It’s the little things.

The busted beachside shower. The broken bus shelter seat. The overgrown sidewalk. The moldy pile of illegally dumped trash that just never seems to go away.

Residents know that Hawaii has some special traits. One of them is that a lot of things don’t quite work as they should — if they work at all.

Enter Fix It!, a reader-driven column focused on solving everyday obstacles — the inoperable and the inefficient amenity, the mundane and major facility fail that escapes the attention of government agencies, but affects our quality of life. 

At Civil Beat, we aim to hold government accountable for problems big and small. Fix It! is all about the small — which might not seem small at all if it affects you.

We’re turning to readers to help us find these woes. Tell us what’s broken and we’ll find out who is responsible for fixing it and what their plans are to make things right, and report back to you — as many times as necessary until Fix It! gets it fixed.

Please tell us where the problem is, as specifically as possible. A cellphone photo would be helpful. Here are ways to get in touch:  

You can submit in minutes using this form. 

You can send us an email at news@civilbeat.org. Put “Fix It” in the subject line so it doesn’t get lost.

You can send a letter to the newsroom at P.O. Box 10857, Honolulu, HI 96816.

We won’t use your name without your permission but, if we pursue your fix, we will get back to you with what we find.