Clubs, theaters should point out fire exits

In both recent club fire disasters, in Chicago and Rhode Island, the comment was made that the people inside will always try to get out the same way they entered. In the Rhode Island fire, the side fire exits reportedly were not used at all by the club patrons. One of the safety instructions given before take off on airlines is when the flight attendants point to all of the emergency exits.

The state fire code should require that before the start of any event in a theater, concert hall, arena, night club -- any event where a crowd has gathered inside a venue -- someone must welcome the attendees, then point out all of the emergency exits and offer any other instructions to allow a safe egress for everyone in any emergency. It's not rocket science.

Roger A. Hutchings

Cell phones involved in very few wrecks

A Star-Bulletin editorial opined that the use of cell phones by drivers ought to be banned because such usage "could lead" to inattentive driving (Feb. 28), and in fact it has: One Hawaii public school teacher was charged with one incident of such driving, and the state was deemed to be 20 percent liable and had to pay $1.5 million to the victim of the accident. Out of 13,000 school teachers, most of whom drive vehicles 365 days a year, you can point to exactly one case of inattentive driving while using a hand-held cell phone.

The facts bear you out. The California Highway Patrol recently released a comprehensive study of causes of vehicular accidents, including inattentive driving. The use of a hand-held cell phone caused only 0.01 percent of all accidents, a miniscule percentage, but that still amounted to 11 percent of the 5,677 accidents caused by "inattentive driving." On the other hand, the study also pointed out that fiddling with the radio, having kids or pets in the car, eating, reading, personal hygiene or smoking combined to account for another 20 percent of all accidents caused by inattentive driving.

Perhaps if all of the above were banned while driving we could prevent as many as 30 percent of all accidents caused by inattentive driving -- but then, 100 percent of all "inattentive driving" accounts for less than a few percentage points of the total causes of all accidents.

What we have here, as usual, is a gnat of a problem and a 5-pound hammer of a solution.

John Radcliffe

Talking on any phone is a distraction

Thank you for your editorial favoring a ban on hand-held cell phone use while driving.

Just before Christmas I was crossing Punchbowl Street (in the crosswalk) going to the Makiki Post Office. A young woman making a left turn onto Punchbowl while talking on her cell phone finally slowed down to let me cross -- after I kept moving away from her car and out of the crosswalk. And all the while, her expression never changed as she continued her conversation. In other words, she didn't acknowledge my presence other than to finally slow down.

I hope the Legislature will seriously consider banning hand-held cell phones in moving vehicles. But in reality, I believe that talking on any kind of device is distracting to the driver.

Evelyn Shepard

Democrats are playing politics as usual

It seems apparent that Hawaii's Democratic party still hasn't gotten the message. Recent reports of the Legislature's efforts to undermine Linda Lingle's governorship by lowballing her request for funding should outrage all fair-minded citizens (Star-Bulletin, March 1). It would be instructive to compare the funding approved for the former governor's staff operations with Lingle's budget request. We can only speculate about how responsive the Legislature would be if we had a Democrat attempting to furnish the new governor's residence.

One other proposal seems outrageous in its impracticality. House Bill 1064 calls for a West Oahu-downtown ferry system, even after pilot projects have proved insufficiently popular to justify a permanent system. If the Democratic majority bullies this bill through to implementation, media watchdogs should stay alert to see if the contract goes to a firm known for its financial support of Hawaii's Democratic Party and its candidates. This state's era of influence peddling and backroom politics will end only when we hold the decision makers accountable for their indifference to the greater good of the citizens. To paraphrase Johnny Cochran: If their integrity you doubt, vote them out!

David Kammerer
Laie

Segway saves money and aggravation

Although I do not live in Hawaii, it is one of my favorite places on Earth. I live in Seattle, where cars are the largest source of air pollution. I use a Segway human transporter to travel more than 7-plus miles per day.

I have given up a car, and I'm saving more than $600 a month on car payments, insurance, gas and parking. I've even lost 10 pounds with my extra time I have each day to do things like exercise, as opposed to sitting in traffic. I gave the first month's savings from using the Segway to charity.

I'm keeping a personal journal about owning a Segway at www.bookofseg.com.

Phillip M. Torrone
Seattle, Wash.

Strong U.N. is key to international peace

The First Unitarian Church of Honolulu urges President Bush and the U.S. government to continue to work within the framework of the United Nations to resolve the current conflict with Iraq.

Specifically, in the absence of a clear mandate from the United Nations, we oppose the use of U.S. military force in Iraq.

We, like all people, want to live in a world that is safe. We believe, as is stated in the U.N. charter, that the peoples of the world can best create safety by uniting our strengths and adhering to the principle of not using armed force, except when it is in the common interest. It is important, in this time of global unrest, that the United States firmly adhere to these and other principles of international law and treaty encoded by the United Nations.

Moreover, we oppose efforts by any government to undercut or weaken the United Nations. The development and maintenance of a strong United Nations is a key to long-term international peace and security.

This position is in accordance with resolutions supporting the United Nations passed by the Unitarian Universalist Association and our local church.

Alex Hershey Mary Jane Fox Roland Halpern Jim Lomont Mark Tindall Nancy Young
Social Justice Council
First Unitarian Church of Honolulu

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