We realize we will not change anyone’s mind but still feel some people may have a different opinion. We stayed in Simpson Bay at the Horny Toad for 8 years. We loved everything about the Toad. One vacation we had to change our times & were unable to accommodate us at the Toad for our last 3 days. On recommendation of friends, we moved to Les Balcons. We are not night people. We don’t do casinos, we don’t do bar hopping, we are just homebodies that LOVE SXM beaches. When we were in Simpson Bay, we spent lots of time in traffic traveling to Happy Bay & Orient daily. When we moved to Oyster Pond area, we cut our time in the car from an hour plus to 15 minutes. From that time-on, we never went back to Simpson Bay. We were caught in Orleans before Irma & spent 4 hours in our car waiting for the road to open. The French side residents kept apologizing for us being caught in their fight. This vacation as we went through Orleans the first day of the demonstrations, we saw no older folks, only young men with a different attitude. We spent a couple of days enjoying Les Balcons & then we’re able to get past the roadblocks on the weekend. On Monday& Tuesday, we spent a total of 7 & 1/2 hours in the car going around the island. So are we moving to the Dutch side? No. That7&1/2 hous, we normally spent in the car in 5 days going back & forth from Simpson Bay. So our feeling is to each his own! We love the French side for its quiet, laid back vibe. We love the Dutch side for all the people we love that live there. It is all preference! French are protesting to try to keep their land…..who can argue with that?