Homespun Honolulu

Auwe! to Kaiser’s Honolulu clinic which has lost its focus and has forgotten who pays for its survival. As a non-profit medical provider, you would think Kaiser would cater to its patients, not some obscure taxi company. Auwe, which means “oh” or “ouch” is often used as an exclamation of annoyance or irritation, similar to, “Oh please!” or “Give me a break!” or “You need a slap!” In this case, Kaiser needs a slap — a hard one!

The entrance to the urgent care department of this clinic had, at one time, four or five stalls for those who needed urgent care. Now, it has been chopped down to two. There are two handicapped stalls and that’s it. The other two stalls have been marked off to be used by a taxi company.

From what I could gather, the clinic got tired of dealing with the taxis parking in front of the main entrance to the clinic. Well, if the security guards can’t deal with the taxi companies, they need to find another job! The lazy, arrogant, do-nothings have no problem dealing with ailing people who really NEED those stalls. I had to bring an ailing family member to the clinic the other day and the only two stalls available were taken.

So, of course I parked in the stalls used for nothing. There were no taxis around and taxis should certainly not have first priority anyway. The guard couldn’t wait to ask whose car that was when he decided to come out of his cushy little hiding place and stop doing whatever it is they do in there… which ain’t much. Like I said to the security guard, patients are more important than taxi cabs!

You know what’s even more irritating? Who the heck is Akamai Cab? I don’t even know this company! “The Cab” or “Charley’s Taxi” would at least be familiar, but it’s even an unknown company! Akamai means smart or intelligent. They’re not very bright letting themselves be put into such an unpopular situation. I know some people catch cabs to the clinic but most people in need of urgent care drive are driven to the clinic… by family members or by friends.

This is a medical provider not a shopping center! Kaiser, get your priorities straight! Next thing you know they’ll reroute the ambulances to make room for the garbage truck. Sorry Kaiser, but this was an idiotic thing to do!

I am always the first person to back this medical provider up and to tell people they are crazy for paying the rates of other medical providers and that they should be a Kaiser patient etc., so THAT has NOTHING to do with it! This move of theirs was just plain dumb! My advice? Fix it and hire a new security company.

And call “The Cab” at 422-2222. No, no connection, I just love the commercials! The Cab is “for Tutus too!” Come on guys, fix this so I can update this story and send the clinic flowers… kick the cabs to the curb and let your patients have access to their care!

Sitting at a red light the other day, my car was dwarfed as it sat idling alongside a very proud-looking Chevron gas tanker. The light changed, I left him in the dust, and couldn’t help but think about the sight I knew I was about to see. Again. For about the 250th time. My Chevron station that has been sitting abandoned, deserted and desolate for at least that many days.

Located next to Kawananakoa Middle School on Nuuanu Avenue, this station was ALWAYS busy. Last summer they lost their lease, or so we were told. I watched and waited, and waited, and waited. Then, back in October, I was able to corner some Chevron staff members as they were doing some corporate philanthropy at the Susan Komen Race for the Cure. (I love it when I have a captive audience and they HAVE to be nice to me!) I questioned them about the station and they seemed to be comfortable both with the question and with their answer.

I asked them, “So, are you going to open my station again?”
“Oh, yes, it should be opening very soon.”
“You know, that’s a very busy corner. Chevron CAN’T just leave it empty like that!”
“Yeah, I know.”

Fast forward to now, the beginning of March, and still my Chevron sits empty. That beautiful tanker was less than a mile away! Still the station sits, quiet and alone. Even the sign looks like an abandoned infant with it’s fallen tarp looking like a dirty baby diaper. Not that we want to be reminded of the price of gas, but those blanks on the sign make it look anemic!

This poor little station is not well! There is no gas, no air, no water, no safety checks, no diet Coke, and no individually-wrapped cheeseburgers for my husband to pop in the microwave and call dinner (his idea, not mine). It is not only a place for all of these things but it is a security blanket for a busy neighborhood that rarely sleeps.

