When did Hawaii become East Germany? The only reason to make that interminable flight is to sit under the stars on the beaches of paradise at night and listen to the surf roll in and out. If they’ve criminalized that, screw 'em, I’ll take my money to the Caribbean. Closer anyhow. Bastards think just because Congress blatantly stole the islands from the natives, it’s now their private property. Here’s hoping a storm washes away the houses of the bottom-feeding lowlifes who voted in favor of this asinine law.
The one time I traveled to Hawaii, I was struck by how everything was rationed. You couldn’t carry more than two pieces of luggage on the bus, for example. Basically there was no “slack” left in the system because generations of tourists had gobbled up every bit of courtesy and goodwill the local population could offer. When the bus driver denied us boarding because our clothes were wet from bodysurfing, I realized I’d come to the wrong vacation spot.
The same time that a lot of places made it illegal to feed the homeless. This article reads more of a “don’t let the homeless sleep on the beach” more than a “get away from the sand, you crazy kids!”
This is a problem bigger than just Hawaii.
Come to New Zealand and walk our beaches after dark, feel free.
Just realise first that it’s nowhere near as hot in NZ as in Hawaii. Especially after midnight.
“Book 'em, Danno! Intertidal Trespass One!”
Right, I was waiting for the drop where the endangered Awesomeness Rainbow Kelplings and Giant Sustainability Crabs need to roost there, rather than where the legislature has played Psychotic Other Parent and ruined everything that could distract from their child’s Ultimate Bagpipe routine. By being there in the dark on the beach with demerits. Which is a responsible use of police in .5% or more of cases and sometimes matches up with the de-bumming roles.
Making lemondadae for this, surely there’s a very nice Lighting Design article about IDing writhing heaps on the beach and treating them all the same.
Also Skift.com, neat travel mag, thx.
Giant sustainability crab is delicious with some drawn butter.
Yeah, I’m currently looking out at mist and driving rain and wondering what happened to the Pacific island paradise the recruitment agent promised … 
How American, cover up the problem of the untouchables by busting anyone else trying to experience an extra modicum of freedom and quality of life.
The Hawaiian economy is entirely dependent on tourism, especially for the sort of significant money required to improve one’s position in the sclerotic political patronage system. Anything which threatens or diminishes the experience of mainstream American or Asian tourism is swiftly eliminated. In some cases (homeless, billboards) the response is regulatory; in others (sex-trade, liquor) laissez faire.
Thanks Hawaii Tourist Board.
Are any of the other islands more tourist friendly?
This by-law is a shot to the foot then, rather than a legitimate fix for a threat to the industry. Aren’t tropical beach moonlit walks a happy holiday staple?
The solution is obvious. Post midnight beach passes. $5 a night. You can buy a weeklong pass for $20. Photo ID required so you can’t willynilly hand your pass off to some unworthy bum. $75 fine for being on the beach after midnight without a pass.
Then you can sell the passes through travel agents for a bulk discount to keep the tourism lucre rolling in.
The tourists can keep going to the beach. The bums are kept off the beach. The state gets tons of money. Everyone important wins!
A British friend once described a summer day there as “Look, it’s cloudy. Let’s go down to the beach and lie in the gravel!”
I find this ironic because in the past I’ve praised Hawaii for its beach access – they have laws to ensure that beaches remain public and even if you are a rich person or hotel you have to tolerate ‘right of way’ paths across your property so the public can access the beach. This is in sharp contrast to, say, New Jersey, where the state charges residents a fee to access the beach, or most anywhere else where private landowners can lock up whatever touches their property. (Disclaimer: traveled to Hawaii on business some time ago, I am not a lawyer, information is based on what hotel workers told me, etc.)
During my first visit in the early 80s, my body clock was set to California time. Accordingly, I was awake that first morning at 4am Hawaiian time. I went out and took a walk on the beach–with a bunch of other tourists. It was very peaceful and quiet–and made a lovely first-impression of the place.
I guess now tourists will just have to lay in their rooms and watch TV until sunrise?
There’s really no shortage of that kind of scenery around here. 
Also known as ‘two weeks in August’. Not necessarily consecutive weeks either … 
… and even though it’s winter here in NZ I’d not swap living here for moving back to the UK. By UK standards the North Island summer lasts from November through to March.
