133 thoughts on “Hawaii Travel During Pandemic Spurs Extreme Opinions”
Teresa
Please, for everyone’s safety, just wear a mask when you are not at home with your loved ones. This is not difficult. It may be inconvenient, but let’s just do it!
Bull
Mask or no mask; you either agree or disagree. There seems to be no middle ground. There are experts on each side of the argument. Each to their own. My aggravation is the lack of guidance provided by the gov.sauteed with the lack of the ability to act in a prudent and timely manner. What lack of leadership.
I have decided to cancel my 2 week vacation over Thanksgiving and don’t know if I will go back to what may be a third world country.
Sheryl B
I have a question about those of us who have asthma or people with COPD or other respiratory issues. Wearing a mask in hot and humid conditions can be dangerous for those people, and while they may be able to handle wearing inside stores or places of business, asking them to wear them 100% of the time even when outside and not in a social setting is not only unreasonable, but it could potentially be deadly. So my question is….are there exceptions for people with these kind of issues and what sort of documentation do you need to provide to be sure you don’t end up with a $5000 fine or a stint in jail?
Herman T.
Julie — Respect Hawaii’s mask mandate or stay home. People with your attitude are not welcome.
Casey S
Do you speak for everyone? It’s just a different opinion, but you guys are making it political. I have a felling of the mainland was treating Hawaiians the same way this policy would be very unpopular. I’m happy to wear a mask, but I don’t need people looking over my shoulder or threatening me with a year in jail if I take it off for a minute to catch my breath, or if the beach is spacious and no one is within 6 feet. It’s the attitude that is turning a lot of us off, it’s unwelcoming and rude!
Momi
The police are ticketing people who are blatantly defiant, not people who need a breath of fresh air for a minute or are properly distanced on the beach. And most all people here in Hawaii don’t want people who know the rules but purposefully disrespect the rules. I don’t care where you live in the world—, no one wants visitors like that visiting. Tourists should always be respectful of the place and the people’s wishes of whom they are visiting.
Casey S.
I think people should just be considerate of others period, but telling people they are t welcome seems to be the opposite. If you do t agree with us do t visit? I seriously doubt everyone on the islands agrees with you. Should I say the same to you, if you don’t like my opinion, don’t visit my state? Seems childish to me, everyone just needs to chill out a bit and stop overreacting with fear and emotion. It’s just deciding everyone and will end up hurting local Hawaiians the most when tourists remember the treatment.
Joan C
The bottom line to tourists is that we have to be here. This is where we live and work. This is where our families are.
You don’t have to be here during the pandemic. I am a nurse and our medical resources are limited especially on Maui. One hospital. Either have respect for our residents and follow the mandate or vacation somewhere else.
Casey
Exactly, my wife is an MD, so I get where you’re coming from, but don’t overreact and be so unwelcoming to your fellow countrymen. I think what we are all getting mad at is the attitude, if you were going to be treated like this coming to the mainland, maybe you would see it differently. The policing is what is making me stay away, that and the possible testing getting delayed and spending over 10k to get stuck in a hotel room with my family for a week. I’m totally willing fg to wear a mask when I’m within 6 feet of people inside and in busy areas outside, but I don’t need the gestapo watching my every move just waiting for me to accidentally take my mask off to catch my breath (I have asthma, so once in a while I have to lower my mask to catch my breath) and give me a huge fine or a year in jail. I think you are all being governed by fear rather than compassion. We don’t know each persons life or circumstances, but everyone is so quick to police people.
Momi A
As a local, I can tell you that we are not being governed by fear. We hope that visitors to our state respect the difference in culture and the way we practice our kuleana to keep our population safe. Our police are not using gestapo tactics and if you refer to them in that tone, remember you are talking about our brothers,’our sisters, our fathers, our friends. The police are not just waiting around for someone to remove their mask for a minute, so they can pounce on them and give them a ticket, but rather are ticketing people who are defiant rule breakers.
Casey S.
From some of the stories I’ve read, visitors have mentioned feeling like they are continually being watched and it’s making their trip feel less like a vacation and more like someone who is guilty before being proven so. I do have respect for the culture, but it seems like the only respect we get back as fellow Americans is if we tow the line with your thinking. My state has been invaded by Californians, but I still don’t get to tell them what they can or can’t do where I live. It’s just courtesy that goes both ways. As I have said before, I wear masks, occasionally I need to catch my breath, if I’m out in the sun or doing something active, I likely wouldn’t be able to wear one and keep my oxygen saturation at a healthy level. People forcing me to comply with the threat of a large fine or possible jail time doesn’t seem respectful of my rights. Hence the gestapo comments, the police are doing their job, I don’t fault them, but the people making the laws needs to take a rational step back and think about what they are doing. How has SD managed to have such low numbers without a mask mandate and all the rules that have been exposed elsewhere? Jumping at the bit to attack people because we aren’t happy spending precious time and money traveling to a place we feel unwelcome doesn’t solve or help the situation.
Lani
Thanks for all the updates, BOH! If only the government in Hawaii could have communicated the mask rules better. It should have been the priority.
