2014: A few observations from Honolulu/Oahu... (Aiea: how much, houses, transfer)

[Tiger Beer]

Just had a chance to revisit Honolulu/Oahu, as it's been about 6-7 years, since the last time I was able to spend some time there.

A few observations:

1) Wow, traffic has REALLY increased across the entire island. I woke up at 4:30am, in the dark, to drive from Waikiki to North Beach. It was full-on traffic throughout the entire island, all the way up there. Way worse in the rush hour times, but even way before sunrise, the highways are chocked up with cars. Sunrise didn't even hit until 6:30am, and unless things have changed, traditionally most jobs start at 8-9am, with people commuting more like 6:30-8:30am? There just should not be that many cars on the road at 5am? Unless the roads have become that crowded its become necessary?

2) Prices have REALLY went up. The Bus is now $2.50 to get on. I don't know what it was before, but it wasn't that high. I think I recall it use to be around $65 for a monthly pass. I can't imagine what a monthly pass is now. I also noticed it in even fast food restaurants where I would have thought prices would remain more stable. But colas seemed to be $2 for a small and $3 for a large, and a fastfood meal could end up costing $8-10 quite easily. (I've also been away from the Mainland US for many years - so maybe prices are going way up across the entire country as well?)

3) Aloha Spirit. Absolutely amazing! Saw three separate incidents while riding The Bus, where a struggling elderly person was attempting to get to an open seat on a moving bus, and random strangers would lead her/guide her, but reaching out to her arm, and lead her to a seat. (In contrast to pretty much everywhere else I've been, where the elderly will hold on dearly to hold herself up until the bus stopped again, and they'd try to get to that seat by themselves).

4) Tattoos are out-of-control popular. It seemed like everyone had them.

5) The mentally ill homeless person has really increased in number, in both downtown Honolulu and Waikiki. But, as usual and as before, they are harmless, and don't harass or bother anyone. But, I was surprised at the sheer larger number of them, and how many were showing some serious signs of mental illness.

6) The people of Honolulu remain as amazing and wonderful as ever.

7) I absolutely LOVED spending time back in Honolulu/Oahu, just like everyone else always does. The people, the place, and the Aloha Spirit. I really did NOT want to leave, the only thing that helped was that it was raining throughout the Islands, so it made it a little easier to decide NOT to skip my flight to spend another day. But I really did NOT want to leave.

Aloha to all.

[honobob]

Bus pass $60. I see mostly $1 sodas to compete like on mainland. Aloha hanging in there. Traffic :-(

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

4) Tattoos are out-of-control popular. It seemed like everyone had them.

That's true everywhere in the country. Everywhere. There is no logic to it, so don't ask. It just is.

[ScottStielow]

When i first came to Oahu the Bus was 50 cents one way. About 14 years later, I transferred away to Washington state two and half years later came back, and the bus was 1.50 one way, then. Now its $2.50.
Yes people leave earlier the further away they live, like central Oahu, if they have to travel to Honolulu, in a effort to try to beat the traffic. It doesn't work on the return trip though, and god forbid there is a accident on the H1 in Aiea. Its what people try to do, and i do not blame or laugh at them for trying. You do what you have to do for your family.
Scott

[PaliPatty]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

Just had a chance to revisit Honolulu/Oahu, as it's been about 6-7 years, since the last time I was able to spend some time there.

A few observations:

5) The mentally ill homeless person has really increased in number, in both downtown Honolulu and Waikiki. But, as usual and as before, they are harmless, and don't harass or bother anyone.
.

Not all are harmless---not by a long shot.
But these are your observations and you can't have been here for all that long---your vacation rose-colored glasses are still delightfully unsmudged.

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by PaliPatty

Not all are harmless---not by a long shot.
But these are your observations and you can't have been here for all that long---your vacation rose-colored glasses are still delightfully unsmudged.

I'm sure they aren't.

But, compared to somewhere like San Francisco; where they routinely follow you up and down the street, refuse to take food if offered, and harass you for $5 if you give $1. It's a refreshing change of pace.

Having homeless and mentally ill are par for the course for any city. But some in some cities can be way more aggressive than in other cities.

[hotzcatz]

We've also recently visited Oahu and the traffic has become a lot worse lately. Our friends who we stay with when we visit mentioned it has gotten worse in the past year, they aren't sure why. Considering how much the Ewa/Kapolei areas have been built up, it makes sense. There's more houses, more people, more cars and it is an island. Still not as bad as Hong Kong, they say, but that doesn't mean it's good.

Prices of casual food did seem to be greatly increased. Although that was mostly at the chains, the mom & pop restaurants still seemed to be reasonable.

Oahu seemed full of folks that are pretty stressed these days. Everywhere you go, there's other people there trying to get the same things you are. Competition for space to drive on the roads, space to park, space to live, groceries at the store, etc. etc. It seems they are using more of their resources just for daily living and there is a huge erosion of free time and spare money. I've not lived there for over ten years now, so part of this could just be from that amount of time passing.

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

2) Prices have REALLY went up. The Bus is now $2.50 to get on.

Does $2.50 really sound expensive though? Seems that would be considered cheap no matter where you are.

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by whtviper1

Does $2.50 really sound expensive though? Seems that would be considered cheap no matter where you are.

