Driving on Oahu

[RonDawg]

Don't get on the H3 by mistake...no getting off for MILES.

But if you do, you'll enjoy perhaps what is the most beautiful stretch of interstate highway in the country. (Yes I know it's not truly "interstate" but it's paid for under the same program that Eisenhower first envisioned)

I would say to Jcsgt that the key to driving to Hawaii is to RELAX AND TAKE YOUR SWEET TIME. If you are in a hurry, you will be very frustrated due to the traffic jams and the "Hawaii-time" attitudes of the natives. A commonly-seen bumper sticker (particularly on Oahu) says it all: SLOW DOWN. 'DIS AIN'T DA MAINLAND.

There aren't too many places in America that have MINIMUM speed limits. Hawaii probably has the biggest number of such signs.

Another tip: simply avoid driving in Waikiki. The traffic jams are outrageous, particularly along Kalakaua Ave which is the closest main road to the beach. Street parking is nearly non-existent, and parking garages are VERY expensive, with some hotels charging you EVERY time you enter and leave, even if on the same day. If you're reasonably fit, Waikiki is walkable from end to end as almost all of the stores are concentrated between Kalakaua and Kuhio avenues.

Another tip re the local cops: you have probably heard of Honolulu PD's "Bring your own police car" policy, and it's true. ANYTHING can be made into a police vehicle over there; I've seen SUV's, minivans, and even a Corvette used as a police vehicle. The only thing that identifies them as police vehicles is the fact that they have a blue light mounted on the roof, "Five-O" style, which at night it's continuously lighted. That took a lot of getting used to for me as I thought I was getting pulled over :11:

As far as "bad" areas, having lived in LA there is nothing in Hawaii that would scare me Some of the more blighted areas include Waianae which is on the leeward (western) side of the island, some of the former sugar plantation villages along the north shore, and an area known as Kalihi which is centered around the intersection of the H-1 and the Likelike Highway. However, these neighborhoods pale in comparison to the mainland's more notorious areas like LA's South Central, San Francisco's Tenderloin, or the rougher parts of east coast cities.

catherine mentioned there is no north/south/east/west designation there, and it's true. Depending on where you are and the highway in particular, you could be told to head "mauka" (towards the mountains, or the center of the island) or "makai" which means towards the sea. If you listen to traffic reports on the radio or TV you'll hear references to "Waianae-bound" or "Kaneohe-bound" or "Diamond-head" bound rather than westbound or northbound or eastbound respectively. "Town-bound" means towards the financial district of Honolulu, regardless of where you are on the island.

If you wish to pay your respects at the USS Arizona Memorial, get there early, before the hordes of Japanese tourists arrive. Otherwise, you could wait for HOURS for your turn to get on board.

Another thing: DO NOT, repeat, DO NOT LEAVE VALUABLES IN YOUR CAR AT ANY TIME, particularly if you will be parking at your hotel or any tourist area. Vehicle burglary is absolutely rampant over there, and any halfway decent thief can spot a rental car from a mile away.

 

[Cacia]

yes, he is right! The H3 will take your breath away, it is so beautiful. Some times of the year, water falls and it looks like Brazil or the amazon...Amazing.

I have never been afraid here, ever. Once this Polynesian looking guy guy asked me once when I was on the west side getting gas at sundown if I was going back to Honolulu. I said yes and he said "good". And I said "what do you mean?" and he said "because you don't want to be out here" after dark". It was a little funny because it did not look anything like the real hard core parts of LA or some big mainland city. You really do not here about murders, adbuctions, rapes. Most of the violent stuff is domestic.

yea, the police cars are something else...everybody gets a kick out of that! Trans Am's, Cameros, anything they want.

 

[Jcsgt]

Okay, so just how does one pull off the dreaded "shaka"?

 

[smatterchu]

Wow, great advice guys. We're going over there next November, so I'll be checking in on these threads over the next year. Thanks for sharing your knowledge/experience. If you ever venture over to the Mouse House (WDW in FL), I'll fill you in!

