The helicopter is a nuisance. People asked me to write what follows here. There is anger under the population about the flying thing. One lady who has made herself a private sunbathing spot and walled in her poolside was angered by the helicopter hanging right over her looking at her as she covered her modesty. She feels her privacy infringed upon. The children from St. Peters school got the scare of their life on Monday when the helicopter hang for one whole hour over their school and came so low that they had to run away from the blast.

Another man told me that he feels that he cannot park his car, which is one of a kind, behind the place of his secret lover no more. Other guys told me that they do not want their car to be seen parked at certain clubs. Another said it was OK with him, when he wants to shoot his neighbors' dog, he will do it when the noise maker comes, and nobody will hear the shot. Again another, this one a professional pilot himself, tells me that the eye in the sky costs 500 dollar per hour. It is 5 hours in operation per day. And every 100 hours it needs servicing at considerable cost as well. The young inexperienced pilots, perverts as the lady from the beginning of the story can confirm, are just making hours to build up the amount they need for a commercial license.

The economist in the group sees no other explanation than that the police must have sold confiscated drugs in order to pay 2500 dollars per day for this thing. The tourist gets the impression that more crime happens here than in Miami were there are no helicopters sweeping Overhead all day. He was saying that this was the last time he came this way o In plain English: the thing is very bad for tourism. And when it hangs in a valley, the sound reverberates double loud and keeps those who need their siesta from sleeping. These were the things I overheard lately from just a few people.

I myself say that the helicopter can be useful in case a car chase is in progress. And if rentals have their numbers painted on the roof in big letters, stolen cars can be found back from the sky. For the rest that flying eye should stay out of the beautiful Sint Maarten sky. What good has it done so far? Nothing anybody could think of. On behalf of the people that I heard, I ask the head of police Mr. Richards to explain the benefit against the damage the helicopter does. And have it grounded until it can be of help.