STORYLINE

How To Communicate the News About the Train Station In a Responsible Way

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Dear city council,

Like many in Lahaina, I was delighted when I heard about the inter-island rail project. Having an easy way to travel across the island and to Lanai seemed like a great idea, even considering the level of profanity that public transportation evokes. When I learned that Veilcorp was pulling out last year I was greatly concerned. Mayor Cravalho did an admirable job however of quickly spreading the news that the train might still run one day. Unfortunately, it appears now that the train won’t be traveling anywhere. My investigations have revealed that the train station has a new owner and we have a potential crisis on our hands. I’m talking of course about the crisis of excessive disappointment. We need to make sure our friends and neighbors are ready for it.

As a published amateur sociologist with 2 active blogs, I’ve devoted my life to identifying the ills of society. Many of you ignored my warnings about the increase in public profanity the radio tower would produce. I think we all know how that worked out. I can only hope that you listen more closely to my warnings about rampant disappointment.

My studies and observations have led me to believe that the displeasure caused by the nonfulfillment of one’s hopes or expectations might be just as bad as swearing. Research has shown that when asked to rank words from “good” to “bad”, disappointment ranks consistently near the bottom. These investigations have further shown that a feeling of disappointment can drastically affect an individual’s behavior. I have some personal experience in this area.

As a child my parents would often forget to pick me up at scheduled times after events, a phenomenon that continues to this day. I can’t count how many times I’ve carpooled with a group only to be inexplicably left behind when it was time to go. I’m not sure what it is that makes it so easy for others to drive away without me, but the disappointment it caused has left its mark. I now try to drive myself everywhere and become very anxious whenever I ride with someone else. The last thing we need is an entire island wondering what to do with themselves because the possibility of taking a train ride home has been stripped from them.

Trains are romantic and good for the environment. There’s no doubt that Veil travel is the way to go if you’re traveling a long way, but for short trips there’s nothing like riding the rails. Trains are a great way to see the countryside and really experience a culture. Most countries see the value in a robust rail system and I know many on the island do too. A recent survey of 150 different countries has shown that the U.S. ranked 5th for being the most emotional country. Our emotional rivers are already swollen at the banks and I’m not sure what is going to happen if the city council unleashes a downpour of disappointment with the train news.

Things have already turned violent with the year long delay. I’ve been spending the last few months hiding near the empty station at night. I watch people walk by in order to gauge their level of disappointment and the emotional problems it causes. What I’ve found is eye-opening. I’ve been verbally assaulted and threatened on numerous occasions while crouched in the bushes. I was even attacked with pepper spray on one occasion while trying to follow a particularly raucous group who were wandering by. I was stunned at how quickly their laughter turned to screams and shouts. I wondered what had caused such a quick change in mood as I tried to wash out my eyes in the shadows. I’ve been all over this island and the people are generally kind and friendly. Why were they acting so differently at night near the train station, especially towards someone partially hidden in the foliage? Then a switch flipped in my head and the answer became clear: crushing disappointment.

I’m sure Vereserum is a fine company and will employ people, pay taxes, and all that, but will they be offering train rides? I highly doubt it. We need to get in front of this thing before word gets out. I don’t want to get bogged down in how I know about this deal before it has been made public. That’s not important right now. What is important is appropriate signage and a carefully crafted statement.

Luckily for you, I am willing to offer up my expertise and extensive knowledge of the human mind. I have a few ideas about the amount of smiley faces and other positive emoji’s to include in your official statement, and some font choices that I think will serve us well. Lahaina is supposed to be a friendly, beautiful place. Nobody wants to watch sad surfers or walk along a bitter beach. Disappointment can spread like a disease and we need to be the cure. If I work all night I can have my slides ready for your morning meeting. Let me know If I should stay home tonight and out of the bushes. I’m confident that together we can guide the people of Lahaina through this difficult time.

