Daily Herald story

Good, I hope they do something about it, that's one reason we like the French side best. Last time we went to LeGalion beach there was a couple that were stopping cars trying to get you to buy timeshares, they were very persistent and won't leave you alone, even after we told them nicely that we weren't interested.

I read that as another reason not to stay at the Westin. :-(

They're generally at Orient at well; we just wave and drive past.

Two year ago my husband was actually attacked by one of the Westin timeshare guys. For the first time in years we decided to take a detour up the Oyster Pond Road, and this guy jumped in front of our car. My hubby rolled down his window to say no, the guy shoved a pen at him, my husband took it and threw it out the window on the ground. The guy got so mad that he picked up the pen and threw it at our rental car. We thought it was a rock. So my hubby got out the car to check, the guy started to come at him yelling, so my hubby yelled back. Yelling about "you don't know who I am" , "my dad is the police chief," "I am going to have you arrested.." I started to take photos of his license plate and he lunged at me and slapped the phone out of my had. My hubby thought he had hit me, so he went towards him and the guy went into the truck of his white SUV and got a "lone" golf club (appears to me he was prepared) and started to brandish it at my husband. I was getting photos the whole time. Another time share lady just stood there, finally decided she didn't want to witness it all, and walked away.

We got into our car and went to the Westin to complain. After talking to a bunch of underlings who all seemed very "shocked" that this guy would do it (they all knew exactly who it was), we saw some "time share" representative (Westin said, it's not us, it the time share company), and he too looked all shocked, said he would suspend the guy for a couple weeks, oh he has never done anything like that before. Hey do you want a free lunch? They just wanted to get us out of the lobby where we were making quite a scene, showing photos etc. We said no to the lunch and just left. Thought about going to the gendemere, but what would that do? They wouldn't care, they wouldn't do anything, Westin wouldn't cooperate.

After that incident, and several others where we have felt unsafe or scammed on St. Martin, we are soured a bit on the place. Have gone over 20 times, but after this, our car being towed in Phillipsburg (it was a legal place to part) and dealing with the scum bag tow company, and being sent back from the dutch side to the french side by cops who said our vehicle plate was expired and then having to wait for hours for a new vehicle -- we consider changing our vacation option every year. But we love it so much, every year we vow we are going to try someplace else, and every year Orient Beach sucks us back in. We just stay away from the dutch side now -- been there, seen that, been attacked, and pulled over by cops. Don't need the jewellry or hassle.