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Road in front of airport blocked by cones
#103737
07/27/2016 08:05 AM
07/27/2016 08:05 AM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 83,598 Central Florida!
Carol_Hill
OP
Traveler
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Posts: 83,598
Central Florida!
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Daily Herald story I can see where this is a royal PITA. But this story has to be wrong. It says that the cones have been in place for 4 months. That can't be correct, as they weren't there in June.. I truly get why they might need to ramp up security in light of current world events, but don't see how this would be of any assistance in that respect.
Carol Hill
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Re: Road in front of airport blocked by cones
[Re: Speebs]
#103739
07/27/2016 08:14 AM
07/27/2016 08:14 AM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 83,598 Central Florida!
Carol_Hill
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I would think that makes traffic back up horribly, doesn't it? Apparently they meant to say "four weeks"...
Carol Hill
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Re: Road in front of airport blocked by cones
[Re: RonDon]
#103743
07/27/2016 07:28 PM
07/27/2016 07:28 PM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 83,598 Central Florida!
Carol_Hill
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Posts: 83,598
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There are two lanes for taxis to drop off, closest to the airport. Then there is the divider. Then there are three lanes that are for immediate loading and unloading. True, you can't PARK there legally, but there is no place else for immediate drop off.
Carol Hill
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Re: Road in front of airport blocked by cones
[Re: CaribLee]
#103744
07/27/2016 07:29 PM
07/27/2016 07:29 PM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 83,598 Central Florida!
Carol_Hill
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OP
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Posts: 83,598
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Sounds like maybe after the story came out, that they have changed their policy, again.
Carol Hill
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Re: Road in front of airport blocked by cones
[Re: Carol_Hill]
#103745
07/28/2016 01:10 PM
07/28/2016 01:10 PM
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Joined: May 2008
Posts: 1,597 Sint Maarten
transplantsxm
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Posts: 1,597
Sint Maarten
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Okay, don't get me started. Yes the world now has to be vigilant about terrorism, however, this is Sint Maarten and excepting for cruise ships loaded with Americans I personally think this is a very low risk place for terrorists activities. Also, come on, if a terrorist wanted to blow up the airport does anyone think that a lane or two (12 to 24 feet) further away makes much of a difference in a blast.
Both my wife and I during the end of the Cold War reasoned that Sint Maarten was a great place to be in the event of nuclear explosions, at least initially. Can't image this little rock being targeted. That said the only problem would be lack of food and supplies since everything is shipped in.
Okay, my two cents worth, as usual local government is acting like it is a world power and assumes that someone somewhere cares.
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Re: Road in front of airport blocked by cones
[Re: transplantsxm]
#103746
07/28/2016 01:39 PM
07/28/2016 01:39 PM
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 14,677 Brookfield, CT.
pat
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For sure, I'm not advocating this move as a good one, and I can only start to imagine the chaos and inconvenience the cones at the airport must create, but it is a half French island, and the French in general have taken a lot of hits in this terrorist war and SXM does derive most of their tourism as Americans, no? And wasn't there talk about visitors from the Middle East having been caught traveling through SXM on false passports?
None of these inconveniences - be they three ounce or less bottles and/or pat downs for infants and grannies not to mention having to half undress in the securety lines at the airport - are appreciated by any of us, but they do say 'an ounce of protection.....' I guess, in the end, what we think really isn't going to have much effect on the government - here or there.
We can only hope that in a few weeks they'll tire of the complaining and go back to the way it's always been, and those of us who have spoken out in opposition to it in the first place will have to hope and pray nothing does happen there. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />
Respectfully,
pat
"Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them."
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Re: Road in front of airport blocked by cones
[Re: boucharda]
#103748
07/28/2016 02:00 PM
07/28/2016 02:00 PM
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 14,677 Brookfield, CT.
pat
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Posts: 14,677
Brookfield, CT.
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I get that completely but by doing something - 'anything' even if it's something as irritating as this - it's a feel good moment for the government and they can now say they've done their part, or tried to.
Respectfully,
pat
"Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them."
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Re: Road in front of airport blocked by cones
[Re: transplantsxm]
#103749
07/28/2016 02:28 PM
07/28/2016 02:28 PM
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 4,496 Rhode Island
RonDon
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Rhode Island
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transplantsxm said: Okay, don't get me started. Yes the world now has to be vigilant about terrorism, however, this is Sint Maarten and excepting for cruise ships loaded with Americans . Wasn't it in SXM that two Sirians were caught using fake passports to enter from Domician Republic or some island? I for one am glad they were caught by whatever means SXM used. No telling what they'd planned once on island with all those "American tourists."
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Re: Road in front of airport blocked by cones
[Re: pat]
#103752
07/28/2016 09:29 PM
07/28/2016 09:29 PM
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 10,213 GJ, CO S/V Long Overdue
sail2wind
Traveler
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Traveler
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Posts: 10,213
GJ, CO S/V Long Overdue
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pat said: I get that completely but by doing something - 'anything' even if it's something as irritating as this - it's a feel good moment for the government and they can now say they've done their part, or tried to. I could not agree more. We fly from a small town on commuter airlines. There are times there are more TSA agents than passengers, it's a joke. We travel so much they know us on a first name basis, seriously.
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Re: Road in front of airport blocked by cones
[Re: RonDon]
#103754
07/29/2016 08:06 AM
07/29/2016 08:06 AM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 83,598 Central Florida!
Carol_Hill
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Central Florida!
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...except that another poster here said that the cones were placed in front of the airport around the first week in July. And this person supposedly escaped on Wednesday this week. So that could NOT have had any part in the decision-making to place the cones there.
Carol Hill
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Re: Road in front of airport blocked by cones
[Re: boucharda]
#103756
07/29/2016 09:16 AM
07/29/2016 09:16 AM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 83,598 Central Florida!
Carol_Hill
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OP
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Posts: 83,598
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The original Daily Herald story says that the cones were placed there for security.
Carol Hill
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Re: Road in front of airport blocked by cones
[Re: RonDon]
#103760
07/29/2016 11:05 AM
07/29/2016 11:05 AM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 1,241 North NJ, 1720 miles from Para...
Kathleen
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Posts: 1,241
North NJ, 1720 miles from Para...
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I don't know. It creeps me out to see soldiers with huge guns patrolling the airport. I hope our world doesn't become that, but I fear it will.
That's why I wander and follow La Vie Dansante, that's all I want, La Vie Dansante (JB)
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Re: Road in front of airport blocked by cones
[Re: RonDon]
#103763
07/29/2016 02:18 PM
07/29/2016 02:18 PM
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 14,677 Brookfield, CT.
pat
Traveler
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Posts: 14,677
Brookfield, CT.
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Sounds like our first trip to SXM in 1973 (or 04?) and our earliest introduction to the island.
We deplaned from our KLM plane on the runway and were met by a line of armed soldiers instructing us to "Run, run, run....." for the shelter of the terminal. There were more soldiers with guns and sand bunkers on the terminal roof as well as soldiers with guns and dogs patrolling the outskirts of the airport. The 'Friendly Island' my foot!!
We later were told that world wide threats had been made by the PLO, calling for the bombing of KLM planes. It was quite the island intro and one we never forgot. Haven't seen anything like it since and hope we never do again.
We spoke to a life-long island resident about it a few years ago and he said he recalled hearing about it when he was a young man but living on 'the other side of the hill' he hadn't seen it firsthand. It was a very different island all those many years ago, for sure!
Respectfully,
pat
"Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them."
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