Tata the Bus Driver

On a nondescript roundabout close to the border of Saint Martin but in Sint Maarten, the Dutch half of the island, is a statue of Jean-Frederique Brooks, a bus driver who ran the school route and kept mischievous pupils firmly in line.

Brooks is kept company on the roundabout by statues of Alexander Lionald Richardson, a butcher who supposedly had 42 children, many of whom probably were on Tata’s bus, and Florian Eulalie Duzanson, who baked for free for those who could not afford tasty treats. Many relatives attended the official unveiling in 2009.

All three of those commemorated have passed away, but they remain standing tall and proud for modern-day drivers to enjoy. Island authorities said they regard them as folk heroes. Tata’s statue is the most memorable, holding only a steering wheel to represent the whole of the bus he was so noted for maneuvering around island avenues.