Shoots A Three...No Good!
By Braddah Lance
Yeah, basketball is over but the state is behind the arc shooting 'em three's... carpoolers that is.
I bet the house that there will be more resistance than compliance but who's to say how it'll work out in the end? People living on the West side get affected the most - being that is where it starts - because I can only imagine how much more cars will be on the freeway instead of the zipper lane approaching the infamous H1/H2 bottleneck and the start of school isn't too far behind either.
I say let it be. I think people forget that driving is a privilege, not a personal right. You have to earn that privilege by taking both a written and driving test and within the past few years, drivers ed too.
Is it hard to find the "extra" rider? Sure, no doubt. Is it worth finding? Heck yeah! Especially when I guarantee you that the zipper lane will fly now.
Do I use the zipper lane? Yup (we get on at the airport). Do I have three people? Nope, unless we can bring & count the dog so now we're tough out of luck.
I support the idea that the state reward those who try to help other drivers out by not adding another vehicle to the road. Think of the benefits: save gas (for those not driving), helping our environment and most important, one less vehicle on the road! The tough stuff: more vehicles in the "regular" lanes, longer commute times and worse yet, wasting more gas in traffic.
Granted there's a ton of people who cannot carpool regardless, but I say suck it up. You're sacrificing "time" for YOUR independence to drive alone even if you have no other option. The city has made efforts afforded options to do so such asUncle Fasi's limo - which some Lanceformers/Kwonics - have already chosen to do. Now there's Uncle Mufi's ferry too! A co-worker rides his bicycle to work and another who rides a motorized scooter so that's already two less vehicles on the road. Mahalos eh!
Anybody have any great ideas? Upset now that you got "bumped" from the "bonus" lane? Sucking it up? Or no care cause you live in town already? 
I wonder how come we just can't add/build lanes where we can like they did in Pearl City? That has helped tremendously! Too much red tape? Too much work?
I still firmly believe it's about enforcement because guarans-bombarans going get CHOKE single riders in the carpool lane now! And it definitely sucks for those who follow the law and ride with two and have to deal with impatient - or just no care - people that forget that it's not their right to drive, but a privilege.
Wassap Wit Dat!
Wassup Wit Dat!
June 24th, 2008 at 8:25 am
Morning everyone. Ho da early today ah BL.
June 24th, 2008 at 8:30 am
FIRST! Okay, with that outta the way.............I really can't comment on this as I live closer to town now. I used to live in Waikele, waking up at 4:30 a.m. and leaving by 5:45 a.m. to FIGHT THE TRAFFIC. My wife, son, and I would always use the zipper lane and I used to get pissed at the cars with only one driver. I'd always "hope" that a cop on a motorcycle was up ahead to catch these perpetrators and more often than not there wouldn't be.
For those violators, it was like Russian Roulette. The cops would come out once in a great while and for a few days following you wouldn't see the perpetrators in the ZIPPER LANE. They'd come right back like cockroaches after a few days of no enforcement.
OL
June 24th, 2008 at 8:33 am
BTW, get cheaters every d@^% day in that carpool lane and zipper. While I'm sitting in the slow if not stopped lane, I see these cars with single drivers ripping down the carpool lanes. WTFIUWD? Whoops, traffic gets me goat. Why do people still do it? Cause no more fr&^$%n cops doing their job and enforcing the law. Only get cops when no more traffic and I get a ticket for being in the carpool lane ( back in the 90's). I still beleive that they should make some kind of subway system. they could make one not only for Oahu but also a transit that maybe connects us to all the islands. They have these things all over the world and they seem to work well. I wouldn't think there would be too much environmental impact because everything is done underground. But alas, when it comes to moving forward Hawaii and the US is in the dark age. Anyone seen the new "air cars"?
June 24th, 2008 at 8:46 am
used to make the looonnggg drive in from makaha to kalihi, but moved to kalihi to avoid all that. i think the new 3 rule is good for one reason only - it going make us think about how we drive and how we can save gas money. there are waayyy too many cars on the road so it's good we think of ways to reduce the numbers. personally, i don't think the new zipper lane will be a success right away, but it may down the road. make the bus free and add vans to the bus routes. the vans could go direct from point to point, no stops, like from waianae shopping center to ala moana shopping center. or hawaii kai shopping center to ala moana. each van could have 12 - 15 riders. that's at least 10 cars for each van load off the roads. just a thought.
