At 3:30 on a Friday afternoon, the sign-wavers were already along the Likelike — both sides of the tunnel. And this was three weeks ago. The special election for City Council to fill the seat of the late Barbara Marshall has an intensity not often seen in such small races. These dudes want to win. Ardent sign waving, snide mud-slinging, sneaky calls to the police complaining about each other. It is an all-out battle.

This latest episode, getting the police to roust sign-wavers along the highway, is troubling. Since when is it illegal? As long as they're not dancing in the lanes or throwing mangos at passing cars, what's the harm?

Let 'em wave. In this age of voter apathy, of folks being too busy and too bored, a glimpse of a candidate standing and delivering on the roadside may be as close as the electorate ever gets to that person before the ballot is filled out and mailed in. It may be superficial, but it is more real than a MySpace page, more personal than a pamphlet shoved in the front gate, more animated than a formulaic candidate profile on the 5 p.m. news.

Holding a sign on the side of the road with family and supporters is one of the last ways politicians have of engaging the public without media filters or Photoshop fixes.

It tells you something about the person. It lets you see who's out there with him, who she associates with, how their supporters act. No, it doesn't tell you how they stand on issues or whether they paid their taxes. You have to do your homework for that kind of substance. But it does tell you if they have what it takes to stand out in the rain or the sun day after day waving like a goofball. It tells you if they really want it.

Serving on the City Council means lots of face time with the constituents. It means interminable hours listening to complaints in excruciating detail about garbage pickup and bus service and the bathrooms at the park. If a person can't handle the rigors of standing in one place, smiling like they mean it and taking all manner of reaction from folks passing in traffic, then they should go find a job doing something out of the public eye. Sign-waving lets voters know if they can handle.

And certainly there are other things for the police to worry about. Like the kids darting in and out of traffic with those scoop nets.

Lee Cataluna's column runs Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Reach her at 535-8172 or lcataluna@honoluluadvertiser.com.