We were supposed to fly to Maui tomorrow, canceled our trip and our cute little condo sits empty. After reading some of these comments. It reiterates that we made a wise decision to stay home. We can control our environment a little bit better. This virus is nothing to play around with.
Please stay safe. Mahalo.
Beat of Hawaii
Hi Lani.
Sorry, it didn’t work out for you to come back to Maui. Hopefully, that will change soon. Thank you.
Aloha.
Nita C
Direct from CDC website on Mask front page “Your mask MAY protect them. Their mask MAY protect you” …. if you do the research you will
Find opposing expert opinions that a mask does not protect you from a virus; it’s a false sense of security that is why the virus spreads in crazy mask mandate cities/towns/states/countries. A virus is sooooo small- it is like a mosquito going through a chain link fence. Washing hands/social distancing MAY prevent the common cold but we cannot prevent it altogether – and yeah like Covid, the common cold is a highly contagious virus.
Casey S.
I read the same thing and tried to post a link but I guess it wasn’t approved or didn’t show up correctly.
Lynde
Every state has their right to do what they think is best for their communities. Tourists like me have no right to complain about it. If you don’t want to follow the rules, go somewhere else. Hawaii is not losing out on tourists with that type of thinking.
Casey S.
Who is going to keep things open and pay all the salaries from missed tourism? Stop trying to divide, the is he USA, we are allowed to travel between states as we feel free to, and we have just as much of a right to disagree with laws as anyone else. There are plenty of out of state people to have issues with laws in my state, and they boycott travel to make a point. The NCAA, films, etc do the same thing. It’s nothing new, make people feel unwelcome and you end up hurting the locals more than the people in charge who actually made the decisions.
Jon D
Hi Guys-
Lest my comments be misconstrued, I want to make it clear that I am not an “anti-masker.” They are mandated where I live and I gladly wear a mask in public indoor spaces at all times and outside where I can’t maintain 6′. My comments were only on my reasons for why I visit your island and love it so much.
I also only turn to you for the real story. I really hope by April we can all enjoy the islands as they we re intended!
thanks
Beat of Hawaii
Hi Jon.
Thesis for that and your many comments.
Aloha.
Bob L.
So I am waiting to see just how stringent the mask requirements are in HI before I book any travel. If it is like it is here in CA where you mask up whenever you go in a store or when you are inside any public building but you take your mask off once you leave the store and you don’t have to wear your mask around family member units or when you are outside and are 6′ away from other people, then I am all in to book travel. However, it doesn’t look like that is where things are going. If I am forced to wear a mask from the moment that I step out of my unit till the time I come back regardless of where I am going or what I am doing, I will not be travelling to HI and spending my $$$ anytime soon….
Comments are closed.
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Please, for everyone’s safety, just wear a mask when you are not at home with your loved ones. This is not difficult. It may be inconvenient, but let’s just do it!
Mask or no mask; you either agree or disagree. There seems to be no middle ground. There are experts on each side of the argument. Each to their own. My aggravation is the lack of guidance provided by the gov.sauteed with the lack of the ability to act in a prudent and timely manner. What lack of leadership.
I have decided to cancel my 2 week vacation over Thanksgiving and don’t know if I will go back to what may be a third world country.
I have a question about those of us who have asthma or people with COPD or other respiratory issues. Wearing a mask in hot and humid conditions can be dangerous for those people, and while they may be able to handle wearing inside stores or places of business, asking them to wear them 100% of the time even when outside and not in a social setting is not only unreasonable, but it could potentially be deadly. So my question is….are there exceptions for people with these kind of issues and what sort of documentation do you need to provide to be sure you don’t end up with a $5000 fine or a stint in jail?
Julie — Respect Hawaii’s mask mandate or stay home. People with your attitude are not welcome.
Do you speak for everyone? It’s just a different opinion, but you guys are making it political. I have a felling of the mainland was treating Hawaiians the same way this policy would be very unpopular. I’m happy to wear a mask, but I don’t need people looking over my shoulder or threatening me with a year in jail if I take it off for a minute to catch my breath, or if the beach is spacious and no one is within 6 feet. It’s the attitude that is turning a lot of us off, it’s unwelcoming and rude!
The police are ticketing people who are blatantly defiant, not people who need a breath of fresh air for a minute or are properly distanced on the beach. And most all people here in Hawaii don’t want people who know the rules but purposefully disrespect the rules. I don’t care where you live in the world—, no one wants visitors like that visiting. Tourists should always be respectful of the place and the people’s wishes of whom they are visiting.
I think people should just be considerate of others period, but telling people they are t welcome seems to be the opposite. If you do t agree with us do t visit? I seriously doubt everyone on the islands agrees with you. Should I say the same to you, if you don’t like my opinion, don’t visit my state? Seems childish to me, everyone just needs to chill out a bit and stop overreacting with fear and emotion. It’s just deciding everyone and will end up hurting local Hawaiians the most when tourists remember the treatment.
The bottom line to tourists is that we have to be here. This is where we live and work. This is where our families are.
