Friday Folderol

Gridlock at Kapiolani & McCully

I had to pick up a small item at Ala Moana shopping center on Friday night. It was less than a mile, so I walked.

The choice how to get there was easy; President Trump’s visit had closed some of Honolulu’s busiest roads.

The lighting makes him look fake -- media bias!
(StarAdvertiser photo)

Even pedestrians were stymied, however. At my halfway point the police had closed Kalakaua & Kapiolani, one of Honolulu's most crowded intersections. People massed at the lights, while cars backed up a mile in all directions. Eventually the motorcade passed. It was accompanied by at least 30 police cars and motorcycles.

At the shopping center the parking lot was empty, atypical of a Friday night.

At Kapiolani the procession heads up Kalakaua.

Presidential visits may be good for business, but not everyone prospers. At least the Apple Store wasn't crowded, and I got a good look at the iPhone X.

Rather than walk home after the errand, I hoofed it to Waikiki along Ala Moana Boulevard. Once the Ilikai stood alone; now other towers had risen nearby, complete with restaurants and brand-name retail stores.

Halt! Besides, the Ritz isn't for the hoi polloi.

Automobiles on Kalakaua Avenue, Waikiki’s main boulevard, inched forward; traffic was made worse by the closure of Kuhio Avenue, parallel to Kalakaua. TV news had not reported where President Trump was staying, but it was easy enough to figure out; barricades stopped everyone, cars and pedestrians, a block away from the Ritz-Carlton.

On a warm, humid night, Waikiki didn't seem as much fun as I had thought.

It was time to walk home along the Ala Wai, where my dad and uncles used to swim.