Kokua Line
Kokua Line
Question: On June 21 at approximately 5:45 a.m., there was a traffic accident involving three cars in the middle of H-1 heading town-bound in the vicinity of Sears Distribution Center. What angered me the most was seeing three HPD vehicles in the Zipper Lane. If they are on duty, why aren't they using the regular lanes? Most traffic accidents or stalls occur in the regular lanes, and if they are on duty or traveling to their work locations, wouldn't it be common sense to be traveling in the lanes where their assistance may be needed the most? The lame excuse that HPD is giving is that their officers are en route to work and are authorized to use the Zipper Lane. Get real! Travel where you are needed the most! Reserve the Zipper Lane for emergencies rather than convenience! Off-duty HPD officers
may use Zipper LaneAnswer: At that time of the morning, the officers may have been involved in enforcing the Zipper Lane law, said Sgt. Clyde Yamashiro of the Honolulu Police Department's Traffic Division.
But first, he explained that the state director of transportation authorizes law enforcement vehicles to be in the Zipper Lane whether on duty or not. "Part of their duties while in the Zipper Lane is enforcement," Yamashiro said.
If there are accidents outside of the lane, "it doesn't mean we have only three officers out there. There are other officers who could respond," he said.
On the other side of the coin, other people complain about motorists who should not be in the Zipper Lane. Then the complaint becomes, "Why aren't the police doing anything about these guys?" Yamashiro noted.
In fact, 113 Zipper Lane citations were issued between January and May of this year - compared with 111 during all of last year, he said. The penalty for a Zipper Lane violation is $127.
Q: I live in Manoa. The lights at Manoa Field are on sometimes until 2 a.m. and routinely quite late, not only wasting a lot of power, but destroying the atmosphere of the valley because they are so very bright. There used to be a number we could call when they were left on late, but I've lost it. Can you tell me what it is?
A: Next time, just call the Manoa Recreation Center, 988-4747, and they'll pass the word on to the Department of Parks and Recreation groundskeeping staff.
The lights are supposed to go off before 10 p.m., a parks official said, but sometimes a power surge will throw the timers off. Someone was dispatched to reset the timer, so the problem should be resolved by now.
Mahalo
On Sunday, July 1, I attended a canoe regatta at Maili Beach Park and inadvertently locked my keys in my car. No one had a "Slim Jim," and a NAPA Store across the street did not open until 9 a.m. I was just going to wait, but noticed a gentleman arriving and asked him if he had one. He did not ask my name or any other information, but gave me the "Slim Jim" and told me to just return it when I was through. There was also a group of young men in a white pickup truck who were nice enough to try to help me, but they could not unlock my car. Another young man driving by noticed we were having a problem, so he turned around and came back and in less than two minutes had the door opened. I was very grateful but neglected to get anyone's name. So if you read this, you know who you are. I say a big mahalo. - Penny Victor
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Honolulu 96813. As many as possible will be answered.
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