Kokua Line June Watanabe

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Loud bus sounds cannot be softened

Question: I am a daily bus rider and live on a street where buses run late into the night. Many times, drivers lower the front of the bus to make it easier for commuters to alight or board. Whenever the bus is lowered, an extremely loud, piercing blast of vacuumed air is released, followed by equally loud, continuous beeping. This loud blast and beeping can be quite startling, especially late at night. Is it possible to soften the loud blast and beeping?

Answer: TheBus officials acknowledge the loud sounds, but say they are not able to lower the volume.

"We apologize for the number of sights and sounds emitted by our vehicles that were not there a few years ago," said Michelle Kennedy, spokeswoman for Oahu Transit Services, operator of the city's bus system.

Because of standards set by the Americans With Disabilities Act, buses now are made to emit audible alarms to alert the visually impaired traveling on or near the buses.

"We unfortunately cannot regulate the sounds and sound levels made by our vehicles, as the decibel levels are set by the manufacturer at the 'North American Standard' and are not adjustable or allowed to be made inoperable," she said.

Compressed air in the suspension bellow is expended when buses are lowered to accommodate easier boarding or alighting, she explained.

A beeping sound accompanies the lowering of the bus and also is emitted as a safety feature when the wheelchair lift/ramp is used.

"Late into the evening, the bus sounds appear to be amplified by the lack of other street noises," Kennedy said.

Passengers can ask to have a bus lowered or the lift/ramp deployed; bus drivers also are allowed to use their discretion as to the need to lower a bus, she said.

Q: National Public Radio recently had a story about a small cafe in Washington, D.C., accepting only credit or debit cards and no cash for payments. In D.C., that's considered legal. Is that legal in Hawaii? Is there any law restricting the practice of not accepting cash for services in retail?

A: Businesses in Hawaii may refuse to take cash as payment, and accept only checks and/or credit cards.

We explained the law in our Jan. 21, 2004, Kokua Line, in which someone asked whether it was illegal for businesses to refuse to take bills larger than $20.

According to the U.S. Department of Treasury, there is no federal law mandating that "a private business, a person or an organization must accept currency or coins as payment for goods and/or services. Private businesses are free to develop their own policies on whether or not to accept cash unless there is a state law which says otherwise."

There is no state law mandating otherwise.

For more information, check the Treasury Department's Web site on currency questions: www.ustreas.gov/education/faq/currency/legal-tender.html.