You don’t have to be here during the pandemic. I am a nurse and our medical resources are limited especially on Maui. One hospital. Either have respect for our residents and follow the mandate or vacation somewhere else.
Exactly, my wife is an MD, so I get where you’re coming from, but don’t overreact and be so unwelcoming to your fellow countrymen. I think what we are all getting mad at is the attitude, if you were going to be treated like this coming to the mainland, maybe you would see it differently. The policing is what is making me stay away, that and the possible testing getting delayed and spending over 10k to get stuck in a hotel room with my family for a week. I’m totally willing fg to wear a mask when I’m within 6 feet of people inside and in busy areas outside, but I don’t need the gestapo watching my every move just waiting for me to accidentally take my mask off to catch my breath (I have asthma, so once in a while I have to lower my mask to catch my breath) and give me a huge fine or a year in jail. I think you are all being governed by fear rather than compassion. We don’t know each persons life or circumstances, but everyone is so quick to police people.
As a local, I can tell you that we are not being governed by fear. We hope that visitors to our state respect the difference in culture and the way we practice our kuleana to keep our population safe. Our police are not using gestapo tactics and if you refer to them in that tone, remember you are talking about our brothers,’our sisters, our fathers, our friends. The police are not just waiting around for someone to remove their mask for a minute, so they can pounce on them and give them a ticket, but rather are ticketing people who are defiant rule breakers.
From some of the stories I’ve read, visitors have mentioned feeling like they are continually being watched and it’s making their trip feel less like a vacation and more like someone who is guilty before being proven so. I do have respect for the culture, but it seems like the only respect we get back as fellow Americans is if we tow the line with your thinking. My state has been invaded by Californians, but I still don’t get to tell them what they can or can’t do where I live. It’s just courtesy that goes both ways. As I have said before, I wear masks, occasionally I need to catch my breath, if I’m out in the sun or doing something active, I likely wouldn’t be able to wear one and keep my oxygen saturation at a healthy level. People forcing me to comply with the threat of a large fine or possible jail time doesn’t seem respectful of my rights. Hence the gestapo comments, the police are doing their job, I don’t fault them, but the people making the laws needs to take a rational step back and think about what they are doing. How has SD managed to have such low numbers without a mask mandate and all the rules that have been exposed elsewhere? Jumping at the bit to attack people because we aren’t happy spending precious time and money traveling to a place we feel unwelcome doesn’t solve or help the situation.
Thanks for all the updates, BOH! If only the government in Hawaii could have communicated the mask rules better. It should have been the priority.
We were supposed to fly to Maui tomorrow, canceled our trip and our cute little condo sits empty. After reading some of these comments. It reiterates that we made a wise decision to stay home. We can control our environment a little bit better. This virus is nothing to play around with.
Please stay safe. Mahalo.
Hi Lani.
Sorry, it didn’t work out for you to come back to Maui. Hopefully, that will change soon. Thank you.
Aloha.
Direct from CDC website on Mask front page “Your mask MAY protect them. Their mask MAY protect you” …. if you do the research you will
Find opposing expert opinions that a mask does not protect you from a virus; it’s a false sense of security that is why the virus spreads in crazy mask mandate cities/towns/states/countries. A virus is sooooo small- it is like a mosquito going through a chain link fence. Washing hands/social distancing MAY prevent the common cold but we cannot prevent it altogether – and yeah like Covid, the common cold is a highly contagious virus.
I read the same thing and tried to post a link but I guess it wasn’t approved or didn’t show up correctly.
Every state has their right to do what they think is best for their communities. Tourists like me have no right to complain about it. If you don’t want to follow the rules, go somewhere else. Hawaii is not losing out on tourists with that type of thinking.
Who is going to keep things open and pay all the salaries from missed tourism? Stop trying to divide, the is he USA, we are allowed to travel between states as we feel free to, and we have just as much of a right to disagree with laws as anyone else. There are plenty of out of state people to have issues with laws in my state, and they boycott travel to make a point. The NCAA, films, etc do the same thing. It’s nothing new, make people feel unwelcome and you end up hurting the locals more than the people in charge who actually made the decisions.
Hi Guys-
Lest my comments be misconstrued, I want to make it clear that I am not an “anti-masker.” They are mandated where I live and I gladly wear a mask in public indoor spaces at all times and outside where I can’t maintain 6′. My comments were only on my reasons for why I visit your island and love it so much.
I also only turn to you for the real story. I really hope by April we can all enjoy the islands as they we re intended!
thanks
Hi Jon.
Thesis for that and your many comments.
Aloha.
So I am waiting to see just how stringent the mask requirements are in HI before I book any travel. If it is like it is here in CA where you mask up whenever you go in a store or when you are inside any public building but you take your mask off once you leave the store and you don’t have to wear your mask around family member units or when you are outside and are 6′ away from other people, then I am all in to book travel. However, it doesn’t look like that is where things are going. If I am forced to wear a mask from the moment that I step out of my unit till the time I come back regardless of where I am going or what I am doing, I will not be travelling to HI and spending my $$$ anytime soon….