Advertisement - Click to support our sponsors.
Kokua Line
Question: Why does the state have to charge each tour and hospitality driver every time they need to utilize the restroom facilities at our popular scenic attraction -- Diamond Head? Our tour and hospitality drivers work very hard everyday to transport tourists to and from Diamond Head, promoting our island home and generating revenues for our state. To charge these drivers is both ludicrous and demoralizing. Doesn't the state know that this is a "lua stop" for these drivers due to the isolated location? Are any of our politicians paying attention? Can't something be done about this? Tour drivers must
pay for ‘lua stop’Answer: State parks administrator Ralston Nagata is not sympathetic to your complaint, so it doesn't look like the policy will change.
"The entry charges are for everybody who enters the premises," he said. It's not a fee to use the restrooms. Nagata said he thought he had cleared up the matter in discussions with tour operators.
If tour drivers come regularly, and some do several times a day, Nagata said the smart thing is for the company to pick up an annual pass -- for $10 -- for each driver.
He said $1 is the "nominal amount" being charged people who go into the crater, to help maintain the landmark, as well as other state parks.
Nagata didn't buy the argument that people shouldn't be charged for using Diamond Head Crater as a "lua stop," saying that's the problem -- that the restrooms there are heavily used.
"We realize this is not just the driver (involved), but hundreds of tourists. That's what's impacting the park," he said.
The money collected goes into the state park special fund.
"Diamond Head is one of the heaviest draws from this special fund. Before we even started collecting fees, we incurred a lot of costs at Diamond Head," Nagata said.
The money collected will help fund a coordinator's position, a visitors' center, and also help repair the eroding summit area. "And we've been doing a lot of leg work with the community on our master plan and EIS (environmental impact statement) for Diamond Head. We're talking about millions of dollars," Nagata said.
Q: There is a man in a dark blue pickup truck who has decided to take up residency on Kalakaua Street in Hawaii Kai. He shows up in the early morning hours and most times beds down for the night in his truck, sometimes sharing it with a woman. We have a neighborhood security watch so this doesn't go unnoticed. A lot of times, he stays awhile, then drives off, only to return sometime later. He usually is quiet except for truck startups and door openings and closings. We have called police, but he returns after they leave. Is it legal for a person to sleep in his car? If the police could include this street on nightly cruises, maybe they can help us with this problem.
A: If they weren't before, patrol officers in the area are now aware of the situation.
There is a law against "human habitation" in vehicles between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. on public streets, said Honolulu police Capt. Bryan Wauke, Traffic Division. "You cannot use the car for habitation, which includes sleeping."
Mahalo
To Tony, a volunteer at the Pearl City police station. He rescued me from an H-1 side-of-the-road car problem on Sunday, May 14, as I was on my way to lead a hike for some visiting students. Despite the silly way I had gotten myself into a jam, he wasn't judgmental. -- Anita Manning.
Need help with problems? Call Kokua Line at 525-8686,
fax 525-6711, or write to P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu 96802.
Email to kokualine@starbulletin.com