Kokua Line June Watanabe

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TheBus can't keep kids on parents' laps

Question: I understand that a nonpaying kid riding the bus should be held on the parent's lap. On occasion, I and some other riders have to stand up because one or more kids occupy the seats. What can we do? We are already working the whole day and would like to sit on the way home.

Answer: This is a situation that's realistically impossible for drivers to enforce, so TheBus officials only hope that parents don't take advantage of the situation.

Children under 6 are able to ride for free if accompanied by a paying passenger, "but they would not be allowed to occupy a seat to the exclusion of a fare-paying passenger," said Michelle Kennedy, spokeswoman for Oahu Transit Services.

However, she acknowledged enforcement "can be very difficult."

One, it's not always easy to determine the age of a child, she said. The child might be older than 6 and pay a fare, but could look younger to other riders.

Second, the person the child is with might have a physical disability that would not make it possible for the child to sit on the person's lap, she said, while the age of the child could make it difficult for him or her to stand the entire ride.

Meanwhile, bus drivers are in a difficult position. Even if they remember the family getting on, they might not be aware whether a child paid the fare, Kennedy said.

"In these situations we ask the bus operator to apply common sense," she said. The operator might be able to ask the parent to share the seat with their child.

But it's a matter of riding with "aloha."

"We continue to inform riders of all ages that we should all be courteous and provide seating priority to elders and riders with disabilities," Kennedy said. "Hopefully, with more information out in the community, parents may become aware of the impact their actions have on other riders and if parents begin reminding their children about courtesy, we may see an improvement in the seating situation."

Q: I recently renewed my Hawaii driver's license. When I got my new one, they punched a hole in my old license, which hasn't expired yet, and gave it back to me. Is my old driver's license still good?

A: No.

The punching of a hole in a driver's license indicates that the driver's license has been invalidated, said Dennis Kamimura, administrator of the city Motor Vehicle and Licensing Division.

However, the invalidated license is given back because there apparently are a lot of people who just like to have it as a keepsake.

Auwe

To the people in a white Camry with personalized license plates. At about 4:30 p.m. last Wednesday, you were stopped on School Street. A back-seat passenger opened the door on the driver's side and threw an empty chip bag onto the road. Shame on you! Keep your trash in your car until you can get to a trash bin. That was atrocious. -- Bev