Vacation in Hawaii

[Duck and Cover]

Hey guys, as you can see by the title I'm going to Hawaii for a two week vacation soon, and I was thinking about self defense strategies before I leave. Any vacation SD tips?

First and foremost, I want to say that I always do my best to maintain situational awareness, and I don't put myself into dangerous situations if I can help it. So far I was planning on having a pocketknife, pepper spray, and my surefire on me or near me at all times.

What are Hawaii's blade laws like? Would I be okay carrying my Benchmade Mini Griptillian? What about pepper spray/OC? How is crime there? I'll be going to Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and Hawaii.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Duck and Cover]

No response... come one guys... any advice at all?

 

[Fish828]

here's a little bit on knife laws in hawaii to go over before your trip
http://pweb.netcom.com/~brlevine/hi.txt
http://www.handgunlaw.us/documents/USKnife.pdf

 

[theken206]

if confronted.....

step one- take off shirt

step two- put down bottle of heinikin {AKA green bottle}

step three- shout out CHEEEEE HUUUUUUHHHHHH as loud as you can whilst staring down the locals{fierce gaze fierce gaze}

dont forget that only talk in "pidgon", other wise everyone will spit in your food an stuff.

*disclamor, im not from there nor have I ever been there. These steps I have been assured will seamlessly integrate you into the local culture, so ive been told hehehehe

 

[ArmedBear]

Don't be an *******, and people are unlikely to mess with you.

Not much to worry about, except in some parts of Honolulu, which are like ghettos in other American cities.

Don't know why anyone would want to spend time in Honolulu anyway, when there are so many other places worth seeing.

You're covering a lot of ground in two weeks. What do you plan to do at each place?

Enjoy!

 

[bwavec]

What island/islands are you going to ?

Each one has a character and flavor all it's own.

There is very little violent crime in Hawaii. Don't bother with guns, tasers, pepper spray, etc. A decent folding knife (that fits the above regs) is more than enough.

Stick with the places tourists go, and you should have nothing but good times and a wonderful vacation.

Wear sunscreen during daylight hours. It doesn't take much to get burned in the islands.

Make eye contact with people as they approach you on the street, when you do, give them a nod and a smile. And you'll get the same in return. It shows you are aware of your surroundings....and not a good target.

One thing I will warn you about is vehicle break ins. The rental car companies use just a few models of car, and they have bar code decals on the windshield or side windows. Telltale signs of a visitor. Don't leave anything in your car when it is parked that you want to still have there when you get back. I am not saying that the islands are rife with break ins, but they do happen, especially when parked in areas frequented by tourists. Carry a small day pack or messenger bag and use that to haul your "battle rattle" (video camera, digi cam, cell phone, ipod, etc, etc) while you are out and about. If you are not 100% that you will use/need a piece of electronic gear, leave it in your hotel room. Putting it in the trunk will no keep it safe (that is why there are those decals inside the trunk lid that say: DO NOT LEAVE VALUABLES IN THE TRUNK), thieves know where you are likely to stash something, and how to get to it quickly.

Most hotel rooms have a small safe that can used free or for a nominal charge (inquire with the hotel). Use that to lock up your cash, travel documents, electronics, etc when you are leaving the room for a while. It may sound like a pain, but the extra five minutes you spend securing your stuff could save you some headache down the road.

If you want to provide me with more specifics, I can give some more specific comments.....feel free to PM me.

 

[brighamr]

bwavec - read his post, and you'll see the islands he's visiting are: oahu, maui, kauai and hawaii (big island).

I've been to maui twice and once to kauai. I don't bother visiting oahu (if I want to get the oahu atmosphere I can drive through compton )

Haven't had an issue on any of my trips. then again, i don't get drunk and hit on waitresses (which makes a difference from what I hear).

As for self defense while on oahu, don't go to certain parts of the city after dark, especially if you are white. Ask your hotel clerk about these places, they are familiar.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[CWL]

Hawaii is a safe place, most trouble is 'found' by looking for it.

