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Kokua Line
June Watanabe
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Complaints spur parking crackdown
Question: We appreciate the fine work of the police. But, recently, they have begun targeting our block -- Hibiscus Drive/Coconut Avenue in Waikiki -- and giving a lot of parking tickets. There's hardly any parking in this area and people are having a hard time just parking in front of their houses. They're giving tickets for parking within four feet of a driveway. I just got a ticket for parking three and a half feet from my driveway. My stepfather got a ticket for parking within two and a half feet of his own driveway. It seems so unreasonable that they're measuring every inch. All of a sudden my family got five tickets in one week. One day, I saw an officer giving tickets to a whole bunch of cars. I said people aren't blocking a driveway, they're just a little bit closer than four feet. She said it had to be four feet, holding a stick in her hand. Why are they targeting this particular block all of a sudden? My family has lived here since 1953. Can anything be done?
Answer: Unfortunately, one or more of your neighbors must have complained.
"We did receive some complaints" about people parking too close to driveways along your block, said Capt. Frank Fujii, spokesman for the Honolulu Police Department.
Police do "thoroughly understand that in certain areas, parking is at a premium for residents," he said. "We like to exercise discretion wherever we can."
However, he said, if complaints are received and there is a violation, "we're duty-bound to take enforcement action."
Q: I live in a cul-de-sac in Kaimuki. A neighbor's van has been parked across the street from my home for more than a year without moving. Second, there are "no parking" signs clearly posted in the cul-de-sac. However, our neighbor's tenants periodically park there. What are the rules for on-street and illegal parking there?
A: The Honolulu Police Department has previously told Kokua Line that cul-de-sacs are considered turnaround areas, where the street is supposed to be kept clear to allow vehicles, especially emergency vehicles and refuse trucks, to turn around.
You note that "no parking" signs are posted. However, no such signs are required in cul-de-sacs.
Under Article 14, Section 15-14.1 of the Revised Ordinances of Honolulu -- "Stopping, standing or parking prohibited in specific places - No signs required" -- No. 27 on the list is "within the turnaround area of any dead-end street."
Meanwhile, call the city's abandoned-vehicle section about the van. The law requires that a vehicle be moved at least once every 24 hours if parked on a public street.
Call 733-2530 during normal work hours, or 532-7700 (press 250 during greeting) for the 24-hour recorded line. Provide a description of the vehicle as well as an address or location.
While many vehicles are reported as being abandoned, the reality is that most are just parked too long in one spot.
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