Page 7 - Hawaii Island MidWeek - Aug 4 2021

Airlines’ policies about weight have been on my mind for years. Although not as of- ten as some others, such as:
have puzzled me. According to U.S. airline guidelines, a passenger is allowed to check a suitcase weighing no more than 50 pounds. The limit obviously is to make sure the aircraft isn’t too heavy to get off the ground, because oth- erwise it would be nothing more than a bus with uncom- fortable seats.
The Federal Aviation Administration is considering weighing passengers.
• Why are flight attendants required to stand in front of passengers and demonstrate how to buckle their seat belts? We’ve been buckling up in our cars for half a century and if we haven’t figured it out by now, we probably should just stay home.
(Apparently there’s also a weight limit of 40 pounds for carry-on bags, although I’ ve never seen those being weighed and I’ ve always as- sumed the rule was pretty much all you can lift as long as it doesn’t to contain dangerous items such as brass knuckles or large tubes of toothpaste.)
more than 250 pounds. I’ m pretty sure there aren’t a lot of 250-pound ballerinas.)
• Why does a flight from Dayton, Ohio, to Washington, D.C., (491 miles due east) connect in Chicago (307 miles north by northwest)?
But if airlines are worried about liftoff, I keep wonder- ing, why do they weigh the passenger’s stuff and not the passenger?
Clearly this discriminates against slender passengers. Combined, my wife and I weigh approximately 250 pounds, so it seems only fair that we each should be allowed to check a lot more luggage than a guy who may be sitting between us and overflowing both arm rests.
• Why does airline coffee taste like it was brewed three weeks ago? And why do I keep ordering it?
A planeload of pro football players, for instance, would weigh a lot more than a plane- load of ballerinas. (I’ve never actually flown on a plane filled with ballerinas, but one time I did fly on a team plane with the Cincinnati Bengals’ players, the majority of whom weighed
Further study about the whole weight thing clearly is necessary. In the meantime, maybe airlines could lighten their loads by getting rid of the machines that make their terrible coffee.
Still, airline policies con- cerning weight occasionally
And yet, every passenger gets the same luggage limit.
AUGUST 4, 2021
HAWAI‘I ISLAND MIDWEEK 7
Hawaii County Emergency Rental Assistance Program
“If your household income has been negatively impacted due to COVID19, apply for the Hawaii County Emergency Rental Assistance Program”
WHERE TO APPLY
Instructions. Check if your household earns less than the annual maximum income amount based on the number
of persons in your home. If yes, choose 1 nonprofit partner below to apply for a rent and utility assistance grant. You are encouraged to apply online for faster processing. Applications are available by phone and in-person for those without access to a computer or internet. IMPORTANT: You MUST be a renter to apply. Homeowners are NOT eligible for this program.
Maximum Income Threshold
1 Person
2 Persons
3 Persons
4 Persons
5 Persons
6 Persons
7 Persons
8 Persons
$47,950
$54,800
$61,650
$68,500
$74,000
$79,500
$84,950
$90,450
*Add $5,500 for each additional household member above 8 persons
Visit our website:
www.HawaiiCountyERAP.org
Hawaii First Federal Credit Union
1221 Kilauea Avenue, Suite 150, Hilo, HI 96720 www.hawaiifirstfcu.com
808.933.6600 empower@hawaiifirstfcu.com
HOPE Services Hawaii
357 Waianuenue Avenue, Hilo, HI 96720 www.hopeserviceshawaii.org
808.935.3050 ERAP@hopeserviceshawaii.org
Neighborhood Place of Puna
16-105 Opukahaia Street, Keaau, HI 96749 www.neighborhoodplace.org
808-965-5550 ERAP@neighborhoodplace.org
Habitat for Humanity Hawaii Island
73-4161 Uluwini Place, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740 www.habitathawaiiisland.org/
808.843.0071 rmap@habitathawaiiisland.org
Hawaii County Economic Opportunity Council
47 Rainbow Drive, Hilo, HI 96720 www.hceoc.net
808.932.2714 ERAP@hceoc.net
The Salvation Army
219 Ponahawai Street, Hilo, HI 97620 Hawaii.salvationarmy.org
808.935.1277 Hilo.ERAP@usw.salvationarmy.org
The Federal Aviation Administration is concerned about our weight. Realizing that pas- sengers are a bit heftier today, the FA A is examining calcu- lations about the safe pay- load for commercial flights. Among its options, a recent advisory declared, is “weigh- ing customers at the gate.”
PATERNITY WARD
D. L. Stewart
Weighty Matters