On the big island, your trouble is probably from other (drunk) tourists, as for locals, you can get into trouble if you behave rudely in the wrong areas (like in small towns or at certain surf locations). But, you will likely be hangin' in tourist areas, where people will leave you alone unless you start something.

Generally, all of Hawaii is peaceful & quiet. Take your shoes off, smile a lot and you shouldn't have any trouble.

 

[zoom6zoom]

What about pepper spray/OC?

You can't fly with it in your carry on or in checked baggage - so you'd have to buy there and leave it behind.

 

[wdlsguy]

Mace/Pepper Spray - One 118 ml or 4 Fl. oz. container of mace or pepper spray is permitted in checked baggage provided it is equipped with a safety mechanism to prevent accidental discharge. For more information visit www.faa.gov., click on Passengers, then Preparing to Fly.

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/prohibited/permitted-prohibited-items.shtm#8

 

[CAS700850]

I was in Honolulu for a week last September. Wife earned her CPCU designation, and that's where the conference was. Anyways, I'm a city person, and found it to be one of the cleanest, friendliest cities I've ever been to. Granted, i wasn't out cruising the nightclubs or back streets after 10:00 at night. Took a long walk on Waikiki in the dark, no problems at all. As for weapons, a pair of Benchmade folders, a mini-mag flashlight, and a smile.

We went to Chinatown for lunch. Between tourists and cops, I never felt uncomfortable.

 

[xjchief]

Funny seeing people knock Honolulu. I guess most of them never made it out of Waikiki. There's plenty of great stuff to do on Oahu even though it's more urban than the rest of the islands. That's one of the things that makes Hawaii neat, each island is unique.

Use your common sense and you'll be just fine there. I'd avoid the same kind of places you'd avoid at home and keep in mind that the police don't like ANY kind of violence justified or not.

 

[Duck and Cover]

Thanks for all the advice! I'll be taking my benchmade, my surefire, and my common sense, I think I'll be fine. I'll post some pictures when I get back.

 

[Dain Bramage]

When we went to Hawaii last year for a week-long cruise, my SOG folder was all I took along. We hit Hawaii, Oahu, Kauai, and Maui with seventeen family members. Everyone we met was friendly. The only problem I had was getting the knife back onboard the cruise liner, with their nitpicky regulations.

What you really need is comfortable walking shoes, and I second the sunscreen comment. That, and a portable money mint.

Oh, and xjchief, I loved Honolulu. I had never been there before, and had some of the same reservations as the other posters. Our Hawaii-deco hotel, within walking distance of the beach, was great. The kids loved Pearl Harbor, the restaurants, and the zoo. We had a wonderful time, and it was a nice contrast to the other islands, which all had their unique charm.

 

[Stirling XD]

The wife and I went to Maui 4 years ago. It was a great place and we felt pretty safe. Choose your rental car wisely. I thought it would be fun to rent a Jeep Wrangler while we were there. But on our first night there, we were pulled over by a local LEO. He ran our plates when he was behind us and it came back as a different color than what he thought our Jeep was. (It was very dark.) He told us that Jeeps were hot items for theft. He checked our paperwork and let us be on our way. Like bwavec said, don't leave anything in your vehicle. Take a helicopter tour if you have the time and money. It was worth it. Have fun!

 

[velobard]

It's been a long time, but I spent a couple years living in Hawaii. Violent crime isn't a huge problem as long as you use some common sense. For example, I figured out early on to stay away from the Hotel St neighborhood after dinner-time, and to not wander off alone into remote wooded areas where pot farms might be hiding, especially without a local along to vouch for you. I never even set foot in Waikiki.

The bigger problem I saw was property crime. Never leave anything of value in your rental car anywhere, but especially somewhere like the beach. Man, the stories I heard, and they were all from the locals who either did the stealing or admired their friends for pulling stuff off.