If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.
Well, so much for the wisdom of ignoring this serious problem. Now you have stinky people taking over bus stops, forcing hundreds of taxpaying bus passengers to be inconvenienced with having to use alternative stops.
A city bus stop has been temporarily moved so bus drivers and riders can get away from the smell of a homeless woman who's living at a busy Honolulu bus shelter. That’s the first time the city has relocated a bus stop because of a homeless person, according to City Transportation Director Wayne Yoshioka.
The concrete bus shelter on Kapiolani Boulevard, right across from the Nordstrom store at Ala Moana, has been home to an elderly homeless woman for at least the last year.
“We were getting quite a few complaints from bus riders about her smell,” Yoshioka said. “We are trying to be as sensitive as possible,” he added, noting that it’s not illegal for the homeless to stay at bus shelters.
This is absolutely ridiculous, relocating a bus stop to allow a homeless woman to take over a bus shelter. This young woman hit it dead on:
"While the smell sometimes is a bit much, I don't understand why someone doesn't help her," said Elena Renehan, who's a student at nearby Heald College. She doesn't think moving the bus stop is a good idea.
"Who's to say that the next stop that they have there's not going to be another person? What are they going to do? Move the bus stop a million times? Silly," Renehan said.
Ms. Renehan is going to a business school? What a shame. I think we need more people like her in public service. Goodness knows she has more common sense than all these politicians, lawyers, and bureaucrats who are sorely out of touch with reality.
This post may contain an opinion that may conflict with your opinion. Do not take it personal. Polite discussion of difference of opinion is welcome.
Business school is not good preparation for public service?
On the other hand, anyone can say what should be done, who's doing it? [Rain will wash away the stain from a bullet in the brain down into the drain we must not refrain or ever complain or ascertain our right to maintain our right to maintain our right to maintain all that is plain, still it's a shame ...]
I wonder if its the same woman who was camped out at the bus stop on Kaheka Street, outside Don Quiote? that bus stop was also moved and seats changed out, because of her (with dead cats apparently in her wagon) and another homeless man who died at the bus stop. I am no longer able to shop there because the stop is now too far from the store entrance for me.
Maybe they need to try that bill again because this enabling of homeless people really is getting ridiculous.
"Democracy is the only system that persists in asking the powers that be whether they are the powers that ought to be."
– Sydney J. Harris
Business school is not good preparation for public service?
In an idealistic world, it should be. But what's the reality? Students who enroll in a vocational business school want to be job-ready for their chosen profession in 12-24 months. Typically, they're not interested in dabbling in politics....at least, not right away. Of course, there's always rare exceptions. But over the long haul, Heald will never produce as many city/state lawmakers as UH's Richardson School of Law.
That's why I said it was a shame. Hawaii has always had too many politicians who happen to be lawyers. We sorely need more lawmakers to come from other backgrounds.
On the other hand, anyone can say what should be done, who's doing it?
It all starts with having the right idea. A mindless bureaucrat like Wayne Yoshioka only spouts excuses to the press, instead of proposing real solutions that can be acted upon by the City Council.
How about this proposal as a start? Allow a person to linger at a bus stop for no more than 2 hours. After that, give HPD the power to move that person along for loitering.
Or noooooo. Does it make more sense to allow a non-taxpaying bum and his/her worldly possessions (i.e. junk) to occupy a bus shelter, forcing the city to pay for another bus stop,.... with no assurance that the same cycle won't be repeated again if another homeless person commandeers the new bus stop?
This post may contain an opinion that may conflict with your opinion. Do not take it personal. Polite discussion of difference of opinion is welcome.
It's the same lame mentality that allows the removal of bus stop seating in favor of these new and useless lean things, at whatever costs, found at increasing stops that aren't seats but will allow a few elderly or handicapped to lean for an hour or whenever the bus shows up. As tho there aren't viable alternatives already being used that disallow lounging...
I wonder why the government couldn't treat the bus stops much like the public parks? No accumulation of "stuff" beyond what can be transported on a bus. All stops closed outside of scheduled bus service.
I wonder why the government couldn't treat the bus stops much like the public parks? No accumulation of "stuff" beyond what can be transported on a bus. All stops closed outside of scheduled bus service.
Very good and sensible suggestions, GG. And I'll bet it didn't take you more than a few minutes (if even that) to come up with those ideas. In the meantime, the people who are actually getting paid by us taxpayers to care for these things have not been able to come up with a solution for going on 2 years now.
Wayne Yoshioka's response to homeless people squatting at the bus stops? Pay for a $10,000 maintenance contract to pressure wash and disinfect the bus stop,..... only to allow the cleansed shelter to be occupied again. As Yoshioka himself admits, it is a process that is repeated every month, over and over and over.
Leave it to a Mufi appointee to come up with a response that is both ineffective and a total waste of taxpayer money.
And lest anyone pipes in with an accusation that I'm bashing the homeless population.... keep in mind that in the KITV report, the people camping out at the bus stops have been given counseling re: appropriate places where they can seek shelter and care. But those people are the ones declining the offers. So let's make it clear, once and for all: Those bus shelter squatters are not forced to stay there. They choose to stay there and make a nuisance of themselves. Knowing this, people's sympathies should be with TheBus passengers (like Anapuni or those 2 young girls on the KITV report), rather than those selfish, inconsiderate louts.
Ahhh, Ed. I'm not interested in playing your reindeer game of finding ways to take other people's words out of context. When you're willing and able to contribute to the discussion of the issues, then we'll tango. Until then, I leave you to your own devices.
This post may contain an opinion that may conflict with your opinion. Do not take it personal. Polite discussion of difference of opinion is welcome.
This problem might be solved if the relatives' names and addresses of the homeless person are made public. You might be surprise how quickly the relatives would take care of the problem because no like make shame.
Comment