The OTHER low-speed Bronco chase occurred when a freaked-out Pearl City man drove his vehicle through the gates of Washington Place, and lumbered off at 10 mph the wrong way down Beretania. Posts keep gate-crashers
away from the gov
This was in the early morning of the Fourth of July, 1995. Independence Day. New governor Ben Cayetano realized he couldn't have his Washington Place and gate it too.
The Department of Accounting and General Services came up with a device to keep the governor's digs free of gate-crashers, particularly now that citizens have been informed that First Laundress Vicky Cayetano is fond of karaoke.
That's what these things are standing sentinel outside Washington Place, three in one gate and two in the other. They're made of reinforced pipe with grab handles cleverly attached to the sides, and each unit is wedged into holes sunk in the driveway. They can be yanked out if someone has to actually drive on the driveway. They're spaced closely enough to prevent cars and trucks from crashing through, but not closely enough to deter mad moped riders.
Given the current state of the state's finances, you can expect these devices to be amortized by performing multiple duties. They can be used to pound mochi, for example. Or as catapults to return inappropriate library books to Baker & Taylor. As paperweights for the mountain of litigation that Perfect Title is creating. Or as prods to make Les Keiter work faster as he paints Pro Bowl logos on the Aloha Stadium turf.
By Burl Burlingame, Star-Bulletin