June 24th, 2008 at 9:02 am
a coworker & i were just talking about this. i don't see it helping anywhere BUT the zipper lane. i see it every morning, almost as crowded as the regular lanes and i bet you it's majority 2 people in the car. all i can think about it when colleges start up again....aaaah!
i think if the gas hits $6/gal i'd actually catch the bus but then again, the bus stops are super full each day too. so what price would i pay to not have to stand up from my house to town, and have strangers "in my bubble" the entire way too? hmm...
heck i can't even coordinate a carpooling deal with people that live in the same house as me let alone find 2 more people that live nearby and have a similar work schedule. can't afford to just up and move out soooo i guess i'll have to be like OL used to be and leave before the sun comes up & stay at work till the sun goes down to beat the traffic eh?
June 24th, 2008 at 9:09 am
when i worked near the airport we used to use the zipper lane...try get off the zippy lane and cut across 4 lanes of traffic in less than a half mile to make ur exit...scary! lol!! anyways...always had 2-4 motorcycle cops near the end pullin' people over w/out the right amount of ppl in the car. in fact when the zipper lane FIRST started it was 3+ ppl, then they changed it to just 2+, now back to 3+...i think its a good idea. i'm currently riding the bus to work, but its only 2 miles and its to kapolei not town...with the cost of gas i'm surprised more people aren't callin' up vanpool, catchin' the bus/ferry, biking it, or doing something else. even if you don't care about the environment, how are you affording $60+ a week on gas?!?! wwd?
lotsa major cities all of the mainland and europe use public transportation - bus/subway/train/ferry all the time and still manage to get things done. someone just told me that many europeans don't drive because they've been paying OUTRAGEOUS gas prices for FAR LONGER than us americans and so they utilize public transportations. i love the freedom of my car...but can't and won't keep paying that high cost of gas...i'll stick to the bus to/from work and do my errands on saturday...if i'm helpin' out mother earth too...bonus!
June 24th, 2008 at 9:20 am
They should make TheBus free within the Honolulu metro area. I dunno...like from Valkenburgh to Kapahulu Ave. and H1 to makai....or something lidat.
That way, no matta how you get to town....bus, carpool, vanpool, bike, walk, rail?...you can at least get around town by riding TheBus fo free. Incentive?
I know Seattle does this (still yet?). Cause less cars....get choke buses. Was duck soup fo get around. Just hop on da bus gus.
June 24th, 2008 at 9:20 am
BL,
U right on popcorn. gotta suck it up. I stay west side and da wife and i carpool every morning, use da zip lane, but come july 8th...no can...das alright...just gotta leave earlier....the gas can go up to $7 but da wife and i still goin drive...that not goin not goin stop us...just gotta cut other areas...but, jus wonder bout our government, do they tink this goin help? even wit da rail, do they tink dat goin help? really...who da heck goin ride da rail? 2 me only goin help those dat no drive to begin wit and rely on public trans. i jus tink da choke mulah da government goin spend could go to somethin mo betta...like helicopter service 4 da people on da west side
eh, maybe wit our bright politicians dat stay in da works...wat u tink BL, use your hook ups and fine out if they goin wit somethin la dat. or maybe hot air balloons 
good topic...have a good 1 
June 24th, 2008 at 9:24 am
eh....how come no mo da numbah next to each post now. was lidat long time? i neva notice till now.
June 24th, 2008 at 9:31 am
Yeah cause someone complained yesterday...
Jus' joke!
.
.
Rogah dat! Jus' roll da dice and hopefully you don't crap out.
.
.
Dat would be good! Den Hawaiian, Go! & Superferry all going drop their prices to compete again...yeah, dat ain't going to happen but we can dream can't we?
.
.
Hey, you know dat isn't a bad idea! But kinda sucky if you da 16th one yeah?
.
.
True dat! But if the carpool lane was enforced regularly the true impact would be against the carpool-less drivers...but wen dat going happen yeah?
.
.
I still trip out wen I see da HUGE suvs still on da road or even cars like da Mustangs....oh yeah, still see Hummers...but den again, if you could afford da Hummer you could afford da gas huh?
.
.
I wonder.....
.
.
Watch out fo' da trade winds!
.
.
Dunno, I jus' work hea....
June 24th, 2008 at 9:37 am
I don't use the zipper lane, I go the opposite direction to work but I see single drivers in the zipper lane. I think more people will start to car pool coming from the west side once the gas hits $6.00.
June 24th, 2008 at 10:08 am
@opso - just got back from Seattle, and yeah, bus is free downtown. Ho man, was major stress to drive and find parking in Seattle! No question - bus next time. Takes longer, but oh man, reduce the stress level big time.
I cannot really comment on the zipper lane, as I stay on Maui. Never used it.
