Crucians.....I need brutal honesty

I've been living here all my life and the only issue I have are the fact that after a while things tend to get a bit boring. I too don't understand why people (young guys) in particular like to drive around with their music blasting..you can hear them blocks away :S Getting a job in the government would be best but you'd be lucky if you did being that this island is a lot about who you know rather than what you know. Vehicles at car dealerships are ridiculously overpriced. I usually eat at some local places: Chicken Shack, Paquitos, Zennys, Brew Pub, Angry Nates, and Rum Runners. I'm not getting into the condom issue lol 😛 because that's just crazy.

First, let me say that I'm years away from officially being a "Cruzan", since we've only lived here about 2-1/2 months... But, for me, the hardest thing to get used to other than island time and high prices, has been the seeing (and being hit up constantly for money by) the severe homelessness problem. You can't turn your head without seeing one or several homeless people, and it's very hard to know what to do or not to do about it, other than feel awful.

Other than that, a PMV should answer a lot of your questions. Good luck!

Lisa

St. Croix is a great place to be, even though I like so many others have a love/hate relationship with the Island. For me there is nothing better than watching the sunsets from the fsted fishing pier, Prices mainly food and electricity are outrageosly high and the local corruption is probably no worse than many other locations

Popflops,
You wll never be a Crucian regardless of how long you live here on island. Today "cruzan" refers to the rum, some real old timers still spell it cruzan meaning the people.8-)

We've been lucky not to see many homeless people or to have anyone even ask us for money on our visits. I know there are many poor people on St Croix and many homeless. I don't know, I just haven't seen what Popflops has. We don't go out late at night anymore,though, maybe that's what she's talking about. I guess if you deal with the people in public housing you'd come in contact with the very poor. But that's the same situation I can find 15 minutes from where I live now, as it is in places in most cities.

Oh, I forgot about the time we were walking down Company Street and this very skinny very neatly dressed lady ran up to me hysterically babbling and pleading something that I couldn't make out except for the word, ''money!". She looked absolutely DESPERATE. I immediately turned to my husband and yelled,'' She needs help!" He fumbled with his wallet,took out a twenty which she plucked out of his hand and took off up the street. We were left just looking at each other with a ,'' What just happened?!'' expression. This all took mere seconds. We got in our car and passed her calming walking up Company Street fanning herself with the twenty like she had not a care in the world. My husband scowled at me and said,'' She's probably headed for the liquor store, we're suckers." Wow, she had her act down! But that's our only experience with beggars or anything like that.

There are a few men and women who are on the streets asking for money. I'm not even sure they are homeless - begging almost seems like their job. Permanent residents see the same ones every day. But after a while they stop asking you for money after you say no a couple of times. STX also has several soup kitchens, so I don't think very many of our street people are actually going hungry.

edited to add that many restaurants have "regulars" that they feed without charge.

The agreement seems to be that the restaurants feed the "regulars" in exchange for the "regulars" not harassing the customers. I've also seen a C'sted boardwalk restaurant worker chasing off a panhandler in a very rude way. Ouch.

There's a 'panhandler' who regularly walks into Plaza, picks up some food (sandwiches, roast chicken, soda), goes to the line, and asks people for donations while he's standing in line. What's even stranger is that people give it to him.

I'd rather do that than give money on the street. At least you know it's for food.

I agree Juanita, we learned our lesson! It's just that she looked so tiny and neat and was so in my face hysterically babbling with such an 'island accent' that I couldn't understand her-- except for the word 'money'. I honestly thought she'd just had someone steal her purse or been in an accident of some kind. We've been to Acapulco where there were beggars and know how to say 'no', but this seemed totally different. It scared and flustered me so much that I instinctively turned to my husband demanding help for her. She was like this desperate child right in our faces! He quickly reacted to her and me by pulling out the money as fast as he could. Like I said, this all happened in mere seconds-- then she was gone. It was all surreal. We sure felt like we had egg on our faces,though,when it was over! It was actually funny after we got over the initial shock and awe! Just another day in paradise *-)

I agree with imij, I was all set to go down to STX for a PMV with my husband and 2 year old daughter til I started reading all the chats on the message board. There were sooooo many more negative stories than positive ones, it made me start to reconsider. Especially with all the talk about the crime and muggings. It is really nice to hear positive points, thanks everyone for sharing! I would still be down there in a heartbeat if it were just me but I worry about my daughter 🙂

I think negative things tend to get more attention, both in the media and in forums like this. (Not that I don't appreciate the negative stories... it's good for people to know these things, and the details often help with preventing another incident.) Telling the story of how you went to the grocery store and did NOT get mugged isn't interesting, so we don't hear about those things. Those in customer service know that customers who have had a bad experience tend to tell more people than those who have had a good experience. There have been some very nice stories about people helping each other out lately, though. 🙂

there was a thread a bit back about possitive service but people stopped adding to it. and there is a lot of good here. that skinny lady that was acting hysterical. i think she is a bit "off" she always hangs near the banks. the guy in the wheelchair is harmless even though he says things sometimes that are nice. those are just his bad days. he is always polite and gracious for whatever you give him.

LOL, are you talking about the guy in the wheelchair that hangs outside of RumRunners on the boardwalk of Chrststd? Cause I occasionally look at the live webcam (to check the weather) and I've seen him just hanging there (A LOT)!

Paula,
We were having lunch in Singh's one day, and your "lady friend" came in and asked us for money. She said she was hungry, so my husband went up to the counter and paid for her lunch. She was MAD! She took the lunch, after much grousing about it, but she really wanted the money.

Bottom line is this. Many of us have lived on STX for a long time, in my case more than 6 years. I do not have a ball and chain around my ankle (well, not unless you count Ric) holding me here and have enough disposable income that I could choose to live elsewhere. And probably some day I will. But I live here now and like it. You cannot not really decide if the island will suit you and your family until you've come here for a longish visit, 2-4 weeks.

Lizard, you're so right! I didn't think it looked right as I was typing it... Apparently not enough Cruzan rum in my system! 😀

Paula,
We were having lunch in Singh's one day, and your "lady friend" came in and asked us for money. She said she was hungry, so my husband went up to the counter and paid for her lunch. She was MAD! She took the lunch, after much grousing about it, but she really wanted the money.

Juanita-- I think your husband had the right idea! Funny,too!

Paula

PS-- we actually saw my "lady friend" the next year on Company Street and my husband grabbed my arm, said''Quick, go in here--- there's that woman!" and pushed me in Gone Tropical where I proceeded to buy a purse. He lost MORE money on that woman--- but she's helping the Christiansted economy, isn't she?:D At least with liquor,food and purses. Too bad he didn't push me into Sonyas.;)

Love it! We should make her an EDC company.

😀

The one guy that hangs out by the bus stop where the post office is in downtown C'sted got mad at me the other day because he asked for two dollars and I told him I wouldn't give him money. He said "But mami, I hungry" so I handed him a pack of crackers. He was peeved. LOL

stephyji, my ff has given many granola bars to one of the local "ladies" never money and never a ride anywhere. she is actually happy for the food.
brockettfamily, do come for a pmv for as long as you can. my mother was here last year and she had a ball. she was just like a kid in the candy store but we never got her to the beer drinking pig.
and yes, the guy in the wheelchair is keith. and he really is a nice guy. he only will ask you for a quarter.

Steph, if you are a "woman of a certain age" she was probably calling you mommy.

Linda, I'm in my 20s. No reason for someone with hair more white than dark to be calling me mommy. 🙂 Not yet, anyway.

Sorry to assume -- I get called it all the time!!