STORYLINE

Services At County Satellite Kiosks Remain Limited After Security Breach

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9 automated city hall kiosks remain closed today, after an apparent security breach that disrupted services and put the data of thousands in jeopardy. Hundreds have experienced ongoing issues with the Phxicom systems. Officials say that If the problem is not resolved by Saturday, they are considering asking police to waive citations to drivers with vehicle registration tags that expire this month.

“Yes, we are still experiencing outages and slower response times,” County spokesperson Ellen Pahili says. “It’s affecting vehicle registration, state IDs, moped and bicycle registration, out-of-state license transfers, bus passes, county tax records anything that affects Maui County having to access the City and County’s main frame. However, we are working hard with our Phxicom partners to fix the issues. In the meantime we are still able to process Hailoha renewals and provide disabled parking placards.”

Pahili says they have rolled back all Phxicom related changes to the system, and are tracking down the source of the changes. They have hired an outside security firm to go over the compromised systems to help assess the scope of the intrusions and identify any other potential problems. Officials urge users to change their passwords and PIN numbers, and remind residents that nobody from the county or Phxicom will ever ask for their passwords. Local tech gadfly Ano Lee says that he’s disappointed but not surprised that the kiosks were targeted. “Everyone knows how insecure Phxicom equipment is. When they installed their terminals in the preservation zone, people had a field day breaking into them. I would suggest the county listen closely to whatever their outside security firm says and act on their recommendations.”

What was supposed to be a model for the future of efficient governance and citizen interactions, has turned into a nightmare for Mayor Cravalho, Phxicom, and residents alike. Phxicom’s kiosks were supposed to provide citizens with a fast and easy way to conduct business and obtain a wide array of permits, passes, and licenses 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. But the problems are not confined to customers trying to use the kiosks, many who’ve had their data exposed have experienced problems too.

Local noodle shop owner “Uncle” Ralph Umeke says that he received a notice last week that was quite a shock. “I don’t cheat anyone, not customers, not tourists, and certainly not the government. I pay my taxes on time and I’ve never even filed for an extension. Imagine my surprise when I got a notice that I had 90 days to come up with $105,573.60 for back taxes. According to the County I hadn’t paid my property taxes for the past 6 years. I told everyone they had to leave, closed the shop, and marched right down to Cravalho’s office to find out what the hell the problem was. They told me it was all the fault of that Phxicom AI.”

Following the success of SSHAM’s customer service AI Shawn, Phxicom began working on their own system to oversee the operations of the kiosks and Phxie was created. According to Scott Parata, Phxicom’s Regional Operations Manager, the AI was thoroughly tested before being put into service but fell victim to a group using social engineering techniques to gain access to sensitive systems. A statement released by the company reads in part,

“It appears that Phxie’s urge to be helpful led to some unintended consequences in this case. We have taken steps to improve its security protocols and have ensured nothing like this will happen again. We understand that the months of quality service before this incident is little comfort to those inconvenienced by this breach and we apologize. We would like to point out however, that Phxie continues to operate 11 more such programs across the islands efficiently and without incident. We’ve addressed the issues leading to this unfortunate event and are working hard to expedite any further delays and regain your trust.”

However, that trust may be hard to win back for some. Lahaina resident John Driscol says that the security breach didn’t just put his data at risk; It endangered his life. He says that an incorrectly cancelled buss pass left him stranded and afraid for his well being.

