Communting and cars

"What is considered a long commute?"

It depends on the individual. Some people think ten minutes is long; others think thirty minutes is reasonable. Most people try to live near their work.

"What are the hazards one encounters? (Goats and potholes seem to be common.)"

Potholes are a problem but the biggest hazard is other drivers. They are often inebriated and/or driving down the middle of the road and/or passing safaris in the oncoming lane and/or passing on curves and/or.........

"Is driving through flooded spots a serious issue one might not spot on a visit?"

Not usually but it can be when there's a lot of rain.

"Do roads wash out a lot?"

Not a lot but when it happens it can take years to repair.

"Are potholes bad enough you really do need a jeep or can one get buy with a Geo, Prius Hybrid or other commuter-mobile and just be cautious? (I'd think a Hybrid would be ideal economically with all the hills, speed limits and stop and go traffic.)"

Potholes are big. A car is fine for most residences. There are a few hybrids but tech support (especially for the battery) is not as reliable here.

"Are there major issues of an area being a few blocks away 'as the crow flies' but having to go all the way around out of your way to get there by car which wouldn't show on a map or PMV?"

Some, but you learn the roads as you would anywhere else.

"Are high tourist area roads better maintained to keep up a good image? "

No.

A lot depends on when you have to be at work and where you work. I've seen traffic backed up from Havensight to the bottom of Donkey Hill near Bolongo. Lately that seems better though but it's a pain to inch along for 45 minutes.

The traffic seems lighter with Crown Bay having ships docked there as well as Havensight. Traffic gets much lighter when schools & the government has one of their many, many holidays also. Just in general, the traffic hasn't seemed as awful, at least at the times I go to work.

We lived near LA for about five years before coming here, and commuting here is not fun either. You can't ever kinda of go on auto pilot here while on your daily drive you always have to be looking for people excising on roads that were not designed for it, or cows, goats, etc ... There are also very few direct shoots, the freeway on stx for example is not a real freeway, it has a ton of lights and only covers about a third of the island. Usually your drive will involve many turns, lots of stop and go traffic and if you work downtown several laps around it trying to find parking.

Still I'm not in fear of someone plowing into me who's talking on their cell phone while putting on makeup but I am afraid of hitting someone else. So its all relative, its not really better or worse its the same but different. Everyone thinks its a joke that people complain about commuting here, but live here a year and you will understand.

The nice thing is the view is almost always nicer then LA's.

If you allow 30 min. you can usually get to whatever your destination is. The timing and tie-up locations are predictable. You will quickly learn what areas to avoid and when. Sometimes simply varying your timing by 15 min.allows you to miss some crunch periods. Extreme defensive driving and expecting any other driver to do anything , however outrageous you might imagine, will save you any accidental fender bending.[this includes a car driving in reverse in the correct lane and direction]
Potholes are everywhere -- some are dangerous - many drivers are courteous to the max and will stop at any time to allow a car to enter traffic or a person to cross in front of them on foot. Use of turn signals is commonly ignored.
In a serious downpour some roads can get a deep and rapid running flow,complete with rocks and debris. Some rains have washed whole sections of mountain terrain directly down onto a road. Washed out roads are not usual but do occur slowly over a period of weeks and are semi-marked as they get worse. Overgrown bush sometimes obscures turns and signage.
Some destinations do require a bit of a roundabout approach.
There are a lot of large SUVs and trucks but you learn to deal with that.
The roads do get fixed during election season.

What is considered a long commute?
A long commute is for me is taking 30+ minutes to go less than 10 miles but as Trade said it really depends on when you go. I can get from Tutu to Havensite in about 5 minutes during non-rush times but if I head there during the mid-day/late afternoon then it can take 30 minutes or more. You do learn back ways after awhile.

What are the hazards one encounters? (Goats and potholes seem to be common.)
Hands-down other drivers. Potholes are pretty bad here as well. Others are people on scooters and pedestrians(tourists and locals alike). I very rarely meet livestock on the road but do run into iguanas pretty often. Given the number of dead ones I see I don't think most others care to stop for them.

Is driving through flooded spots a serious issue one might not spot on a visit?
When it rains alot it can be an issue

Do roads wash out a lot?
There's one here in Mariendahl that still has the plastic jersey walls protecting the side of the road. It's been like that for at least a couple of months. It doesn't seem to be common.

Are potholes bad enough you really do need a jeep or can one get buy with a Geo, Prius Hybrid or other commuter-mobile and just be cautious? (I'd think a Hybrid would be ideal economically with all the hills, speed limits and stop and go traffic.)
Potholes are problem. Most of them don't get filled properly just filled with gravel? There was a monster pothole in Red Hook not so long ago. I wouldn't recommend having a vehicle with low clearance under it. As far as the hybrid idea, I agree with dntw8up.

Are there major issues of an area being a few blocks away 'as the crow flies' but having to go all the way around out of your way to get there by car which wouldn't show on a map or PMV?
You learn the roads. I usually have a good sense of direction but I didn't when I first moved here. I learned from my mistakes. There are roads in town that are one-ways during the day...found that one out by error, lol. I learned some new ways during Carnival last year. I was staying on Garden St. and all the ways I knew how to get back were closed for the parade. Ok, so I cheated and had a local friend show me but I did learn.

Are high tourist area roads better maintained to keep up a good image?
Nope.

On STX, it is desirable for work and home to both be on the same side of C'ted or Sunny Isle. I live west and work east. My 9 mile drive can take 20 minutes to 40 minutes depending on the traffic.

I have another question to add to this thread. What are the requirements as far as car insurance goes. I know in Ohio, where I currently live, it is mandatory law to have it. So what's the policy for the USVI/STT?

It's now mandatory. It wasn't always.