COMMUTING

WITH SAFE LANES, MORE PEOPLE WOULD BICYCLE

Let's create bike paths state-wide.

Even though I voted for rail, it seems to me that we could also install safe pathways for bicyclists.

In addition to myself, I know many others who would love to bicycle to work, appointments, movies, etc, but do not because it is too treacherous.

Since my friend, an avid and helmet-clad rider, was hit by a car while riding along Kalaniana'ole Highway and her neck was broken, I don't ride very much any more.

So let's install more bike lanes. I want to ride my bike again — safely.

FROGS

HEED THE CALL: RID O'AHU OF COQUIS NOW

Soma Grismaijer's passionate words in support of coquis made me laugh out loud because her experience with their "birdsong" dramatically differs from mine.

During a weeklong visit at Mom's house in Pahoa, my husband was so sleep-deprived he sought sanctuary in the car with the windows up. One person's "serenade" is another's tintinnabulation of clanging bells. After more than a decade, coquis have yet to balance with the Pahoa environment.

My elderly mother was hard-of-hearing, unable to appreciate the coquis' "sleigh bell" choruses. My hearing is fine, and I can confidently say it is not "completely enchanting" to blast the volume to hear the TV over their high-pitched calls.

According to Grismaijer, I need to love coquis and drop my negative bias. If that's all it takes, perhaps she could change her attitude about mosquitoes, roaches and other coqui food.

Some folks may enjoy the playful buzzing of our blood brothers, the mosquitoes. Perhaps others consider roaches to be unpaid household help since they scurry around cleaning up the kitchen crumbs.

Humor aside, it's clear government agencies are now "wasting" millions on eradication because they didn't take the invasion seriously from the outset. Lesson learned: O'ahu folks must undertake the immediate capture and demise of each and every little chirping froggie.

BIG THREE

HEADED TO BANKRUPTCY, BUT STILL FLYING HIGH

The attempt at humiliating the chief executive officers of America's troubled car companies at the Nov. 19 congressional meeting on that matter is a reflection on our elected officials.

What right do our congressmen have to question these prominent businessmen about using multimillion-dollar private jets to fly them to D.C. for the hearing? OK, so it cost the companies some $60,000 to fly those executives to the hearing. Did Congress expect these distinguished gentlemen to show up at a crowded airport like the rest of us? To have to take off their shoes to get through security checks? To sit in the cramped seats of a commercial airline?

No, no, no! Just because the heads of General Motors, Chrysler and Ford have driven their companies toward bankruptcy, it doesn't mean they have to be careful about how they spend either the company's money they claim they don't have or the taxpayers' money they are asking for.

PUBLIC SAFETY

U.S. ATTORNEY ED KUBO SHOULD BE REAPPOINTED

Ed Kubo should be reappointed as Hawai'i's U.S. attorney.

He has aggressively worked to reduce illegal gun crimes and drug trafficking in Hawai'i and has kept dangerous repeat offenders off Hawai'i's streets.

He has locally administered the Department of Justice Weed & Seed Crime Prevention Initiative and has kept our communities safe by implementing Project Safe Neighborhood, which is a multifaceted approach to deterring and punishing gun crimes.

ESCALATOR

INCIDENT SHOWS NEED FOR SAFETY TRAINING

A disturbing situation occurred in a store at Pearlridge Center on Nov. 18.

An elderly lady fell on the escalator as she and her daughter were going to the second floor. I saw the lady lying upside down about two steps below her daughter. She struggled to get up and fell again. Someone below her attempted to help her up because her daughter couldn't reach her. Others who were about to get on the escalator stood watching — nobody moved to stop it.

I yelled "somebody, stop the escalator" twice and two boys pressed the button to stop it. This whole incident lasted about 10 to 12 seconds. Luckily the lady's clothing didn't get caught while she was down or it could have been a lot worse.

After receiving first aid and resting, she was able to walk out on her own. Two employees near me said that they didn't even know how to stop the escalator. I am sharing this situation to alert all businesses to take the time to brief employees so similar incidents won't happen.

The next person may not be as lucky.

TRAFFIC SIGNALS

CITY USES LED LIGHTS AT 400 INTERSECTIONS

This is in response to David Barkley's letter to the editor (Nov. 20) suggesting the use of LED traffic signals as an energy and cost savings measure.

Being a visitor, Mr. Barkley probably did not realize that traffic signals within the City and County of Honolulu use LED lights — more than 400 intersections were converted in 2002.

The annual savings is more than $300,000. The city also received a $162,000 rebate from Hawaiian Electric Co.

These and other improvements continue to be top priorities for Mayor Hannemann's administration as we implement the 21st Century Ahupua'a initiatives and the City Sustainability Plan.