Whenever I see news articles like this, I get a bit upset. The L.A. Times dispatched a malahini to report on shopping in Hawaii and, naturally, he or she gets it all wrong. In this case, the reporter talks about how awful it is to shop at Costco Iwilei and how its apparently a symbol of evil. Inadvertently, the writer paints islanders as either stupid or desperate. Here's a bit of the turgid prose.

"Yet there's a price to pay, besides the $50 annual membership, for such savings. It comes -- as Itagia, the cab driver, indicated -- in the form of excruciating waits, suffocating crowds and the seemingly inevitable overspending that comes with roaming aisle after aisle of bargains."

Hee hee. First, a few corrections.

I've NEVER waited 20 to 30 minutes for a parking place there, as the article states. Ample parking can be found if you hoof it towards Dole Cannery and off-hours shopping is rathe tranquil. Worst comes worst, you can boot-leg it in from the Home Depot shopping lot just across the way. Second, not ALL islanders are so dumb as to waste their paychecks at Costco buying random junk. Personally, we go in with a list, shop quickly and come out quickly. Now, on to some strategic insights. Crowds at Costco Hawaii Kai or the Outer Island outlets are pretty negligible. What's more, Hawaii Kai is better merchandised than Iwi Lei -- nicer products, more selection, etc. And, for visitors that are bargain hunting for local products to take home, you can't beat Costco -- they have a ton of great items made by local companies, from popcorn to candy to all manner of other stuff. As good as Long's? Probably not, but certainly cheaper. LAT -- next time you want to write about shopping in Hawaii, hire a local to do it rather than rely on someone that CLEARLY does not know Hawaii very well rather than a patronizing, offensive neophyte.

—Alex, 09/16/07