Slick
Instead of yellow lines dividing lanes, too many Virgin Islands roads have dried oil slicks. While nearly every road features this slippery obstacle courtesy of commercial vehicles, few are worse than Joes Hill. It’s obvious why there is always a trail of oil in both lanes there: Engines are stressed to the max all the way until drivers reach the Ridge Road, exacerbating leaks. This road hazard seems to be fairly accepted in the VI, though a Beaconite believes now is the time to speak out about it. First, reducing traction on a hill as steep as Joes is simply a recipe for disaster. And the problem is exacerbated for motorcyclists. On two wheels, they must be sure to avoid the oil slicks if they want to continue down the road in an upright manner. Less obvious but just as important is the sheer amount of pollution that occurs when rain showers “clean” the oil off roads and send it down into the ghuts to eventually empty out into the ocean. For these reasons, the reporter believes large commercial vehicles should be inspected much more closely than private vehicles. Often, they are far heavier and operated without the watchful eye of the owner. There is simply too much risk to allowing these vehicles to continue spraying the pavement with motor oil. And all this is to say nothing of the reckless manner in which many operators drive commercial vehicles.
Chagos Islands
The sun has finally set on the British Empire. Well, that’s the rather belated view of the right-wing United Kingdom press, anyway. Conservative opinion in London is outraged that the new Labour government has agreed to hand over sovereignty of the remote Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean to Mauritius after decades of wrangling. While a Beaconite might be forgiven for thinking the old empire ruse of walking into other people’s countries and declaring, “Hello, this place belongs to us now; jolly good show and all that,” received its death knell with the independence of the Indian subcontinent in 1947, some parts of the British media are only now bewailing the “loss.” Indeed, one British newspaper even printed a global map showing a huge swathe of the Indian Ocean in darkness as the imperial sun will no longer rest upon it after the internationally demanded handover. Other British overseas territories were proudly bathed in light upon the same map. Would the Virgin Islands like to follow suit in ending British control? There are a number of full United Nations members with smaller populations than the VI, but for now, at least, independence seems to be more of interest to the political elite than anyone else. And, either way, sun has never been much of a problem in these parts.
Trips
October, a Beaconite believes, is a wonderful time of year to spend a weekend off of Tortola. This month is an ideal time to hop on a ferry for a day trip to Jost Van Dyke, Virgin Gorda, Norman Island or others. Businesses that were closed for part of the summer on other islands, like on Tortola, have now started to reopen. However, the tourism season has not quite picked up yet, and cruise ship arrivals are still few and far between. So residents can enjoy the recently reopened bars and restaurants as well as tranquillity of the beautiful beaches of the Virgin Islands without too many other people around. While the heat and humidity may prevent many visitors from thinking the territory feels like autumn, October is nevertheless here. And as the tourism season begins to pick up in the coming weeks, the reporter will take every opportunity she can to visit other islands.