Question: Whatever happened to the problem of homeless people occupying the public restrooms at the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor?

Answer: Since state harbors officials limited hours that public restrooms are open at the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor a few months ago, there have been fewer homeless people in the harbor area and fewer problems with the homeless camping in public restrooms, harbor users say.

But having the public restrooms open from

8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays only — when state harbor employees are at work — has drawn criticism from some ocean-users.

The shutdown of the only two public restrooms at the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor on weekends means that visitors as well as residents have to walk sometimes about an eighth of a mile, if not more, to a restaurant or hotel restroom.

Waikiki resident Chris Vierra, a frequent beach-goer, said a lot of people don’t make the walk.

“That’s a large group of people making the ocean a Porta-Potty,” he said.

Longtime Waikiki surfer George Downing said he thinks residents and visitors should be treated better when they need to use public facilities.

“It’s kind of shame to me that we allow this. We’re supposed to be a little bit more sophisticated,” Downing said.

Downing said he’s seen restrooms in New York City in which a custodian is assigned to watch over the facilities and people pay for certain amenities like hand towels, and said that could be a solution here.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources has said the restroom hours have been restricted due to budget constraints and vandalism.

Boater Sam Monet said he has been sending emails to state legislators and to the governor’s office.

State Sen. Will Espero, who received Monet’s email, said he has sent a query about the complaints to William Aila Jr., director of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.

“I haven’t gotten a response yet,” Espero said Wednesday.

Monet said a few weekends ago during high surf and a canoe regatta that attracted several thousand people, he was letting ocean-goers use the private restroom facilities for harbor boaters.

He said during the event, some beach-goers were relieving themselves in the bushes and between vehicles.

Monet said he met a travel writer who was appalled at the lack of public restrooms and vowed to write about it in his evaluation of Waikiki.

“When the tourists come over here for a walk, they need to go someplace,” he said. “Guess what? There’s no place to go. … It is really shameful.”

Monet said the Ala Wai boating fees were generating revenues and that the state should provide an employee on the weekends to keep the restrooms open.

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This update was written by Gary T. Kubota. Suggest a topic for “Whatever Happened To …” by writing Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-210, Honolulu 96813; call 529-4747; or email cityeditors@staradvertiser.com.