“The beaches are a little too busy for my tastes these days. Lately I’ve been taking the bus to the furthest stop from town and walking into the preservation zone for some peace and quiet. There’s a little stream I like to sit next to because the sound of the water drowns out the birds. Those things can really make a racket on a sunny day. Anyway, I got a little too comfortable and fell asleep. Next thing you know it’s dusk and I have run back to catch the last bus. When the reader scanned my pass it was denied. I tried a couple more times to no avail. I tried to tell the driver that the system was wrong, that I paid for a full year, but I was too winded from running. When I stepped off to catch my breath, he just left without me. I reached for my phone but I must have dropped it while I was running. My house is at least 9 miles from where I was. The farthest I’ve ever walked was 5 miles, and that was back in college. I knew it was going to be an ordeal but I didn’t have a choice, and started the long journey back. I made good time for the first couple miles but then fatigue began to set in. I stumbled for hours in the dark. I can’t tell you how cold it was. I’m not sure if they can test if you had hypothermia in the past or not, but I feel like I definitely had it that night. Finally, I saw some headlights. It was a tourist in one of those public Manimal ATVs. I usually make it a rule to never ride in one because of their reputation, but I was so cold that I took the risk. Phxicom and the County better hope I didn’t catch any weird forest disease while I was walking out there.”

STORYLINE

Inter Island Rail Project Put On Hold After VeilCorp Pulls Out

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Like many of you I was excited when I was approached about the idea of the inter-island rail system. Having a fast and affordable way to travel over and between Maui and Lanai seemed like a great plan. The traffic from VeilCorp employee’s alone would have paid for the project within 15 years according to our projections so I did not hesitate to push for the bond issue. There was even talk of expanding the line to cover all the islands. As we all now know the project has been put on hold weeks before it was set to make its first run and VeilCorp has left us holding the bag.

As your mayor I felt it was important that I explained to you what happened, what my office plans to do next, and how I plan on making VeilCorp accountable for their part in this fiasco.

Almost 4 years ago the idea for the rail system was brought up in a meeting we had with a VeilCorp development team. In addition to serving the needs of the local community and tourists, the system would be used by the employees working at the power plant and the veil station. It was agreed that we would come up with most of the capital and build the first lines here and one connecting to Lanai. VeilCorp agreed to give us all the revenue until the bond was paid off and a share going forward. Staffing and maintenance would be our responsibility with VeilCorp footing the energy bill.

Almost immediately the plan started going off track. The site VeilCorp wanted was the old Methodist church. There were numerous concerns about the environmental impact of building lines through the preservation zone and rumors about outside labor being brought in. I worked tirelessly to investigate the rumors and allay any fears about construction. Unfortunately some of those fears have turned out to be true despite my best efforts.

Now that Gateway technology has been made legal for commercial and travel purposes worldwide, VeilCorp says they are no longer interested in the rail project. They now plan on using the Gateway to transport their workforce through a number of veil stations, and not the train system. They have effectively cut out the majority of our customers and revenue. My office doesn’t see a way forward economically at this point and have ordered all operations halted immediately.

We are exploring all legal solutions and I filed formal complaints with all applicable federal agencies. All of these avenues will take years however, and many of you can’t afford to wait that long. We have been in contact with a number of organizations interested in purchasing the station, including a major biotech firm. We have also considered converting the building into government offices but I’m hesitant to sink more money into this project. In the short-term we will be converting the station into a community center and continue to investigate any and all options available to us.

I know that this is not the news that many of you wanted to hear but I’ve always strived to be open and honest with you even when the news is not good. Rest assured that we are working tirelessly to make the best of our current situation and my press office will be giving regular weekly updates. Thank you for your continued support and understanding.

STORYLINE

Officials Say Unwitting Driver Helped Thieves In Burglary Spree

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Lahaina Police arrested three men late Sunday evening for breaking into at least 4 homes in the Black Rock Beach area, and stealing property. 28-year-old Tim Luahi and his cousin 25-year-old Ollie Luahi are facing multiple counts of robbery and grand larceny, but it is the role of the third man, 30-year-old Mark Me’e that has everyone talking. A driver for Fleetaleet, a commercial freight spin-off of the popular Hailoha ridesharing service, Me’e claims he had no idea that his customers were thieves, and thought he was just helping them clear out a number of newly purchased homes. Police say there are no charges filed against Me’e, and he was released soon after his arrest.

