Column: Aloha does not mean careless: Warn our visitors of dangers

Years ago, my son told me a horrific tale. He had lived in Hawaii for several years and learned its botany, language, culture, and, above all, its ocean. One summer when he was staying in a dorm room at the University of Hawaii, friends took a freshman from the mainland to Portlock’s Spitting Cave to introduce him to the thrill of jumping off the rocks. My son was delayed in joining them, and by the time he had arrived, the young man had died. He had wanted one last thrill, and the ocean had refused to release him. My son knows the ocean and would have warned him, had he been there, not to take that one last jump.

This tragedy is replicated nearly every week somewhere in the islands, often in Oahu. The sea is a dynamic set of forces that need to be learned, heeded and protected against. The land is likewise unforgiving to the neophyte or careless local. In my opinion, the state and city take little or no responsibility for the maintenance of trails or the guarding of the beaches. Given Hawaii’s laid-back vibe and casual culture, residents and the government do not concern themselves enough with the well-being of visitors.

Even the well-trod easy trail to Manoa Falls is ill-maintained. It has never been cleared of rocks or kept up, as it erodes from rain and fallen material. The guard rails at Waimea Canyon on Kauai are minimal; the Pali trail up from Ke‘e Beach is treacherous. Popular beaches, such as Kailua, do not have enough lifeguards enough of the time and they are not as attentive as they should be.

Enough. Too many lives are lost. Signage here is inadequate, and barriers are few where the Earth and sea and rocks threaten. We live in a place where nature is unhindered for the most part, a kind of natural parkland, but it is not well-tended.

Yes, even locals can be dumb about the risks they take, but many visitors are simply unaware. We care about the exotic plants visitors may bring into the islands, but we do not issue warnings about land and ocean hazards along with the agricultural forms on the planes bringing visitors in by the hundreds.

If the law of aloha is going to be touted and observed, the state and county governments must do a better job of protecting Hawaii’s visitors. The standard is set much too low. This is simply uncaring and it obviates all claims that Hawaii is a culture of aloha. If what it takes is to set up kiosks at every beach parking lot where information can be distributed to each visitor and to fund lifeguards every swimming day and apportion funds to put up appropriate barriers and signs, then do it.

I don’t need to read about one more “drama” in the Star-Advertiser. It’s a preventable tragedy when someone dies from lazy, uncaring attitudes.

Honolulu resident Jean E. Rosenfeld is a retired historian.