It used to be open early in the morning giving neighbors a feeling of security while waiting for the bus in the dark. After dark it offered solace when a driver ran out of gas or was suddenly hit with a flat tire. It was always a place to seek safety or refuge because there was always somebody there. Somebody with a phone, a flashlight, a tire gage, or just a sympathetic ear.

Can someone please tell Chevron they don’t live in a vacuum? In addition, the 7-11 that is on the other side of the middle school is too darn busy now because that’s now the closest place to get gas! But, there’s no air, water or auto vacs at 7-11! That’s not what they do. That’s what Chevron does. They used to. I want to be able to update this story. This is the petroleum provider that the Honolulu Star-Bulletin calls Hawaii’s market leader. Hmmm… Chevron?

I just thought it would be nice to update some of the ongoing stories that continue to grace Honolulu’s headlines.

Update to Walk Wise Hawaii

Hawaii is still not walking too wisely. They’re not driving too wisely either. At the beginning of the ninth week of the year, we have our ninth pedestrian fatality. The laws are more strict, the penalties more severe, but still the body count keeps rising. The only result we seem to have is that the driver of yesterday’s incident fled the scene! Granted, the driver must have been shaken and didn’t want to pay those fine(s) but, man, it sucks to be that driver when he or she is identified. At the same time I think it is important to note that the victim was not in a crosswalk and it was dark. The incident has people screaming for the installation of a traffic light at the location. Good idea. Let’s see how long it takes, shall we?

So, my idea of restarting the New Year with the start of the Chinese New Year didn’t come to fruition. I guess firecrackers and dragons weren’t enough to chase away all of our highway demons. For both drivers and pedestrians — Auwe!

Update to Fire Hydrants for Dogs

Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) was probably the hardest hit by this with 20-some-odd thefts causing six or better power outages. Now HECO is charged with the task (by default) of replacing all of that stolen copper wiring to re-light those streets that were left in darkness.

Sorry, HECO. You’ve had so much drama lately. Natural disasters are one thing, but the man-made variety are just not acceptable.

There’s hope! There is a new 2007 legislative package that includes not only crack down on the thieves, but a hard crunch on those buying the stolen metal. Copper buyers are now required to provide proper identification and an affidavit from the people they are purchasing the goods from.

Under this new law, both the buyers AND the sellers are equally liable for the passage of these stolen goods.

Over the grapevine (or the coconut wireless as it were) I hear that HECO will be replacing the copper with a cheaper metal to deter further thefts. For HECO and Hawaii Law Enforcement - Aloha and Mahalo for your patience and endurance!

One would like to think that if a fire hydrant is not being used to put out fires, it should only then be used by the neighborhood canines. Last year, however, some people had a different idea and were actually seen walking around with them. Why would anyone steal a fire hydrant?!? They wanted the copper. I didn’t even know that there was copper inside of fire hydrants, but there is. Who would have thought of such a thing? Who would have cared? The criminal element looking to make a fast buck seems to care a lot.

Copper theft! That’s how it started — with the fire hydrants, but then these vandals, thieves, or whatever you want to call them, went after the street lights and took the copper wiring from inside of those. This left portions of the freeway in darkness. Last summer, these morons darkened seventy street lights along the H-2 freeway. Apparently the demand, and hence the cost, of metal has gone up significantly and some have seen fit to take advantage of it.

There were arrests made last year but all the culprits received in the way of punishment was a one-year jail sentence and five years of probation, or something like that. Needless to say, after this off-the-wall copper theft cost the city over $200,000, prosecutors were not happy with the light sentence that the perpetrators received. The worst part of the whole thing is that the heists are continuing, and in broad daylight! I am just amazed at the audacity of these losers! Get a job!

Until the city is able to stop this nonsense, be advised that if your pooch is going for a walk in the evening, he may not be able to find his favorite fire hydrant. It might be missing altogether. Of course, even if it’s there, the street might be too dark for fido to see it anyway.