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I headed into Hilo unusually late for me this morning, but it was during what is usually the sweet spot between mini rushes of 6:30, 7:00 and 7:30, so I was very surprised when right after the joining of Volcano and Pahoa highways the left lane ground to a halt, not just slow, but an outright halt. Several miles down the road the reason was revealed, Greggor Ilagan was out there doing his shaka waving schtick, so close to the road that a bunch of cars ahead of me swerved to avoid hitting him as he "threw" his shaka at the drivers.
Nothing gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling for a politician like being late to a meeting because they are playing in traffic during the morning commute on a Monday, especially months before the election. I didn't see him at the caucus meeting, although I saw virtually every other representative or candidate for that district, when he could have met with many constituents face to face, instead of slowing people's Monday morning commute to a crawl.
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Sounds like a reasonable gripe to me.
I'm not too fond of the Shaka throwers either when I'm trying to get from point A to point B.
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It makes you wonder if politicians realize people have to punch in at work on time, so they can continue to be "taxpayers."
"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives." -Annie Dillard
"I'm at that stage in life where I stay out of discussions. Even if you say 1+1=5, you're right - have fun." - Keanu Reeves
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When Guy Enriques was trying to get re-elected, he was leaping and shaking a sign on the shoulder of Hwy 11, just inches from traffic.
I was very unhappy with his representation of upper Puna (his heart was definitely in Kau), but not mad enough to make that tiny swerve to the right.
><(((*< ... ><(("< ... ><('< ... >o>
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Political sign waving to commuting traffic is an institution on the Big Isle, and very foolish one in my opinion. Actually more than foolish it's idiotic to distract drivers unless there's an emergency. Unbelieveable.
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This comes up over and over again... I think a motorcyclist got rear ended... dunno I forget if he made it, hopefully he did, but it was due to sign waving.
Dunno if it will ever stop but sure slows traffic...maybe we can trade that in for a costco on this side?
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Has anyone contacted him and expressed their grievance?
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Yes, I was at a forum at HPP last election where someone asked Ilagan why he followed this annoying and potentially dangerous practice. He said that it was "traditional" and necessary to get elected.
Edited to add: And to be fair, I've heard the same excuse from other politicians who should know better. If we say we won't vote for sign-wavers, it means we won't be voting for anyone in most races.
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I recognize that this "tradition" is firmly embedded in the local political culture, but he was on the paved part of the shoulder, no farther than 5 feet from my car and trying to make eye contact with and give a personal shaka to every single driver. That is the part that really slowed traffic down, people were clearly unnerved at having a person so close to the lane of traffic, I know I was.
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Agreed. If they are going to have a circus that close to the road that it disrupts traffic they should at least be wearing bikinis.
