Isle tourists should be made aware of dangers
MOST tourists enter the Hawaiian islands with no knowledge of what occurs here every day, blind to the fact that real problems take place in Hawaii. More than 7 million people visited Hawaii last year, with more than half staying in Waikiki. With tourism in Hawaii increasing, local news and potential threats should be shared with incoming visitors to keep them informed and prepare them for what dangers they might face.
Whether it is through national news or when airlines hand out the agricultural forms on the airplane, there should be some way of reaching tourists and warning them of the potential problems that might occur on their vacation to "paradise." Some could argue that warning tourists would decrease the number of visitors to Hawaii, but others could say "better safe than sorry." If we don't warn them, we should attempt to solve these problems.
According to FBI statistics, Honolulu is the second-safest big city in America. However, it has many problems that can be dangerous to those who are unaware of them. Some problems that tourists might stumble upon while in Waikiki are drugs, prostitution, violence and dangerous environmental conditions.
One of the biggest problems is prostitution. The main dilemma with prostitution is that the Honolulu Police Department does not do a very good job of preventing it. Not only does HPD fail at putting a stop to this problem, but hotel clerks and desk greeters fail as well. Prostitution would greatly decrease if people were more cautious and if the laws were more strictly enforced.
Along with prostitutes in Waikiki, there are homeless people on almost every corner. Many of them become a problem because they are under the influence of drugs or are incoherent due to previous drug use. Ignoring the homeless is not the solution. Perhaps if there were more work placement centers or homeless shelters that encouraged these people to change their way of life, Waikiki could be free of these vagabonds.
Some argue that tobacco and smoke shops are aids to the drug use and poverty here in Hawaii. Smoke shops claim the products they sell are intended for legal uses only, and that anyone indicating otherwise will be refused service and asked to leave. One has to wonder how effectively -- and how often -- the law is enforced. It is not difficult to recognize when someone is purchasing drug-related items with the intent to use them illegally.
Another one of Hawaii's problems is where the sewage and runoff go. In my own experience, the sewage spill last March was devastating. About two weeks after the release of sewage into the Ala Wai Canal, which then flowed into the ocean, I went surfing off Magic Island and was infected by staphylococcus bacteria. One does not have to come into direct contact with the Ala Wai to be a victim of its effects. If the Ala Wai were monitored more carefully or if garbage could be disposed in a safer way, the Ala Wai would not be as huge of a problem.
Although it would be a blessing, it would be very difficult to eliminate all of these problems that are prevalent in Waikiki. If certain actions were taken to eliminate these problems, Waikiki could be a more enjoyable place for not only tourists, but for locals as well. If we chose not to find a solution, then we need to warn these tourists and risk losing some money.
Anthony Messina is a sophomore at the University of Hawaii-Manoa.