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Kokua Line
June Watanabe
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Abandoned vehicle line taking calls
Question: A big "auwe" to the "technician" who designed and implemented the city's telephone line to report abandoned cars. Try calling 532-7700 as listed in the phone book and you just don't know when to record your message nor if it is being recorded at all! Whom can we complain to?
Answer: It turns out the city doesn't want you to leave a message -- it wants to talk to you directly to make sure it gets the right information. What a concept!
But, we agree that it is not clear what you are supposed to do, which is not to leave a message, but to talk to someone in the Motor Vehicle Control Section.
The more direct number to call to report abandoned or derelict vehicles is 733-2530.
532-7700 is the general number to call for various motor vehicle-related questions or complaints. After you press "5" to get to the abandoned-vehicle staff, you are told to have the vehicle's license number, if available; the make, type and color of the vehicle; and the location.
The recording then says: "To repeat this message press 2, to return to the main menu, press 3; if you require further information, please press 1 and hold for the first available agent. ... If the line is busy or you're unable to hold, you may bypass this recording by calling 733-3250 at your convenience."
You're supposed to press 1 to make your report.
We asked Dennis Kamimura, administrator of the city's Motor Vehicles & Licensing Division, if it were possible to make that more obvious. He said he would look into changing the recording.
He explained that during office hours, if you press 1, the call is transferred to 733-2530 and someone will answer. It's only if the caller is unable to reach anyone -- the line is busy, for example -- that you are told to bypass the recording by calling 733-2530, he said.
After normal office hours, there is no staff to talk to and no way to leave a message.
Why doesn't the recording accept messages? Because speaking to someone results in more complete and necessary information being taken, Kamimura said.
He also pointed to the city's Web site, where you can report various city-related problems online: www4.co.honolulu.hi.us/cityhallonline/DIT0200/DIT0200_frmProblemReportFormInitiate.asp.
Kamimura emphasized that if a complainant does not leave a contact name, telephone number or e-mail address, "we sometimes have difficulty locating the vehicle that is being reported by the public."
Auwe
To the driver of a large SUV traveling Ewa-bound on the leftmost lane of the H-1 freeway near the Palama Street exit around 7:15 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 9. You moved into my lane without signaling, nearly clipping my car and forcing me to slam on my brakes and alert you with my horn to avoid a collision. Please kokua and show more aloha toward your fellow drivers. -- D. Uehara
Got a question or complaint? Call 529-4773, fax 529-4750, or write to Kokua Line, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210, Honolulu 96813. As many as possible will be answered. E-mail to
kokualine@starbulletin.com.
See also: Useful phone numbers