‘Slim line’ seats ruin flying experience

The new "slim line" airline seats are a travesty.

These seats are so narrow that an average person must scrunch his or her shoulders to fit and movement is severely limited.

This position is cramped and unhealthful. I witnessed a woman unable to get out of her window seat to use the bathroom during the flight. Surely these seats cannot meet the requirement of allowing quick evacuation in emergency situations.

Flight attendants clearly anticipated irritated passengers in such painful and constricted circumstances and tempers frayed quickly under the imposed hours of discomfort.

Is it worse to think airlines are doing this to make more room for upper-class passengers or for the sheer greed of packing more people into planes — at a time when profits are way up? I am disheartened that more of our remaining Hawaii airline choices are taking the "slim line" route.

Lynda Hess
Waimanalo

Internet should be open to everyone

The Internet is one of the most valuable tools and technologies available today. It should be available to all, not just to whoever can pay more.

Our congressional delegation, U.S. Reps. Tulsi Gabbard and Mark Takai, and U.S. Sens. Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz, need to pressure Tom Wheeler, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, and all the FCC commissioners to reclassify the Internet as a common carrier under Title II of the Telecommunications Act. This would enable regulation that would prevent large corporations like Comcast and Verizon from playing us regular folks against the moneyed interests.

People need to make noise by calling or emailing their representatives in Congress. We all need the Internet, and we paid for its development with our tax dollars. It’s ours, everyone’s — not just people with enough money to pay.

Carolyn Knoll
Kailua

King Street was oasis for drivers

Driving east from town? H-1 backed up? Freeway phobic?

Until recently, King Street beckoned — an oasis in Hono-lulu’s parched commuting landscape. Six blissfully flowing lanes handled the commuting crush, a genuinely pleasant driving experience.

Was that the problem? An aberration screaming for a bicycle track to remedy the flowing traffic and to tout progressive leadership?

The plan rivals the brilliant Ala Wai Boulevard beautification "bump outs" — the how-to of wasteful spending to mess up a perfectly fine road.

Bicyclists deserve safe routes, but aren’t there alternatives to ruining one of Honolulu’s premier boulevards?

The other evening, four bicyclists were counted on the track, while hundreds of vehicles backed up from the squeeze.

Even if the track’s use grows, King Street automobile usage will far outweigh bicycle use.

The visionary planners of yesteryear got it right with King Street’s wide, comfy girth.

Oh, they are sorely missed.

Peter Hochman
Kahala

Honolulu not ready for new cycle track

As a frequent bicycle commuter and avid recreational cyclist, I must reluctantly agree with the detractors of the King Street Cycle Track: It doesn’t belong.

It is a luxury fit for a community with a thriving multi-modal transportation network. Hono-lulu is far from being ready for this type of infrastructure.

Too often I observe cyclists behaving badly on our roads and sidewalks. Even I must be leery and distrusting of riders (whether I’m driving, riding, or walking).

If we want to be a first-class, bicycle-friendly city, we must first educate the public on laws and safety practices and build mutual respect among all users of the roads. Then our citizens will embrace these projects.

Jeffrey Tillson
Ewa Beach

Keep ownership of HECO in Hawaii

After reading Kathryn Mykleseth’s fine article about the sale of Hawaiian Electric Industries to NextEra Energy Industries, I believe that the sale is a bad idea ("Weathering HEI’s transition," Star-Advertiser, Dec. 14).

Hawaiian Electric Co. is a vital public utility with a legal monopoly and should be a locally owned, stand-alone company, with a fair profit for the shareholders and with rates and operations regulated by the PUC on our behalf.

I hope the governor, the Legislature and the state Public Utilities Commission can oppose that sale, despite heavy lobbying from NextEra and from HECO shareholders who would have a potential windfall.

A stable electric supply with reasonable rates is vital to our state. I fear that this sale will result in a perpetual adversarial relationship with an out-of-state owner who does not have our best interests at heart.

Bernard LaPorte
Waialae Iki

UH hiring decisions should be about ‘fit’

Ferd Lewis hit it out of the park with his article "UH can’t afford to wait till June to get a new AD" (Star-Advertiser, Dec. 11).

What was most impressive was his ability to articulate the importance of fit. Ferd eloquently articulated that navigating the waters here in Hawaii takes the right leadership.

As a prideful University of Hawaii alumnus and former student athlete knowing how great our academic and athletic programs can be with proper leadership, I am ever hopeful. We have terrific alignment at UH with the regents, president and chancellor. The last time a football coach was hired by the UH athletics director it was June Jones, in 1999. He was the right fit, as evidenced by one of the biggest turnaround in NCAA history.

We are heading down the right path. Let’s keep the decision on campus, own it and continue with the theme of "fit."

Kent Untermann
Hawaii Loa Ridge