Mahalo to good Samaritans
Mahalo to good Samaritans
On Friday evening, Jan. 12, after getting a rental car at the Lihue Airport, the front tire on the passenger side exploded and the car stopped. I was on the way to Poipu.
As I was calling the rental agency, four good Samaritans pulled up from the opposite side of the street and asked to install the optional tire. They changed the tire in a very short time, only the rim was showing and the back tire was bald. They then assisted me back to the rental agency, with one of the women riding with me. They were very concerned for the car and my well-being.
I will never forget their kindness and helpfulness to a visitor to the island. I only got their first names. They are Eleana, Kip, Mike and Lena. They were four good Samaritans who helped and simply stated “that is what we do” when I tried to reward them. Thank you so much, my angels from heaven.
Hedy Brales, Lombard, Illinois
Know how to respond
I am a yearly visitor to your beautiful island. We stay in Kilauea town. On Saturday the 13 of January my wife and I set out to shop at a grocery store in Princeville around 8 in the morning. We arrived at the store and my cell phone lit up with a text stating a ballistic missile was headed to Hawaii and it was not a drill!
Once inside the store we found people crying and very upset not knowing what to do. After about 10 minutes the store announced it was closing its doors. Now everyone is glued to their phones but no information other than seek shelter and do not go outside!
The store personal were very professional in the way they kept their cool but missed the boat on not bringing people into the store and not turn them away. I always try to find the good in events out of my control and feel this is your wake up call to have visible instructions posted in and around buildings that would harbor people with no place to go. Thank you.
Peter Edgar, Washington State
Hindsight is a great thing. The human brain works great looking back and regurgitating what could have been done better. The really, really, hard part, is to plan for the unexpected.
Hawaii is no more of a strategic target than the Mainland. I would even go as far to say, because we produce nothing but sun, surf, and hotels, that we are even in a safer place. Might as well put “visible instructions” at all stores on the Mainland.
In the century of instant gratification and instant information, it is no surprise that something like this would happen. The Hawaiian islands stretch for 400 miles. So you get a text a missile is inbound to Hawaii…..your odds are better of being struck by lightning. Stop the drama! Stop the madness! No one reacts to sirens, yet you get a text and immediately have PTSD?
It is good to know and honor the ‘good Samaritans’ but of greater importance is what is the name of the car rental agency that rented you such a dangerous, poorly maintained vehicle?
Ms. Hedy Brales…. Sounds like you were renting one of our “discount” rental facilities. Blow out front and bald rear. The old saying you get what you pay for. If this is true your letter is a good wake up call to those who rent wrecks to the tourists. They should no better to rent cars that are not safe.
Think about it. Kim jung-un and his bunch of generals have it pretty good. They all food they want, all the women, nice places to live, nice cars… The last thing they want is to loose all that in a USA retaliatory strike. They may do lots of Sabre rattling, but there’s no way they’re going to attack us or our allies. They want to continue living the lives they have. And if Rocketman tried to fire a middle at us, they’d put him down quick.