Aloha Friday

Here in Hawaii we have something called "The Aloha Spirit". This means many things to many people but the bottom line is all about being considerate of your fellow man.

For instance, those of us who live here yield to other drivers and to pedestrians far more frequently than do average drivers in other parts of the world. When driving we don't use our car's horns for anything other than "howdy honks". When we pass a beach and see a friend we will honk and give 'em a shaka (hang loose kine wave) but we don't blow our horns at other drivers when we don't like what they're doing.

Aloha spirit is all about not being mean, rude, impolite or a pain in the butt. It is about being considerate of others. A bit like the golden rule some of us learned about as keiki (children).

I am writing about this today for two reasons. The first, it is Aloha Friday and the second, I spent some time in the car today where I encountered far too much rude behavior.

If you are planning on visiting our tropical paradise please take some time to think about what is expected of you when you are here. A great time to start practicing is when you arrive at your home airport. When going through security, don't grab your shoulder bag, mount it then swing around to grab another bag off the belt only to have your shoulder bag hit my young daughter in the face.

When boarding the aircraft, please make sure that same shoulder bag doesn't hit everyone seated in aisle seats in the side of the head as you pass by.

When you arrive at one of our fine airports here in the islands use caution when jerking your overweight luggage off the baggage claim carousels. I can't count how many times I've had to remind myself to wear a cup when traveling. A bit of caution and consideration from my fellow travelers would significantly reduce the pain I have felt in the past.

When you get in your Mustang Convertible rental car please make sure you know where you're going before you hit the road. Or hit my car. Texting while driving is safer than screwing around with the GPS the car rental guy sucked you into paying extra for.

If you bring your kids, please be considerate of those who didn't. Pay attention to what they are doing in the pool or at the beach. Screaming and playing Marco Polo is very unpleasant to those who have traveled long distances to unwind in the tropical sun.

Aloha spirit only requires you be considerate of others. In the airport, on the plane, on the road and at your destination.