From an unbiased view, it seems that taking the 2 occupant cars out of the zipper lane and putting them in the regular lanes is counterproductive. If these people gotta sit in traffic anyways, they might just start taking their own cars, and not carpool. That is, if time is the limiting factor for them, and not the cost of gas. Then get more cars on the road.
I dunno, seems like wasn't broken, so why try "fix it?" I mean, except for the cheaters, sounds like the zipper lane works as is.
June 24th, 2008 at 10:14 am
I was stuck in the traffic this morning caused by the accident on the H1/H2 merge and was getting passed all morning by cars with one driver in the carpool lane...Got totally hosed on that one. So because I follow the law, I get to show up late for work and start my day off in a bad mood? WWD?
June 24th, 2008 at 10:22 am
Maybe it's a ploy to cause more traffic in order to help Mufi get his choo-choo train.
June 24th, 2008 at 10:26 am
You know wat's scary? No one is even fazed dat it's going to hit dat?! It's jus' a mattah of wen....
.
.
Well we actually got two lanes for carpooling: zipper lane for 3+ (starting July 8th) and the car pool lane (HOV - High Occupancy Vehicle) which 2+ people can use den da rest for 1+.
Hey you get one zip lane in Maui right? Oh wait, or was dat da Zip Line.
.
.
Braddah, dat really sucks! Too bad we no can catch dem on tape and submit it for ticketing later like da traffic vans eh?
.
.
Hey good point! But isn't the zip lane under the state and not city?
June 24th, 2008 at 10:28 am
If they enforced the carpool law and ticketed all the violators, the train would have been paid for already...
BTW- long time lurker-first time poster...had some things to say about this as, like i said I was part of the collateral damage this morning.
June 24th, 2008 at 10:38 am
I like that Rodney. A Mufiism.
It's all kinda bummers the way gas is affecting prices of EVERYTHING!
Does anybody use a gas additive? I just started using one made by Lucas. Don't have any results to report yet.
June 24th, 2008 at 10:51 am
As I was sitting there getting passed, I had a daydream that they had a tunnel or something just off of the carpool lane with a police officer at the beginning just waving the violators in where they would wait in line to get a ticket by other police officers waiting inside. It had to be a tunnel so that none of the other people on the freeway could see and then, in turn, not slow down to watch...when they are done, they just drive out the other end.
If only it were that simple...
June 24th, 2008 at 10:51 am
This is what I noticed. when no more school, no more traffic. can usuallu fly into town from mililani in like 30 mintues or less and thats at 7:00am (as long as no more accident with rubbah neckahs). when get school, it takes like 1hr. plus. what to do when we have the problem being prooved to us every summer? cannot shut down schools. maybe make flex schedules for students? IDK. just throwing out ideas. BTW, what ever happend to that big UH West Oahu project? That would cut down on some town bound traffic.
June 24th, 2008 at 11:14 am
for years, i've leaved the house early, like aoriund 4:30 quarter of 5.. back in the 70's you was bty yourslef.. now it's like 5:30 traffic... and if you leave at 5;30 (that's in the pc area including palisades lahdat, it's like leaving your house at 6:00... we just gotta put a moratorium on how many cars each family can have.... if can get only 2 than the guys that no drive catch the bus and stuff... i say limit it to 2 per house hold.. this would eliminate at least 33% of the cars on the road.. make the kids catch bus... would humble them..have transportation services for the elderly in each community to help them with their daily needs....if a person gets caught in the zipper and hov lanes their licenses should be suspended for 1 year... dui - 5 years-if dui again- trow away da license..
driving without a license - no give'm license... people using thier cell phone - 2 years and if get caught again gotta take alternative means of transportation.. racing - hemo license and car...
June 24th, 2008 at 11:49 am
Yeah, but you know how it goes: you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours
June 24th, 2008 at 11:59 am
hmmm lessee...traffic. kapool lane-shd leave um at 2 cuz hey make um 3 n den dey all going come on da regular route.....plenny kahs li dat bumbye....i leave my crib from Waikele side at 4:45 cuz if you leave 1 minute after 5-choke traffic-serious. anywayz, i p/u my rider and we head to the gym or wherever to work out and den to work. maybe will start catching Franco's hummer latahs when da price of gas goes up but so hud 4 do cuz get plenny happening aftah work-no like miss out. as for Mufi's choo choo train, wuz wondering how many homes or business will have to be razed to build this contraption (is that right?)anyone knows and have they set the area yet? maybe not a good idea-look da ferry-not dat many people catching dat, so think this would make a big diff? doubt it....
