But up close, that is not necessarily the case. When my friends and I landed in Philipsburg on St. Maarten, I think they were impressed. The downtown is colorful and alive and the waters are some of the best in the world. What really surprised them was the amount of garbage and poor living conditions we passed enroute to the French side of the island. Being up close and personal with the island gave everything a different tone.
Nature is as much as anyone to blame for the wear and tear on an island.
That is why any Caribbean resort employs an army of hourly maintenance personnel. Add to that the fact that landfills are a no-no on an island because of the water table and you'll soon realize that getting rid of an old car becomes a major problem. Converting them to playgrounds on your front yard for your kids is a much more reasonable option. I remember a trip to Aruba back in the early 80s. We stayed at a nice resort and I recall my shock when we saw goats roaming the streets.