, Nisbeth Road, A.T. Illidge Road).

Rightfully so Mr. Lammerse commented in what he calls an interesting way of making use of the roundabouts. I say “the irresponsible way.”

 By the Cottage roundabout, drivers coming from Zagersgut Road get on the roundabout and stop next to waiting to be able to continue over A.T.Illdge Road, blocking all the other traffic on the roundabout and coming from the other roads wishing to make use of the roundabout. I do not believe it is that urgent that the congestion to obtain a driver’s licence on Sint Maarten is such that the exams be done with computers. And even if the theoretical part is done with computers,

  I believe that the practical part of the exams should exact no mistakes to be able to pass the exams. Even though it is said that people learn to drive after they pass their exams, I would never put a car in someone’s hands who is mediocre. Accidents cause material damage, as well as personal damage. I will never feel comfortable questioning myself “I wonder if”. By now I hope that those motorbike riders are gradually realizing that there is a correct way and then that other way to overtake a row of other motor vehicles. I also hope that they will realize the pain they cause their families. Ladies, “You’d see me coming” is not a right-of-way rule. Right of way is accepted, not taken.

“Yield” and “you have to give right of way” is what is written in your traffic instruction books. And it is the traffic on the roundabout that has the right of way, not traffic from the right.

  There is also the correct way, as well as the not correct way of entering and driving around the roundabout.

Russell A. Simmons

Dear Editor,

  This week I heard some remarks made by the Minister of Justice in connection with job ethics and then the very next day I experienced not the same, but also, for lack of a better word, arbitrariness.

  I went to pay a bill at the Receiver’s Office and had to join the line outside of the building in connection with social distancing. While standing out, two people came after me. One joined the line and the other one, yes, a gentleman with a foreign accent, went straight to the security officer. They were not talking secrets, so I gathered that the man’s business was two-fold of which one of them was to pay a bill. I heard clearly when the security officer told him that when he was finished at the first office that he should come back to him. In the meantime, the line was moving and I am now inside the building.

  After sanitizing I joined the line inside the building on the Receiver’s side. While standing in line inside, I noticed that that gentleman with the foreign accent did not go back to the security officer, but he came straight towards the Receiver’s side of the building, walked by everybody standing in line and as he walked he slowed down by the first window, looked in and went and stood a little further.

  A man and a woman were being attended to at that first window. The man looked around and asked which one, and then he went to the gentleman with the foreign accent and told him, “The lady inside called you.” When that man’s business was finished, the gentleman with the foreign accent was attended to before all of us who were standing in line inside before him.

  I clocked him and it took him nine minutes to complete his business. I assumed he was paying for number plates because he mentioned 27 plates and he was wearing a shirt with the name of a car rental printed in green at the back.

  While this was taking place three police officers dressed in uniform entered the building, one joined the line on the Receiver’s side, while the other two remained in the area of the entrance. It took about 15 more minutes before I got attended to so it took a while longer for the police officer to be attended to.

  I was ready at 12:07pm. I went to one of the security officers and told him that in my days, police officers on duty would not have to wait in line. Someone would come to them and ask if they needed help and try their best to get them back on the road so that they could continue patrolling or whatever was necessary at that time. A lady who was standing close by said, “Not with some of those people working in there. I went to one of them with the acting governor to ask her to help him, she told me he had to stand in line just like the other people.”

  There were a few more observations made in connection with the readiness of the employees by the Receiver’s, but I will not go any further with that. Even though I cannot swear that that gentleman with the foreign accent was given preferential treatment on this occasion, I have dealt with similar behavior in the past at the former Receiver’s Office. That person, also with a foreign accent, but from a different country, is well aware of it because at that time I confronted him about his blatant way of behaving in the face of others.

  That police officer waited during the time that I was waiting and had to continue waiting behind the six other people between him and myself after I left.

  I should not have to write a letter like this to you. This is not how it is done.

Russell A. Simmons

Dear Editor,

  Driving around on our island is at times interesting and but often frustrating due to the total disregard of the laws and lack of care by many road users.

  I always say to my wife that indicators on cars on Sint Maarten are optional extras because few drivers care to use them, letting the other drivers guess as to where they go next.

  When you collect friends or family from the side of the road, why pull over if you can just stop in the middle and let other road users wait? I understand that at times there is no room to pull off the road but why not collect them at a spot where it is safe and you don’t inconvenience the other drivers, or at least give the impression that you try to do this quickly. That includes our professional buses who appear to make a feeble attempt to pull over.

  The use of roundabouts is also interesting since there are supposed to be two lanes despite the lack of road markings on many of those. Another guessing game as to where these drivers go next.

  Another issue is letting traffic into the opposite lane from the side streets when you drive on a main road, a very noble thing to do but when the traffic from the other direction is bumper to bumper why would you let another car into that lane crossing yours resulting in the traffic from both sides coming to a standstill? There are times you give way to other road users, but you always observe the traffic situation first.

  I have had conversations with other drivers where we disagreed about certain traffic situations and was advised that I need to be more tolerant. Why is it always the driver that upholds the rules and drives correctly is the one that needs to be tolerant rather than the one pushing their luck over and again and get away with it.

  The unfortunate lack of visual policing on the island ensures there are no consequences for the transgressors, and they will continue to do as they like

  Thank God that most St. Maarteners are so tolerant, because with these driving skills, we would not do so well in many other countries where road rage is a daily occurrence.

  A little respect towards other road users will go a long way to improve our traffic situation.

Rene Lammerse

Dear Editor,

  I have to commend the 5 MPs who voted to postpone approval of the budget for 2022, because approving it at this moment would be indeed in contravention of article 100 of the Constitution of St. Maarten.

  In this case special kudos go out to MP Solange Duncan who, despite her alliance with the coalition, showed the people of St. Maarten what it means as a member of parliament to vote according to your conscience.

  With regard to the substitute MP who voted to go ahead with the approval of the budget notwithstanding the fact that this is in contravention with our laws, the question is if he's expressing the general point of view of his party in this matter. Because he too voted according to his conscience, which in this case is to not uphold our Constitution.

  Article 100 of our Constitution is very clear. When 8 of our parliamentarians and our own government are willing to break the law, how can they lead our people by example?

R. Mercelina