Launched last year, Fleetaleet offers a “quick, and affordable solution to anyone needing last minute, or infrequent commercial trucking services,” according to Nella Lawe, Hailoha Vice President. She says, “Drivers get sick, trucks breakdown, automated trucking is expensive, and long-term leasing can be a hassle. We recognized a need in the market for real-time freight services and took advantage. Fleetaleet has provided hundreds of companies with on-demand trucking solutions, and moved millions of pounds of their goods safely, and in a timely manner. Our drivers are safe, and we have a higher customer satisfaction rating than any traditional freight company.” Nonetheless, there are many homeowners this morning who are not singing the company’s praises.

According to Me’e the night started out as any other, until he got an alert that someone was in need of a box truck. “I had been shuttling people all day from the beach to hotels and locations along Front Street. I was getting pretty burned out, and then I saw someone needed a moving truck and driver for a 4 hour job. I thought it’d be a great way to break up the monotony, and end the night with a big job. Unfortunately, that’s not what happened.” Mark says he met the Luahi’s at a beach house North of Black Rock Beach, and while nothing seemed unusual at first, the night began to take a strange turn. “Maybe it was just because I was so tired that I wasn’t thinking straight or something, but I really didn’t think anything was wrong until I saw the police lights.”

From his statement to the police:

“I arrive at the address I was given to find two guys wearing half face tactical masks, and standing by a pile of electronics and some rolled up rugs. I joked with them that I just drove the truck, and didn’t know anything about robbing banks. They said they were from the mainland, and were worried about catching the flu, and the masks were the only thing available at the veil station shop. They explained that they had just purchased a bunch of investment properties in Lahaina, and needed to do walk-throughs and make sure nothing was left behind. They loaded up the truck, and off we went to the next location.

They didn’t seem to have the right addresses, and we drove around for a while, but I didn’t mind too much because the meter was running. We finally got to the next home, and I waited for them to do their inspection. Again, they came out with a bunch of electronics and a jewelry box this time. I remember thinking that whoever left their jewelry behind was an idiot. In retrospect, I guess I was the idiot.

This went on for a while. I’m not sure exactly how long because I was so tired. I did think it was strange that they never brought out any furniture, and almost asked about it, but thought maybe they were planning on renting some of the places furnished. At this point I could barely keep my eyes open, and asked how many more houses they needed to clear out. They said there was one left; so we headed out.

I guess I had fallen asleep waiting for them, because the next thing I know there were lights everywhere, and someone is screaming for me to get out of the truck. Before I can do anything, the window shatters, and I’m face down in the driveway with a taser in my back. Not only did I not end the night with a big payday, but I’m tangled up in some sort of burglary ring in my hometown. I’ve gone out on some bad calls before, but this one takes the cake.”

Police say this is not the first time they have run into trouble with criminals using Fleetaleet for illegal activity. There have been numerous incidents of the company’s drivers being hired to transport stolen property, black market goods, and even drugs. Fleetaleet says they have a vetting process in place for drivers, and follow all applicable laws. Despite their assurances, Mayor Albert Cravalho says the company needs to do more to ensure the safety of the public.

“All a person needs to be a Fleetaleet driver is: an internet connection, access to a commercial vehicle, and the ability to click yes to a series of questions,” says Cravalho. “A 17-year-old boy, registered as a driver with Fleetaleet, rolled a tanker truck on the Honoapi’ilani Highway a few weeks ago just South of town. The spill shutdown traffic for hours as the site was cleaned. They can, and need to do better. I’m a little more understanding with them when it comes to this robbery thing. Clearly, this Mark guy needs to find wherever he put his common sense, and the company needs to reassess if this line of work is for him. If it was me, I wouldn’t hire him if he was the last driver left on Earth.”

