Earlier this week i decided i had finally had enough with my gas car and went and got myself a new electric vehicle. I had been saving up awhile and i was extremely proud of myself for reaching a goal i had.
Not gonna lie, 1st day of me having the car, i was just driving around for no reason. I had my music up, top down, even got some looks from some of the women in my area. I felt like the man! I took it to a charging station just to really see how it would be to charge it and see how long it would take and then i went home.

Next day i go work, my co-workers checked my car out and everyone liked it and it really made my commute to work easy that day since i could use the Zipper lane. Even just seeing it in the parking stall from the window made me happy.

3rd day, i go work and come straight home. Then later that evening i decide i’m gonna go drive to the Pali lookout and take some pictures. I go outside and my car is gone! I know it did not get towed from my parking stall but i checked towing companies anyway. Worse part is i never even heard anything! I called HPD and gave them the make and model.

The Make/model of my vehicle is- Elemara, Licensed Mercedes-Benz AMG G63 Ride on Toys,Electric Car for Kids W/Parents Control,Electric Powered G Wagon Ride On Truck Toy,Low Battery Prompt,Bluetooth,Flickering Lights/LED Lights, White

They said they would keep an eye out and then hung up on me! I called back and they said cannot keep calling them for “fake issues”
This IS a real issue! Nobody takes my problems serious!

I really liked this car because i could reach the pedals easier without needing to use sticks.
Now i have to save up all over again and order another one from amazon and i gotta walk or see if i can ride the bus again since i sold my old car already.
If you guys see someone in my car please let me know.

The linked presentation was made by Lily Hi'ilani Okimura, a local activist. She is quite popular on social media and I think she did a great job on this guide.

What timelines did you guys get or still waiting?

Had a funny little interaction with Servco Toyota this morning. Have car maintenence coming up in about 4 months but plans changed so needed to call and ask a service rep to modify my appointment date. Called the "808.564.1150" number on the email confirmation.

Here is who answered the phone (paraphrased):

Hi, thank you for calling Servco Toyota Mapunapuna, my name is LANI, how can I help?

Me: (explains the above)

LANI: (instant reply) I see, I don't see any appointments registered with this phone number, also we can't see appointments further than 30 days out. Is this the correct phone number?

Me: ....Yes, my number is ____

LANI: (instant reply) Thanks for confirming, I still don't see that, would you like to talk to one of our senior service reps?

Me: ...Sure...

LANI: (instantly) Okay, please hold, transferring you now

I waited for the transfer but something felt off about the interaction. The phone kept ringing, then "LANI" came back and told me there weren't any reps available so thanks for calling and call back later.

I immediately suspected this was an AI customer service agent because of the perfect-evenly pacing of the voice and the near-instant response time after I finished speaking. Did not sound like a real person at all. But at the same time, the voice sounded like a local woman and also I did not know that AI agents apparently identify themselves with fake names.

So I called back using a trick I had heard about:

LANI: Hi, thank you for calling Servco Toyota Mapunapuna, my name is LANI, how can I help?

Me: ..."Is this an AI?"

LANI: (pauses for 3 seconds) I'm an advanced digital assistant...

I BURSTED OUT LAUGHING, could not help myself, then hung up the phone. The AI probably heard me laughing in its face before I hung up seconds later.

So for those who don't know, even though AI is getting very realistic these days, many AI assistants don't have built-in safeguards when asked "are you an AI?" and are forced to tell you the truth. This is a trick I learned when watching a lot of scam prevention videos online where you might get a random phone call from an "officer" or "judge" or "law firm" or whatever. If you suspect it might be a fake person, just pop the question, and 9/10 times it will be forced to reveal itself.

Still need to contact Servco Toyota for help with my appointment time. Tried calling them like 5 more times, this time the AI didn't answer the phone, just went into voicemail instead. Guess no one is at the office today. Bummer.

Usually avoid Temu, but want something, now, and wondered how your experience was with shipping to Hawaii. Mahalo

Part vent, part curiosity if this is business as usual:

So, the 20 year old refrigerator died. I am sad, but amazed it lasted that long. The new ones don't last nearly as long anymore.

