Coming to STT for a Job Interview.......

Well, I'm not sure you who talked to that gave you a $1300 quote, but I highly suspect that's inaccurate, unless you're already living on one of the other islands. We just paid (including customs, road tax and tags) $4,439.36 for a 2005 Chevy Avalanche and $2,581.40 for a 2003 Jeep Liberty to have them shipped here from Ohio. It was worth it for us because we know the history of the vehicles, and also because my husband's company paid for the move. We were still upside down on both vehicles, so trying to sell them in Ohio in this economy and then buying something else unknown once we arrived wasn't really an option.

If you're looking for a good shipper, I recommend Fleming's Transport on STX. Call (340) 778-9160 and ask for Jennifer or Barry.

perhaps I should get a motorcycle or a dirt bike?

A coupla suggestions:

1.) I wouldn't treat this trip as a vacation, or you may not get an accurate impression of what living here is like. Many people move here after visiting a time or two, then, after moving here, find that island life is not what they thought it would be and are back in the States within six months or so. Treat it as a Pre-Move Visit. Rent a car, drive during peak traffic times (lots of sitting in traffic here), go to the post office and stand in line, find out about the availability of P.O. Boxes, go to the grocery store, stand in line, see how much pricier things may be compared to what you are used to, go to the bank, stand in line and find the right bank for your needs, go to the WAPA office, stand in line and find out how much your electricity bill will be each month, go to K-mart, stand in line, go to Home depot, stand in line, go to Cost-U-Less, stand in line, etc. Notice all the 'stand in line'? Get used to that! Haha! You may find that trying to get things done here will take several trips to different places, all standing in line...

2.) If you decide that this move is one you want to make, sell your vehicle back home (or store it) and pick up something here. Transportation here is not like in the States, in that they aren't really 'status symbols', like back home. Most just drive something that gets them from A to B...I, personally, have a car and a bike, but I have only had the car for the last coupla years...a bike is definitely an easier mode of transport here. Better gas mileage and no traffic to deal with, as driving down the yellow line is accepted as normal here. The number of vehicles for sale here is very high, mostly due to people shipping their cars down, then, after finding that island life is not for them, they have to sell it because shipping back is expensive, so there are many "Leaving Island" sales. Check the Island Trader http://islandtrader.vidaily.com/ Remember, not only do you have the shipping charge to get it here, you also have to pay for an Inspection, Registration and Road Tax and that can be pricey, depending on the vehicle and it's place of manufacture.

Read this entire website...lots of great information to be gleaned here...pay attention to the moving stories...and ask lots of questions on the Message Board...many people on this board will reply and give you great information.

Good luck!

Thanks for the input.....good stuff!

What line of work are you in?

If you can get a Jeep shipped for $1,300, grab it and run!!

"as driving down the yellow line is accepted as normal here"

I know you are going to start with your PMs, Marty, but I cannot in good conscience allow you to give this sort of advice without providing a counterbalance. To the OP: there are laws that are not consistently enforced here. This does not mean that the behavior is "normal." It is NOT lawful to drive down the center line. Good judgement would prevent most people from doing so, law enforcement *would* prevent the rest. Living here makes you aware of the reason for the rule of law.

I do agree with Marty's recommendations to spend your time here checking out the things you would need to do on a daily basis. The beaches are there, check them out on an afternoon, but look at your visit as recon.

What line of work are you in?

I'm a Auto Technician

No PM's required, EE..."accepted" means just that...and, as you mentioned "there are laws that are not consistently enforced here" and this is one of them. I have, on four different occasions, been driving down the yellow line on my Harley, with traffic stopped in both directions, and met a motorcycle cop doing the same thing. Very difficult for us to get our bikes past one another without touching the handlebars or cars stopped in traffic, but, once past, we gave each other an "OK", "Alright" and on our ways we went. It IS illegal on the books, but 'accepted' means that it is not enforced very often It doesn't mean that they can't ticket you, by any means. Just that I, in my experience over 12 years of driving here, seen anyone cited for it. I cannot even begin to count the number of times I have driven past police cars stopped in traffic while I was driving past them and they give me nary a glance. FWIW....

I am moving to STT in 2 weeks, and planning to bring my Jeep and Suzuki Intruder. I am shipping them from Jacksonville, FL and got a (?) good deal 1385 for the Jeep, and 800 for the bike. I am a bt nervous about riding on the island, are the roads dangerous for a bike? I was there last month for a few days, and didn't see too many bikes.

Marty: As I have tried to explain before, just because a law is not enforced, does not make it right to flaunt it. I think I understand where you stand on the issue, but I do not think newcomers should be enticed into breaking the law because someone who lives here says it is normal to do so. We have enough problems with the people who currently live here breaking the laws, I don't think we need new ones to do so.

The $1385 quote is most likely just for shipping...once you get on island you will have to pay road tax ($0.16 per lb) and a whole bunch of other fees that I don't remember the specifics of before you can collect the vehicle from customs...so make sure you budget in at least another $1200 + for the fees.

EE, I suppose you come to a COMPLETE stop at all stop signs, do you? I don't pretend to be 'holier than thou'...the truth is what the truth is and that is what I post. Take it for what it's worth.

No hard feelings.

@ Dancer - do a search on "motorcycle" and/or on "scooter" in the archives (be sure to set the search range to "all" instead of "last 30 days") to pull up discussions of all things motorcycle down here. The short answer is, yes, the roads are more dangerous for a bike than most stateside roads. Have you been here yet? If not, you might want to wait on shipping the bike.

Good luck to you, and keep the shiny side up.

Yes, fdr is correct there...riding here is 'different' than riding in the States...drivers of cars and trucks don't look out for you (sometimes actually aim for you), and, after a shower, the roads can be as slick as ice (sometimes slick even when dry)...a very good idea to rent a bike and drive around a bit before deciding on shipping one down. The places that rent scooters and enduros have people that go down daily...and you often see them on the side of the road, bike or scooter laying on their sides, and the tourists walking around with that deer in the headlights look on their faces...it takes a slightly different driving style here.

auto technician huh ... Seriously need good ones here. I'll start you off with the Jeep_From_Hell 🙂