Kokua Line
Kokua Line
Discussion can help move
designated smoking areasQuestion: I live in an apartment in downtown Honolulu. Inches away, there is a commercial building. Every two hours, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., employees take their smoke break. They are on their sidewalk, but the smoke travels directly into my apartment and other apartments. Although our buildings are barely touching, is there a law to designate employees to an area, especially knowing our building is residential? On the opposite side of the commercial building, there is a grassy area, with NO building. I did inform my landlord; however, is my landlord allowed to inform the commercial management of this problem, or does she legally have to deal with this issue?
Answer: There is no law covering something like this, says Julian Lipsher, head of the state Department of Health's Tobacco Prevention and Education Program.
It becomes more a matter of consideration and being a good neighbor.
However, since there is a designated smoking area that apparently can be changed, Lipsher suggests having your landlord or apartment manager explain the problem to the management company of the neighboring building.
The latter could then "identify any other area that might not pose the same offense to the residential units above it," he said.
Q: Is it legal for a taxi driver to charge wait time at the traffic lights? Just curious.
A: Yes. In fact, a specific "waiting time" rate is specified by the city, which issues taxicab licenses and regulates their fees.
In Chapter 12, Article 1, of the Revised Ordinances of Honolulu, waiting time is defined as "the period during which a taxicab is standing at the direction of or on behalf of a passenger for hire and the time consumed due to traffic delays while transporting a passenger for hire."
The time is to be computed automatically by the taxi meter "when the speed of the vehicle falls at or below the speed at which the fare computed using the basic distance rate is equal to the fare computed using the basic time rate."
As of July 1, 2001, cab rates are set at $2.25 for the first one-eighth mile, 30 cents per additional one-eighth mile or fraction thereof, and 30 cents per 45 seconds of waiting time or fraction thereof. Cabbies can also charge 40 cents for each "regular baggage, parcel or purse," or $3.75 for something bigger, i.e., more than 10 cubic feet, more than 80 pounds, longer than 4 feet, or for a bike or surfboard. However, they cannot charge you for a purse, briefcase, handbag, grocery bag less than 25 pounds, a parcel less than 4 cubic feet or for a collapsible wheelchair.
ERS calculation update
Michael Chung, president of Fire Wizards, said he read "with much interest" the March 6 "Kokua Line," in which a member of the Hawaii Employees' Retirement System complained about the difficulty in obtaining timely and accurate information.He and his partner, both fire captains and members of the ERS, started Fire Wizards about a year ago to provide information to fellow firefighters. To that end, they've developed and are marketing firefighter educational/training programs.
But they also have developed a software program that will compute retirement benefits, for a "reasonable fee," for all current state and city workers who belong to the Hawaii ERS.
For more information, Chung said to check www.fire-wizards.com.
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