Anyway, 5 weeks ago I order what I think is a reasonably priced medium sized refrigerator from Lowes. It wasn't in stock and had a 2.5 week delivery time. We're on an island and be trucked in from another state in days. It is what it is.

So the day before delivery, I get a call that it's delayed for 2.5 weeks. To say I'm disappointed is an understatement, but what can I do?

I guess I could try to cancel the order and spend almost twice as much on a fancier in-stock refrigerator, but that's not what I want.

From what I understand, all appliances are shipped to a local distributor. Lowes does not have a warehouse of their own. All sellers have their inventory go through there. Lowes only can go with what happens with the distributor.

Meanwhile, I look online and the Lowes website has apparently incorrect information saying an order today can be delivered within 2 days. That was irritating, but the local Lowes team has assured me that's a glitch in the system. Corporate will not adjust the computer systems to reflect the reality of Hawaii's inventory system.

Now, 3 days from the updated delivery date, I get a notice indicating that delivery is delayed two more weeks.

I live in north shore Oahu and make 20/hr working part time at local dive. I got offered a job in Kaneohe at 30/hr full time but that’s like a hour or so commute. Worth it?

I guess I haven't watched local news, or Green, in a while, but this interview and how he characterizes the LG race is just...wow.

Green has not formally endorsed any lieutenant governor candidate, but has been vocal about his preference for Kauaʻi Mayor Derek Kawakami.

“I would say, vote for the person who you think is going to help the state be healthy, who’s gonna get housing,” Green said. “Don’t vote for somebody who is looking for a fight, because it’s not about fighting, it’s about healing and helping.”

My new job doesnt offer medical insurance, need to buy my own private insurance. What do people use that get good coverage in Hawaii? PPO preffered.

Has anyone had a kids birthday party at the croc center? Trying to find a place to celebrate my toddlers birthday. And wanted to know how much it would roughly cost for x amount of guests and anyone’s of how much the food cost for a party.

I received this text for a “traffic violation”. I shrugged it off but my mom received something similar to this and she was panicking. I had to calm her down and explain this was a scam.

It’s sad to think how many people might fall victim to these kinds of notifications, so just putting this out there.

is it just me or does it feel like genuine torture trying to find a mental health specialists in hawaii? i suffer from severe anxiety and when i say severe i mean debilitating anxiety that physically affects me. i have breathlessness, racing thoughts, numbness, and chest heaviness every. single. day. and it feels like it is incredibly difficult to find specialists who don’t have a huge waiting list. the cold calling and emailing makes me feel even more hopeless than i already am. mental health facilities are awful, expensive, and don’t actually get you psychiatric help. why is mental healthcare here genuinely awful and inconvenient?

Has anyone flown out of Hawaii (or Hilo specifically) with a temporary paper ID for ConfirmID? How was it?

Context: I just turned 21 and go to college out of state. DMV only had appointment for the 31st and I leave August 1st 😭. Even then my ID wouldn’t have come in on time. I don’t have a passport either.

If I can just get through TSA all of this will be smooth sailing 😩🙏🏽 My horz. ID will get mailed to my house then my family can mail it to me 😍 That’s only if I can get through TSA 😃
If only we had online renewal 😭🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽 how do all my kaʻū kanaks do it man 😪😪

I’ve been working at my first big girl job now for over 6 months and I’m nearly done paying off my student loans (only $2k left and I can pay that off in the next paycheck). I make 65k a year, I’ve saved a pretty decent emergency fund, my credit score is in the high 700s, and I feel like I’m close to being ready to move out of my family’s house. I live in Ewa and commute to Downtown. I started touring some apartments and I’m most interested in one in Downtown. Is $1,800 a month (electricity, water, sewer included) a good price? Would I be paying too much for my salary?

I don’t qualify for a bunch of low-income places, so apartment complex suggestions are welcome. I’d like to pay as low as possible while also still having a nice/newer apartment

Seen plenty videos of people fishing by the triangular rock wall formations. Do you need DOD Identification or is it open to the public?

