Disappeared News

This is the little "threat elevated" warning that you can find on the governor's web page if you dig around a little. What does it mean? See here. I wonder if anyone is taking the actions recommended? Have you followed instructions and discussed with your children their fears of terrorist attacks?

I hope not. The "terrorist alert" system has become a kind of joke. The problem of pedestrians, including the elderly, being picked off on our streets is a far more serious threat. Tomorrow, it could be me, or it could be you. We're being attacked not by terrorists but by speeding drivers.

And the police are nowhere to be found.

The announced police crackdown (today's Star-Bulletin, Offenders to get police warning) is very welcome. I'm disappointed that they are only giving warnings, though, and wondering if the police will be keeping a record of those who are issued these warnings. I'm also wondering if they will put in place policy changes that will station police at intersections and begin ticketing drivers and pedestrians.

My view is that nothing will work short of enforcing the law. The police have been letting motorists do whatever they want for too long, and the result has been an unacceptable increase in deaths and injuries. The article mentions 20 deaths on Oahu last year and more than 400 injuries. We are right up there nationally, among the worst in the country for pedestrian fatalities.

Educating both pedestrians and drivers seems necessary, especially drivers with attitudes you see expressed in their letters to the editor in both daily papers.

I'm mystified by the "driver reminder" being passed out by the HPD instead of a ticket. Here's the bottom part, snipped from the Star-Bulletin story:
This seems like a very lame joke. "What kind of impact do you want to make?" When a driver "makes an impact" on a pedestrian, the pedestrian will be injured or will die.

The HPD should get serious and begin enforcing the law. Period. No more jokes please, it isn't funny.