You made me curious so I looked it up:

Caracas, Venezuela (metro, bus) $0.12 – $0.28
Cairo, Egypt (metro) $0.17
Delhi, India (metro) $0.18 – $0.66
La Paz, Bolivia (bus) $0.19 – $0.50
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (light rail, bus) $0.22 – $0.76
Marrakech, Morocco (bus) $0.24 – $0.61
Mexico City, Mexico (metro) $0.24
Panama City, Panama (bus) $0.25
Quito, Ecuador (bus) $0.25 – $0.35
Hong Kong, China (tram, ferry) $0.26 – $0.39
Buenos Aires, Argentina (bus, subway) $0.28 – $0.32
Beijing, China (subway) $0.30
Dakar, Senegal (bus) $0.31
Lima, Peru (bus) $0.36 – $0.64
Auckland, New Zealand (bus, train) $0.38 – $1.38
Macau, China (bus) $0.41 – $0.83
Shanghai, China (metro) $0.45 – $1.35
Cancun, Mexico (bus) $0.49
Taipei, Taiwan (metro, bus) $0.49 – $2.14
Bangkok, Thailand (skytrain, subway) $0.50 – $1.34
Singapore, Singapore (subway, light rail) $0.61 – $1.53
St. Petersburg, Russia (tram, bus, metro) $0.61 – $0.71
Cartagena, Colombia (bus) $0.64 – $0.80
Dubai, UAE (metro) $0.68 – $2.18
Montevideo, Uruguay (bus) $0.76
Sofia, Bulgaria (tram, bus, metro) $0.80
Phuket, Thailand (bus) $0.83, $1.17
Moscow, Russia (metro) $0.84
Krakow, Poland (bus, tram) $0.86
Seoul, South Korea (subway, bus) $0.89 – $1.77
Prague, Czech Republic (tram, bus, metro) $1.00 – $1.44
Santiago, Chile (metro, bus) $1.00 – $1.20
Istanbul, Turkey (tram, bus, metro, ferry) $1.03
Cape Town, South Africa (bus) $1.14
Lisbon, Portugal (tram, bus, metro) $1.16 – $3.97
New Orleans, USA (tram, bus) $1.25 – $1.50
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (metro, bus) $1.28 – $1.74
Budapest, Hungary (tram, bus, metro) $1.28 – $2.32
Athens, Greece (tram, bus, metro) $1.37
Madrid, Spain (metro, bus) $1.37
Monaco, Monaco (bus) $1.37
Rome, Italy (tram, bus, metro) $1.37
Tallinn, Estonia (bus, tram, trolley) $1.39 – $1.74
Dubrovnik, Croatia (bus) $1.48 – $1.85
Los Angeles, USA (bus, metro) $1.50
Chicago, USA (metro, bus) $1.54 - $1.73
Dublin, Ireland (tram, bus) $1.58 – $2.47
Nice, France (bus) $1.58
Tel Aviv, Israel (bus) $1.58
Washington DC, USA (metro) $1.60 – $5.00
Bruges, Belgium (bus) $1.64 - $2.74
Florence, Italy (bus) $1.64
Berlin, Germany (tram, bus, metro) $1.78 – $2.88
Zagreb, Croatia (bus, tram, train) $1.85
Barcelona, Spain (tram, bus, metro) $1.92
Tokyo, Japan (metro) $1.93 – $2.29
Edinburgh, Scotland (bus) $1.94
Sydney, Australia (metro, bus) $1.96 – $3.24
San Francisco, USA (tram, bus, metro) $2.00
Miami, USA (bus) $2.00
Honolulu, USA (bus) $2.25
New York City, USA (subway, bus) $2.25
Brussels, Belgium (metro, bus) $2.33 – $2.74
Paris, France (metro) $2.33
Galway, Ireland (bus) $2.47
Helsinki, Finland (tram, bus, metro) $2.47 – $3.42
Vancouver, Canada (skytrain, bus) $2.48
Reykjavik, Iceland (bus) $2.50
Stockholm, Sweden (tram, bus, metro) $2.61 – $8.70
Montreal, Canada (metro, bus) $2.72
London, England (tube, bus, tram: using Oystercard) $2.90 – $9.68
Toronto, Canada (subway, streetcar, bus) $2.97
Vienna, Austria (subway, tram, bus) $3.01
Munich, Germany (tram, bus, metro, subway) $3.29 – $6.58
Amsterdam, Netherlands (tram, bus, metro) $3.56
Melbourne, Australia (tram, bus) $3.63
Zurich, Switzerland (bus, tram, train) $4.08
Copenhagen, Denmark (metro, bus) $4.20
Oslo, Norway (tram, bus, metro, ferry) $4.34 – $6.68
Venice, Italy (water bus) $8.90
Public transportation prices in 80 cities around the world - 16 Nov, 2010

Granted those are prices from 2010, so Honolulu has went up another 25 cents than, at the current $2.50. But I'm use to Japan being outrageous at $2.20, and more familiar with Seoul, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, all of which are around $1. Then going over to Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Manila, or mainland China, and being clearly under $1.

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

Granted those are prices from 2010, so Honolulu has went up another 25 cents than, at the current $2.50. But I'm use to Japan being outrageous at $2.20, and more familiar with Seoul, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, all of which are around $1.

Is the difference between $1.00 and $2.50 really a make or break? If it is, sounds like one should reevaluate where they live.

But I'm a believer in the total cost - if one were to drive in in Seoul, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore - what would gas or parking cost. Even license plate registration is crazy expensive. Or the car price.