To show I'm not asking to be spoon-fed information, here are the Civil Beat links to every candidate they have interviewed:

Akina, Anderson, Baker, Billionaire, Costello, Crabbe, Galuteria, Lee, Martin, Souza

Not interviewed: Burke, Kauaula, Nikipali, Parish, Waihee

And here's the full list on BallotPedia: https://ballotpedia.org/Hawaii_Office_of_Hawaiian_Affairs_Board_of_Trustees_election,_2026

A couple candidates may as well be ghosts. The rest at least have a presence on Facebook or Instagram to see what they're about.

I've read up on Akina's ties to Libertarian policy groups. EDIT -- Different Akina. Candidate Adrian Akina is a teacher from Puna. Current OHA trustee Kelii Akina, PhD is the Grassroots/Heritage Foundation/Koch brothers guy. Lee is a known quantity from his previous stint as trustee. And Souza is also on the board, so watching meetings is a good resource for him.

Having read their interviews, looked at their Facebook pages, and campaign websites, I have narrowed it down to a few people who I think are clearly nuts (and thus not serious, sober candidates). I have also winnowed out a few who are "clearly part of the problem."

The rest may as well been whacked with a clone stick -- they're all saying the exact same things. And none of them can possibly deliver on their campaign pledges. (And that seems to be the case since 1978.)

So, anyone have candidates they support (instead of just voting for the three least-worst)?

Official unemployment figures for the Hawaii economy were updated today. Numbers for May have been finalized and preliminary figures for June have now been made available.

May

The unemployment rate increased to 2.5% in May. 476 positions were added, but 536 workers entering the labor force caused the unemployment rate to increase. The overall Nonfarm Payrolls figure did not change significantly. No individual sector saw significant employment changes.

June (preliminary)

The unemployment rate increased to 3.2% in June. 6,888 positions were lost, and 1,651 workers left the labor force causing the unemployment rate increase. Nonfarm payrolls fell by 6,900. No individual sector saw significant employment changes.

^{*HawaiiStatistics is a public service account committed to making /r/Hawaii a better informed community.}

Jarrett Keohokalole serves as the Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, which holds direct legislative oversight over the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) which sets rates and regulates the state's regulated industries.

He has also run his campaign on a platform of helping locals with the skyrocketing cost of living. 

The great thing about local candidates running for national office is you can see what they have done with the power they already had, and whether they put their money where their mouth is. 

We have seen massive rate increases after rate increases after rate increases. This has been going on for years and has not been limited to the Strait of Hormuz period. 

How “well regulated” do folks in Hawaii think our regulated industries are? Including those with monopolies. I think most would agree that it has not been great.

But the bigger question is WHY?

For me, I always follow the money. Jarrett’s donor roll, especially the largest donors, looks like a who’s who of regulated industries and people who profit off those industries. With Matson and affiliates being one of the largest.

https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/?committee_id=C00913848&two_year_transaction_period=2026&line_number=F3-11C&data_type=processed

“In fact, much of Keohokalole’s funding in the past quarter — about $1 out of every $10 — came from Matson and its employees, including CEO and Chairman Matthew Cox.”

https://www.civilbeat.org/2026/04/incumbents-lead-the-money-race-for-congress-will-outside-groups-wade-in/

To the extent the cost of living pain can be decreased though changes in shipping rules, to what extent do you think Jarrett will focus on the interests of local residents versus the special interests of his high dollar donors?

EDIT 1 - half a day of discussions and not a even single supporter can say what Jarret has done to improve cost of living in Hawaii, especially when doing so would upset his big money donors.

Instead of answers, the majority of the responses are questions back about Case, who, last time I checked, is not chair of the legislative committee that has oversight over Hawaii's PUC. That is Jarrett's job to help protect consumers -- you know, protect Hawaii residents against the very same companies who cut him large donation checks.

EDIT 2 - Now a full day has passed. Not a single example of how Jarrett went against the interest of his big money donors and special interests to help with affordability.

Do you own research, think critically and decide whether, based on his past performance, he will do what increases affordability for Hawaii residents or will he be beholden to his big money special interest donors.

Based on this conversation, it sure seems like he will continue to be beholden to those special interests and sell local residents out on affordability issues.