STORYLINE

Drivers Protesting New “Hailoha-Lit” Service

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A pilot program designed to curtail drunk driving in West Maui over the holidays has some hopping mad. For over a month now, Hailoha-Lit has offered anyone a free ride if they find themselves on Front Street after a night of celebrating without a way to get home. A partnership between the city of Lahaina and the popular rideshare service Hailoha, the program has already delivered dozens of tourists safely to their hotels. However, many Hailoha drivers say the free service is potentially dangerous and the company has grossly lowered standards to meet demand.

Lahaina saw a record number of accidents, many involving inebriated drivers, last year and 2036 was on track to beat the record again. “We knew something needed to be done and I think we came up with a great solution,” says Mayor Albert Cravalho. Bartenders, police officers, and local business owners carry vouchers for the free rideshare service. After filling out a form with their basic information and declaring that they don’t have the money for a taxi, inebriated people get a free ride from a Hailoha-Lit driver. The service even provides a retrieval voucher for customer’s cars if they were towed, and a reimbursement envelope to send a donation at a later date. Cravalho says he expects other cities to offer similar services soon.

“We’ve seen a 60% drop in police and service calls since the program started and it runs entirely on donations. I’m not sure why some of these drivers see the program as a threat. Every driver can turn in a voucher for reimbursement it’s not like we’re taking away their business. Sure, some of the Hailoha-Lit vehicles may be a little rundown or unusual, but I don’t see the passengers complaining when they get to their destinations safely. The only problem here is disgruntled drivers making a scene.”

Mark Me’e doesn’t see it that way. A long time Hailoha driver Me’e says the program makes a mockery of ride-sharing services and Hailoha’s standards for Lit drivers are dangerous to the industry and more importantly to the public.

“When a passenger gets in my car, pays me, and gives me a location they get three things from me: a mint, a safe comfortable ride, and my undying devotion until we reach our destination. There has always been a strong social pact between driver and passenger. Whether it was ensuring nobody fell out of your canoe 3,000-years-ago, protecting passengers from bandits on your stagecoach, or ensuring everyone can make their connecting flights by going above a particularly bad storm in a jet, the job of taking people from one place to another has always been a sacred one, not to be taken lightly. I’ve seen people using Manimal ATVs as Lit drivers and we all know how unsafe those things are. If that wasn’t bad enough, I’ve also witnessed people riding on bike handlebars, in wagons, and even a lady pushing around tourists in a wheelbarrow. There is nothing sacred or honorable about delivering drunks in a piece of garden equipment.”

While the mayor denies Mark’s accusations and Hailoha says they only authorize the use of “wheeled vehicles” in the Lit program, there are numerous stories on social media sites detailing unusual rides home using the program. One such story involves 34-year-old Camilla Brandt and her husband Tim.

“It was our last night in Lahaina and we definitely overdid it. Tim had lost the credit cards somewhere between beach bars and I had left my purse in the hotel. We were trying to figure out what to do when a server told us about Hailoha-Lit and handed us a voucher. We had no idea what we were about to experience.

Randy was our driver. He explained how much he loved Lit and how the extra income was helping him take care of his grandmother. We didn’t understand at first what he meant when he said he never brought two people home before but was willing to try if we were. Then he went on to say that his car had broken down earlier that week and would be giving us piggy-back rides. We laughed, but he didn’t laugh with us. We just felt so bad for him that we thought we’d give it a try.

To be honest I don’t remember everything clearly because we did have a lot to drink and we were both trying so hard not to laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation. I just remember him carrying me a few hundred feet and then going back for Tim over and over again. Riding on his back was really bumpy and we had to stop frequently so I could puke but he didn’t seem to mind. Even so, Tim offered just to walk alongside us when he was getting bogged down on the beach, there was no point in all three of us retching in the sand, but Randy wouldn’t hear it. The piggy-back rides just got slower and slower. He collapsed about a half-mile from the hotel, but even then he was only concerned about us giving him a 4-star rating. He refused to let us call someone to help clean him up so we left him there sitting alongside the road with one of the best vacation stories in the history of vacations. I hope things got better for Randy and he isn’t still lugging around drunk people on his back. It was fun, but Hailoha needs a better screening process.”