June 24th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
ehh braddah book2 i like da way you think!
for real tho what's the use of changing things like this if no one around to enforce it? and i totally agree with those others who were observing this morning while crawling along the H1/H2 merge area...the HOV lane was moving along and soo many cars only had 1 head above da seat! so unless plenty people was carpooling with little people, they all know that strip of road no more popo to tag you so no need worry. :-\
eh i had my eye on da lady behind me man...she kept checking her mirror to see if had opening so she could cut out and be cheater-cheater-pumpkin-eater & ride in the carpool lane. no matter how much we complain about no one enforcing that kine stuff tho, seems like it falls on deaf ears no? same old same old until we decide, "if you can't beat 'um, join 'um!" and you get tagged. aigoooooo!
June 24th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
Started carpooling with my neighbor last week. Big difference in gas consumption. He has an odd schedule so we can't carpool every day but still very worthwhile. At least now I can stay in the HOV lane instead of using it as a passing lane. I trying to get my workplace to set up a carpooling central but so far, deaf ear. I grumble so much at work like the boy who cried wolf that they not listening anymore so maybe gotta talk louder.
I looked into doing the express bus from Mililani but would have to transfer from town back to Salt Lake so it may take an hour+ instead of the 20+ minutes by car now.
June 24th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
E Komo Mai Braddah!.....hee hee we got anoddah suckah!!! Cheee-hooo!
.
.
Have you tried using or doing anything else? Aftermarket air filters? Exhaust? Changed to synthetic oil?
.
.
Dat's not bad...maybe have them start at 8:30 or 9 and den dat way wen fo' da young keiki, by da time parents stay pau from work, school pau too yeah?
.
.
Ho, you would be one tough Judge!
.
.
Hey Uncle...you itchy?
.
.
Been dea, done dat! Doesn't dat suck?
.
.
Ain't dat da truth!
.
.
Yeah, can't wait till Da Wife & I start carpooling once baseball is done...kinda miss da "wala'au time".
June 24th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
"people using thier cell phone - 2 years and if get caught again gotta take alternative means of transportation."
I LIKE that.......if this comes to pass, not going have ANY WAHINE driving anymoa! (RIM SHOT) and the roads going be safer for EVERYBODY!
June 24th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
Three per car in the zipper doesn't matter to me - I don't use it. The Feds and State should really consider the 4 day work week. Without all the government workers off the roads 3 days a week, it should alleviate a lot of the traffic.
June 24th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
"Braddah Lance: Braddah, dat really sucks! Too bad we no can catch dem on tape and submit it for ticketing later like da traffic vans eh?"
I remember awhile back there were two kids in NCal (San Fran, I think) that went around videotaping these folks who cheat in da carpool lane and posted it online. Couldn't find a link to it anymore. They couldn't get the offenders busted, but to see your face like that would be infinitely more embarassing.
June 24th, 2008 at 6:56 pm
Time to take out that inflatable doll, or the empty child seat with doll in side...
June 25th, 2008 at 2:06 am
What a trip it is to read your blog! I need to buy an Island Slang Dicitonary
.
June 25th, 2008 at 7:52 am
k'den i one carpool/zippa lane user and when it work it wuz supa. i rememba when da zippa lane 1st when open it wuz da bomb!!!!! but den when change to 2 people and brah da lane wen down hill. i wuz goin slowa den da freeway!!!! so cuz, i when say forget it and back to da carpool/regula lane.
translate: i think its great it will be changed back to 3 people b/c from kapolei to kalihi it helps me cut down driving time from 10 - 15 minutes. so this is for the 2 people carpoolers, i am sure there is another person who would love to join your company on the zippy lane, jus gotta find em eh
June 25th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
m2b: sistah/braatha......dat was good now Missy in New York can read um good.
June 25th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
missy--juz gotta git da holy grail of pidgin engleesh..."pidgin to da max!" easy cuz.
anyways i nevah used da zip lane before but my friend uses it choke and he mentioned that now it takes forevah cause get too many cars in 'em. plus, all it takes iz one slow-poke drivah in dat lane and all pau cause no can pass in dat lane and no more exit till da airport.
June 26th, 2008 at 7:22 am
Eh BL,
You used the Zipper lane, got caught not having enough occupants, and stay in jail or what? Use your ONE PHONE CALL and the KWONICS going bail you out!
OL
July 28th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
Your site- wassapwitdat.honadvblogs.com is interesting site, good job, owner. But see this [url=http://worm-remover.airconditionerwindowunit.com/] sasser worm remove [/url]
Good luck.
July 29th, 2008 at 2:36 am
Your site- wassapwitdat.honadvblogs.com is excellent resource, good job, owner.
By.