Kokua Line
Kokua Line
Question: When I come off the Pearl City offramp, veering right, I see vehicles parked on the grassy shoulder with a "for sale" sign. Isn't there a hefty fine for parking on public grassy areas? Car parked on shoulder
errs with ‘for sale’ signAnswer: Actually the violation is not for parking on the grassy area, but for parking the vehicle there "for the principal purpose of displaying such a vehicle for sale," according to Honolulu Police Department spokeswoman Michelle Yu.
She cited the Revised Ordinances of Honolulu, Sec. 15-14.7a.
According to Pearl City police Capt. Stephen Kim, officers will cite such vehicles if they personally observe a violation or if a complaint is made. He said you should call 911 if you see a vehicle parked there again.
Q: There is a black limousine that seems to be parked at Kaimana Beach Park consistently by the Natatorium. I think it's a business that can't find any other parking. Is there a law against non-park users taking parking spaces in the park?
A: The parks department has "no control over that, except for (illegal) parking on the grass," said city parks Director William Balfour. However, if park workers see someone parking a vehicle and obviously going somewhere else, they will take down the license number and pass it on to police, he said.
However, unless police see an obvious violation, they cannot issue a citation, said Lt. Bryan Wauke of the Honolulu Police Department's Traffic Division. All they can do is send a warning letter.
There are signs saying parking in that park is supposed to be for park users, but it would be difficult for police to ascertain whether a vehicle parked there, limo or not, was driven by a park user, Wauke said.
Q: Traveling Koko Head on Kalanianaole Highway near Moomuku Place in Kuliouou, the road turns to the right. In that one stretch there is no guardrail. Where the guardrail begins again, people are continuously plowing into it. Why isn't that gap in the guardrails closed, at least for safety reasons?
A: Under the Kalanianaole widening project, designers used accepted design criteria in ending the guardrails at Moomuku Place, according to highways engineer Tom Gabrielli with the state Department of Transportation.
He acknowledged the guardrail end has been hit and needs to be repaired. As part of the contract to repair the damaged section, DOT will consider extending the guardrail to the concrete barrier west of Moomuku Place, he said.
Mahalo
To police Officer Cash, who came to my assistance on April 19. He used his radio communicator to have the police dispatcher contact an emergency tow, as pay phones do not allow for 1-800 numbers. He also called for backup to push my car off to the side. Auto Rescue Tow Co. responded relatively quickly to get to Nuuanu and School streets. But auwe to Verizon. Did you know that the phone operator will not place an emergency pay phone call to a 1-800 number to assist you? Even the supervisor at Verizon said, "We are sorry, sir, we cannot place calls to 1-800 numbers." Aloha 'ino (what a shame). We try to advocate/emulate the aloha spirit, but auwe, no mo' dat much 'cept for the few, like Officer Cash. -- Pulamahia Maile(If it was a Verizon phone that you used, you shouldn't have had a problem, Verizon spokesman Jonathan Davies said. You could have dialed 1-800 directly at a Verizon pay phone and gotten through, or "our operators would have put through that call." He apologized for your experience but wondered if you had dealt with another phone company. If you provide more information, he will try to track down the source of your problem.)
Got a question or complaint?
Call 529-4773, fax 529-4750, or write to Kokua Line,
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Honolulu 96813. As many as possible will be answered.
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