 

[RonDawg]

I have never been afraid here, ever. Once this Polynesian looking guy guy asked me once when I was on the west side getting gas at sundown if I was going back to Honolulu. I said yes and he said "good". And I said "what do you mean?" and he said "because you don't want to be out here" after dark". It was a little funny because it did not look anything like the real hard core parts of LA or some big mainland city. You really do not here about murders, adbuctions, rapes. Most of the violent stuff is domestic.

Funny you mention that. My friend (who is also white) has lived in Hawaii for the last 10 years, more than half of it in Waianae. He can't afford a car, so he takes The Bus or walks everywhere. He says he's never had a problem walking through Waianae, even at night :11:

I've stayed with him twice, and while it's certainly not the poshest part of the island, Waianae doesn't seem as bad as the locals like to portray it.

However, Waianae does have its problems, with "ice" (crystal methamphetamine) being a major factor.

 

[kidspot]

I've found that traffic laws are much "stricter" in Waikiki - My brother got a ticket there once for having something hanging from his mirror (sortta like the fuzzy dice)

Most of the locals I grew up with would avoid Waikiki if at all possible (sry Leesa) Rush hour on H-1 pretty much starts at 5am and continues until 4:30am j/k but you can find a traffic jam nearly at any hour somewhere on that freeway.

Just because it's an interstate, don't expect it to connect anywhere off-island ...

Downtown Honolulu is composed of 80% one way streets, which are followed 80% of the time j/k

Just because you find an onramp for the freeway rarely means there will be an offramp at the same location (sometimes they are 2 or 3 miles apart)

Mauka means Mountain side. Makai means Ocean side (just remember that "Mau"ka and "Mou"ntain sound similar ... kinda

Ewa is toward Ewa Beach ("west"ish) and Daimond Head means toward Daimond head (east"ish") It is hotly debated weather these directions can be used once past either "Ewa" or "Diamond head" But if you are on the Windward side and someone says go Ewa, head roughly northwest... and if in "East Oahu" past Daimond head someone says to go "Daimond head" best to ask if they mean toward it or away from it

Lets see ... the fast lane (left lane) is for whoever gets there first, no matter how fast they plan on going ... contrary to it's design it is NOT a passing lane. Honking your horn may be taken as being VERY rude or as saying "hi" depending on the mood of the person you honk at ... so very few people honk over here.

If you head all the way down to Waianae the road does not go around the tip of the island ... even if you have a map that says it does (some of the older ones still have the road shown around there ... it "fell" off 30+ years ago)

It used to be that if you felt like going 20mph under the speed limit no one cared ... cuz who's in a hurry over here anyway ... but times have changed. But if you get into some of the more rural communities drivers coming toward each other may still stop to "talk story" for a bit. Just patiently wait - they "will" move eventually.

That's about all I can think of at the moment ... enjoy your trip over here

Aloha, Tim

 

[Jcsgt]

Thanks for the advice, guys!

 

[Tom Winters]

On the Smith & Wesson thing: you might want to forego taking that to Hawaii with you. Too tempting to use it, and the penalties would be somewhat draconian.
As bad as the drivers could be out there, southern Florida is the Land of the Living Dead, and they all still drive. Floriduh allows people who would be declared legally dead in any other state of renew their driver's licenses by mail - no eye exam, no proof of actual vision, no proof of measureable intelligence.
And they all vote religiously.
Drive carefully in Waikiki - they assign initially new officers there and they get a little carried away writing tickets sometimes.

 

[Cacia]

On the Smith & Wesson thing: you might want to forego taking that to Hawaii with you. Too tempting to use it, and the penalties would be somewhat draconian.

yes, it is a felony to possess an unregistered handgun. I brought them and they are in a safe, but I won't even take them to the range.

I was glad they searched me at the courthouse.

Florida takes the cake...Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda, just like a mine field.

 

[Damselfish]

Don't see any special big deal about driving on Oahu. I drove around Waikiki and the whole island for a week (while my husband was there on business) and it seemed fine.

Ok, I'm from Boston, so my definition of fine may be a little warped...