Because of legal issues I will not name certain resorts but most of us know who they are. Most importantly they know who they are! The law says that public access has to be provided. The resorts get permission to build with the stipulation that they will provide a public access. So they leave a path (which has no parking) or they have a driveway with a certain number of designated beach access spaces. Their favorite trick is to tell their morning employees to park in those spaces. In most areas if you cannot park your car you cannot access the beach. This is especially true in Kaanapali.You see, once they build their Hotel or Resort they then want the beach in front to be for their guests. Most Condominiums are gated and they have the same rules as the Hotels. Then of course there are more and more luxury homes which are gated.

The latest thing that is upsetting is that the County is gating and locking the gates to many of the parking lots that provide public access to the beaches. Have you noticed the large rock barricades going up along South Kihei road which prevent parking? How long are the people of Maui going to tolerate this and why isn't anyone complaining or putting a stop to this.

In a conversation with our a top official, he explained that it is to protect the public. Apparently there have been some terrible things that happened. One example he gave me was an incident where someone covered a fire with sand and a child came to the beach and stepped in it and was badly burned. This is a terrible thing to have happened and the person who had the fire should have made sure it was completely out before ever leaving the beach. Maybe they should never have had a fire in the first place. Now because of this person's stupidity we must all pay the price!

The point I want to make here is that anyone that uses the beautiful beaches has an obligation to leave it in the same condition they found it or even better, they could pick up someone elses trash. I often do just that! I have also scolded smokers that just pile their cigarette butts up beside their blanket and then leave them.

Does any of this bother you? Are you doing anything about it?