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LOL! I heard this report for the first time while stuck in H-1 traffic, driving to the airport the other day. I come to Hawaii a lot on business and have been telling (skeptical) mainland people the same thing as the study conclusion for years. Now there's independent proof. Being a small island with finite space is a big issue, but much of your traffic problems are self inflicted and avoidable. Not only does Oahu have some of the most ridiculously low and fanatically enforced speed limits I've seen anywhere in the USA, but it's home to some of the worst drivers I've ever seen as well. I've never encountered so many incidents of lane intrusion, failure to use turn signals, failure to observe customary right of way rules, tailgating and just plain inattentive/incompetent driving as on Oahu. There are reckless drivers in the LA and NYC areas to be sure, but that's more a case of calculated, purposeful recklessness rather than the obliviousness displayed by Oahu's drivers. Other "only on Oahu" customs are: taking an extraordinary amount of time to proceed through an intersection after the light changes, and then doing so at as slow a speed as humanly possible; waiting until the very last second to pull onto the roadway from a driveway (without signaling) in front of oncoming traffic, and moving at a snail's pace after doing so; and making left turns across traffic (again, without use of turn signals)from as far to the RIGHT of the roadway as possible-even partially from the shoulder, purposely blocking or impeding the flow of all through traffic behind. Also, to you Oahu folks, if someone passes you when you're going 45 mph in the left lane of a freeway, RELAX! That IS NOT a challenge to a street race or a fight. I know the reaction to this will be "go home" or "don't come here", but you Hawaii residents all pay the price in those 58 hrs of your life wasted, higher car insurance rates, damage to your vehicles from fender benders, and all that wasted gas at $4.50+ or whatever a gallon. "Rail" isn't going to save you, it will only get worse if you folks don't change.
I happened to be driving around during evening rush hour today in Downtown honolulu. Absolute madhouse. Even saw a road rage incident, some buff shirtless dude in a mercedes got out of his car and tried to beat down this guy in a nissan. LOL trouble in paradise
LOL! I heard this report for the first time while stuck in H-1 traffic, driving to the airport the other day. I come to Hawaii a lot on business and have been telling (skeptical) mainland people the same thing as the study conclusion for years. Now there's independent proof. Being a small island with finite space is a big issue, but much of your traffic problems are self inflicted and avoidable. Not only does Oahu have some of the most ridiculously low and fanatically enforced speed limits I've seen anywhere in the USA, but it's home to some of the worst drivers I've ever seen as well. I've never encountered so many incidents of lane intrusion, failure to use turn signals, failure to observe customary right of way rules, tailgating and just plain inattentive/incompetent driving as on Oahu. There are reckless drivers in the LA and NYC areas to be sure, but that's more a case of calculated, purposeful recklessness rather than the obliviousness displayed by Oahu's drivers. Other "only on Oahu" customs are: taking an extraordinary amount of time to proceed through an intersection after the light changes, and then doing so at as slow a speed as humanly possible; waiting until the very last second to pull onto the roadway from a driveway (without signaling) in front of oncoming traffic, and moving at a snail's pace after doing so; and making left turns across traffic (again, without use of turn signals)from as far to the RIGHT of the roadway as possible-even partially from the shoulder, purposely blocking or impeding the flow of all through traffic behind. Also, to you Oahu folks, if someone passes you when you're going 45 mph in the left lane of a freeway, RELAX! That IS NOT a challenge to a street race or a fight. I know the reaction to this will be "go home" or "don't come here", but you Hawaii residents all pay the price in those 58 hrs of your life wasted, higher car insurance rates, damage to your vehicles from fender benders, and all that wasted gas at $4.50+ or whatever a gallon. "Rail" isn't going to save you, it will only get worse if you folks don't change.
LOL, I have made the same observations about the "obliviousness" of Oahu drivers. At least in DC I know that the guys is gonna zoom up the shoulder and cut me off so I can plan for it... Aunty in her Lexus swinging across 3 lanes of King street because she just realized that she needs some TP from Longs is a different animal. I drove a moped for 4 years out there and feel lucky that I am still alive. haha
Relax, you live in one of the nicest places on earth. It is not the end of the world if people criticize some aspect of it from time to time. This one happens to be true, the traffic on Oahu does suck and cultural differences mean that the people there have their own special brand of bad driving. Not necessarily worse than other places, just bad in its own special way. It doesn't take a "mainlander" (whatever that is) to figure that out. Ask any kama'aina that commutes from Mililani/Ewa/Waipio/Waianae/Waikele to downtown/waikiki/uh manoa everyday about the traffic, they will tell you it sucks too.
Ironically, today in the paper... right by my old house in Moili'ili where i used to ride my moped everyday and feared for my safety:
Relax, you live in one of the nicest places on earth. It is not the end of the world if people criticize some aspect of it from time to time. This one happens to be true, the traffic on Oahu does suck and cultural differences mean that the people there have their own special brand of bad driving. Not necessarily worse than other places, just bad in its own special way. It doesn't take a "mainlander" (whatever that is) to figure that out. Ask any kama'aina that commutes from Mililani/Ewa/Waipio/Waianae/Waikele to downtown/waikiki/uh manoa everyday about the traffic, they will tell you it sucks too.
Ironically, today in the paper... right by my old house in Moili'ili where i used to ride my moped everyday and feared for my safety:
And it true local style (because the locals are so much nicer than people everywhere else according to locals ), the driver fled the scene.
Are you suggesting I don't know how bad traffic is on Oahu? I already posted how bad it is. I was born and raised in Wahiawa and had to commute to town. How long have you been here? Do you remember when we didn't have such horrible traffic?
I'm reminded by some from the Mainland about how things are done better on the Mainland. It's a nagging, never ending criticism. If outsiders don't like things about Hawaii, they're welcome to stay away.
BTW, I fully expect my posts to vanish, just like many of the locals have over the years.
Are you suggesting I don't know how bad traffic is on Oahu? I already posted how bad it is. I was born and raised in Wahiawa and had to commute to town. How long have you been here? Do you remember when we didn't have such horrible traffic?
I'm reminded by some from the Mainland about how things are done better on the Mainland. It's a nagging, never ending criticism. If outsiders don't like things about Hawaii, they're welcome to stay away.
BTW, I fully expect my posts to vanish, just like many of the locals have over the years.
I've got no beef with you, just the "mainlanders" have all the answers comment struck a cord with me because I got tired of hearing from the locals how much nicer local people are compared to "mainland people". Ironically we are both annoyed by the same attitude coming from opposite sides.
I feel you, nobody likes to hear outsiders telling them how it is better where they came from... but this is a relocation forum so folks need to know the real deal about how bad the traffic is before they move, that is all I am saying. Sorry if I offended. I only lived there 7 years and the traffic always sucked. My wife is born and raised in Paoa, she says the traffic sucks too, one of the big reasons we left was that we couldn't afford to live near work and got tired of spending 2 hours in traffic every day. So you are right, slowly the locals are vanishing over the years... my wife is another example of that.
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