Kokua Line
Kokua Line
Security-issued tickets
are the real dealQuestion: Is the private firm AKAL security able to give out parking tickets at Honolulu Airport? At 8:30 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 26, at the Northwest departure, I just quickly stopped to drop off an elderly passenger. I came out of the car to remove three pieces of luggage from the rear trunk, which is high off the ground. At that point an AKAL security lady said, "You can't do that ... you should know better!" Know better, what? When I got into the car, she yelled at me, "Next time I'm going to give you a ticket ... now go away!" I quickly got into my car and drove off. I didn't have time to say goodbye. All this happened in less than a minute. That lady showed no aloha whatsoever.
Answer: Security personnel for AKAL, which has the contract to provide security at the airport, have the same powers as county police and state sheriff's deputies and can issue parking tickets.
That authority is given to them by the state director of transportation under Hawaii Revised Statutes 261-17, said Davis Yogi, the state airports administrator. A parking ticket issued at the airport is the same as that issued by law enforcement officers throughout the state and subject to fines.
Yogi said the airport would look into your complaint. Meanwhile, all contract security personnel statewide "will be briefed on the importance of professional and courteous behavior toward the public and security -- both can and shall work hand in hand," he said.
We also asked him to explain what the procedures are for loading and unloading, since there appears to be some confusion.
Drivers at the terminal curb may stop only to actively load or unload passengers and bags. There are regular announcements on the public address system informing people about this restriction, Yogi said. Once the bags and passengers are loaded or unloaded, the driver must leave the curb. The driver cannot leave the vehicle unattended to carry the bags or help the passenger into the terminal.
Porters and/or curbside check-in services are usually available, Yogi said.
Vehicles also should not park in any crosswalk and should respect the blue parking spaces denoting parking for the handicapped. It may be a safety hazard to load or unload from the second lane from the curb, and vehicles should not block other lanes of traffic.
Q: Several months ago, "Kokua Line" had an item about the broken lights at Kamamalu Park. This is a recurring problem. The lights have been out for at least six months. What is the problem? We were told there is a dispute between the state and city as to who would be responsible for paying for the repairs. When will the lights be repaired?
A: The latest word from the city Department of Parks & Recreation is that the lights should be on again sometime around the end of this month.
The parts that had to be ordered from the mainland are already here, but it's a matter of assembling and installing them, according to parks Director William Balfour. City and Hawaiian Electric Co. personnel, not the state, are involved in the project.
It is estimated that repair and installation will begin in about two weeks.
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