We visit Hawaii several times a year and have seen an increase in the number of homeless people with their shopping carts. Is the Honolulu airport a new haven for the homeless? I feel for them, but I think the homeless should be relocated. It just leaves a bad taste for the visitors to Hawaii when they see people sleeping on the ground and pushing shopping carts everywhere. Just removing homeless
from airport isn't enoughIt's a problem that administrators have been trying to resolve.
In fact, the state Department of Transportation and the Hawaii Housing Authority sponsored an all-day symposium on the topic Oct. 29.
About 60 to 70 homeless people show up every evening as early as 3:30 p.m., but usually around 10:30-11 p.m., said Airports Administrator Jerry Matsuda. They usually leave by 4:30 a.m.
"They are a major problem for us because many do cause a nuisance and do commit crimes," Matsuda said.
That includes robbing visitors and vendors, as well as accosting and manhandling travelers, he said.
John Thatcher, executive director of the 24-member Airlines Committee of Hawaii, said probably only 10 percent of the homeless cause 99.9 percent of the problems. But the problems are significant, ranging from physical assaults to sleeping and urinating in stairwells and walkways.
There's also a concern about the safety of the homeless themselves, some of whom have been found sleeping on baggage belts.
"We do have a lot of heart for the homeless," Thatcher said, "but the airport is not the place for them."
Among the alternatives being considered are new administrative rules to impose constraints in certain areas, based on safety and emergency requirements, Matsuda said.
Officials are also looking at a vagrancy or anti-loitering law.
Hawaii is one of the few states without a loitering law, Thatcher said. Based on a Supreme Court decision regarding airport solicitations by the Hare Krishna religious sect three years ago, the state could probably push to make it illegal to loiter at the airport, he said.
But officials realize that getting the homeless out of the airport is not enough, Matsuda said. The idea is to also give them access to support services through private programs, he said.
Based on the October symposium, a comprehensive plan was drafted on dealing with the airport homeless, said Hawaii Housing Authority spokeswoman Amalia Bueno.
The HHA is putting together a report to be delivered to the 1998 Legislature, she said.
To the man trying to make a left turn from Kapiolani onto Sheridan Street at 11:45 a.m. Oct. 15. The sign said "no left turn." The man in back of me tooted his horn and I tooted my horn, indicating he should go straight. Still, he ignored us and turned left. People like him should be off the road; he's too hazardous to other drivers. -- J.M. Auwe
To police Officer Robert Lee. He was on his way to close the Pali gate and I was stuck on the side of the road with a vehicle breakdown. He helped me get home. -- Fred Walker Mahalo
To the man who helped after I was in a freak accident about 9 a.m. Oct. 3 while driving to the airport. A 5-foot steel beam flew across four lanes, went through my windshield and hit my leg like a spear. I kept sounding my horn but no one stopped. Finally, a man helped me out and let me use his cellular phone. I did not get his name. Many mahalos also to the people who saw the accident and called the Perry & Price radio show. -- Stevie King Mahalo