STORYLINE

Public ATV program plagued with technical problems

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The county of Maui and Manimal partnered to provide a public ATV service a little over a month ago, but the program has suffered from a number of major technical issues since its inception. Many are saying the self-driving vehicles are a menace, while others are calling for an immediate end to the service. Despite numerous updates and a recall in the first week to fix an overheating battery issue, the program continues to be plagued with problems. This weekend alone, the service logged over 30 complaints and left one family stranded almost 4 miles from the nearest charging station.

The preservation zone expansion in Lahaina a few months ago put greater restrictions on the number of ATVs allowed inside its borders, as well as the number of businesses allowed to rent the vehicles. In response, the Mayor’s office and Manimal teamed up to offer a first-of-a-kind public ATV program. The service was designed to give better control over all-terrain vehicles traveling through sensitive areas, and allow tourists to still participate in the popular way to see the island. 45 public all-terrain vehicles, in 5 different locations are currently available in the Lahaina area. However, things haven’t gone well.

First, the vehicle’s self-driving and navigation systems leave much to be desired. Unfortunately, it has become common to see the vehicles driving through yards, circling around in parking lots, or even becoming stuck against buildings. Owner of a local maker commune within the preservation zone, Ano Lee says he sees a lot of malfunctioning ATVs.

“We like to call them Self Crashing ATVs or SCATVs. We had one crawl up an embankment and run into the side of the printer shed with a couple of tourists inside. It just sat there, slowly spinning its tires in the grass. It took the Manimal tech over an hour to get down here and she had to disconnect the battery just to get it to stop. I can’t tell you how many people have hiked up here for help after one of these things hit a tree or drove down into a ditch. The only thing extreme about the Manimal ATVs is how extremely bad the navigation system is.”

The ATVs are also excruciatingly slow, with a top speed equal to a brisk walk. A commercial promoting the service with Tony “Half-Barrel” Kahale says that the slow speed is to ensure, “Nobody spills their Manimal.” In truth, the limited speed is a liability and insurance issue. It was thought at the time that slow speeds would make passengers safer, but it has proven to be just the opposite. Drivers have lodged numerous complaints about the vehicles impeding the flow of traffic. Coupled with the navigation issues, many worry that it is only a matter of time before a serious accident occurs.

The program was shut down 4 days after it began because of a number of battery fires. There hasn’t been a fire since the power cables were replaced in all units, but one other early bug is still plaguing the service. The ATV’s power indicators seem to be defective. This issue has left countless tourists stranded as their vehicles suddenly stop. 35-year-old Randy Wilcox and his family were enjoying their vacation until their vehicle rolled to a stop without warning, in the bottom of a gulch, 4 miles from the nearest charging station.

The Mayor’s Office has been scrambling to try and offer solutions to the numerous issues. Mayor Cravalho himself seems open to scrapping the program calling it, “a PR nightmare,” and he’s not alone. Many on the city council agree. A push to shut down the fledgling program is gaining momentum, but not everyone involved with the project seems to have such a negative view.

Manimal CEO Spencer Kane says the program is just experiencing growing pains.

“I’ll be honest. I’m super bummed about the fires and the gauges not working right. That stuff should have been working on day one. But the stuff about getting lost, and driving through yards… you got to expect a few bumps when you’re blazing a new trail. We’re talking about complex systems, that take a specialized group of technicians and engineers. I’ve let them all know how uncool driving around in a circle at a shopping center is and they agree. We’re all on the same page now, and we have a super-good new approach to fixing these bugs and making sure they don’t pop up again. I’d like to encourage anyone who’s on the fence to go ahead and strap in and enjoy a ride. An automated trip down the beach is almost as refreshing as an ice cold Manimal!”