It seems so simple – sit on a bench and wait for the bus to pick you up. But for many Oahu residents catching a ride on the public bus often involves fear or intimidation when faced with homeless who use bus stops as their private beds.

"I'm not going to horse with them,” said Waikiki resident Don DeLisle, who catches the bus everyday with his wife Betty. The retired couple said they often encounter people who are using bus stops as a makeshift shelter.

“They have their stolen shopping carts (nearby) and all their possessions,” said Betty DeLisle. “It's like it belongs to them.”

Honolulu Council members Ann Kobayashi and Rod Tam have proposed an ordinance that would allow police to crack down on certain activities at public bus stops, specifically sleeping or keeping bulky items nearby that would otherwise not be allowed on a bus.

“There are people who use it as a home,” said Tam. “They say, 'yes I'm waiting for the bus,' but they're not actually doing that. So the bill gives more of a basis in terms of what the bus stop benches are for.”

The measure (Bill 35) passed first reading Wednesday and appears to have the support of a majority of the Council. Under the ordinance anyone caught sleeping at a bus stop could be warned to move by a police officer. If a police warning fails violators could be arrested and face up to a $50 fine.

Tam says homeless who are simply trying to catch a bus would not be targeted. “We need to tighten up the laws,” said the councilman. “Make it sensible in terms of the use of the bus stops but not be discriminating against others too.”

Tam’s initiative has the support of bus riders like the DeLislie’s. The couple says every once in awhile they are forced to walk an extra mile or so to another bus stop because of people sleeping on benches. They also complain about the homeless at bus stops who demand handouts. “They do panhandle,” said Betty. “And they insult you if you don't give them money.”

Honolulu Police Department spokeswoman Michelle Yu said unless someone is breaking a specific law, there’s little officers can do to stop someone from sleeping at bus stops.

Proposed Ordinance

Andrew may be reached at apereira@khon2.com or ph. 591-4263.