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Kokua Line
June Watanabe
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Officer wrong about Waikiki tow-away zone
Question: Please ask someone from the Police Department to clarify the parking regulations for the five to six parking stalls on Kalakaua Avenue, between Beretania and Young streets. On Sept. 1, at 4:15 p.m., I was parked in the first stall from the corner directly under the sign that said "1 Hour Parking 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays." A policeman approached and told me it was a "no-parking" zone between 3:30 and 5:30 p.m. weekdays and I needed to move. I pointed out the lack of a sign indicating that restriction and after we went back and forth a bit about the law and the lack of a sign, he told me to do what I want, he would ticket me if I stayed. He went to ticket a car behind me and I was able to leave before he returned. I know that other areas of Kalakaua have red signs on top of the regular green signs that spell out the "no parking" hours, but there isn't one where I was parked. That small area where the stalls are is not part of a regular lane and does not take up space for moving traffic, so why would parking be restricted?
Answer: We hope that whoever was ticketed contested the citation.
The police officer was "in error," said Lt. Jerry Inouye, of the Honolulu Police Department's Traffic Division.
That area is NOT a no-parking tow-away zone in the afternoons, he said.
You're right that if there were that afternoon restriction, there would be a red sign attached to the green sign noting the no-parking period.
There usually also would be a sticker on the parking meter to alert motorists to the afternoon parking restriction, Inouye said.
He speculated that the officer may have been confused because, "generally speaking, between 3:30 and 5:30 (p.m.), the roads leading out of town and leading out of Waikiki are tow zones. But right over there, for whatever reason, it's not."
Inouye apologized for the "wrong information" imparted by the officer.
He said he did speak to District I officers about your complaint, but doesn't know who the officer in question is.
If you want to follow up to make sure he is made aware of the parking situation in the area, call Inouye at 529-3386 with information to identify the officer.
Q: The law says that you cannot park within four feet of either side of a public or private driveway. From where do you measure? A friend got a ticket and he insists he was four feet away from the driveway. I told him I had read or heard someplace that the driveway starts where the curb starts to slope to street level. Is the incline part of the apron included or does the driveway start where the curb is level? (Two questions combined)
A: The incline or "apron" is considered part of a driveway, so the four feet would be measured from the incline, said Capt. Frank Fujii, spokesman for the Honolulu Police Department.
Mahalo
To Jeff Chang for finding my ring in the ocean off Waimanalo Beach on Friday, Oct. 6. -- Michele (and Jessie) Freitas
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.
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