Staff will watch for people who cut in line at city office

Question: I went to the City Square driver licensing and state ID office in May and June and waited in line at 5:30 a.m. both days. There were about 35 people ahead of me, and the lines got much longer as time went by. Most people brought chairs. At about 7:30 a.m. on both days, all who were in line stood up as activity began in the office. However, people who were not in line started to crowd the entrance. As soon as the door opened at 7:45 a.m., these people cut in front of those patiently waiting in line. It was unfair for those in line, especially the elderly and handicapped. These riffraff basically bullied those waiting in line both times. An employee who was asking people in line if they needed an application form surely saw those milling about. Can’t the city let an employee start a few hours earlier and monitor the line? I saw a lady about 85 years old using a cane 20 places behind me, but by the time the door opened, she was at the very end of a long line. Can’t the city come up with a solution?

Answer: This cutting-in-line problem at the City Square office on Dillingham Boulevard is a new problem, according to staff, said Sheri Kajiwara, director of customer services.

"People have generally been respectful and courteous of each other in line," she said.

But she happened to be at that location during a routine visit June 23 and observed the problem.

"There were not a lot of people that day, maybe six, that huddled at the door at 7:45 (a.m.) and ‘blended in,’ but I still felt that it should be addressed," she said.

She returned Friday and saw some people who looked like they were trying to cut in line. She spoke to each one and ascertained five were driving instructors accompanying their students who were in line; three were parents whose children also were in line.

At 7:44 a.m., Kajiwara said she announced, "When the doors open, if you are not in line, you will need to wait until the end of the line to enter. If you have someone in line, you should join them now. Otherwise, please go to the back of the line."

She said she stood there for 40 seconds, and as more people came from the parking lot, her back kept them from entering and they waited for the end of the line. Two people who requested to use the restroom were asked to enter at the end of the line.

"I have instructed my staff to repeat this process each morning upon opening the door. Forty seconds of effort will alleviate this problem," Kajiwara said.

But her overall goal is to decrease the need to stand in lengthy lines.

"We recently hired six more permanent staff, as well as six temporary hires for summer, to meet road test demand," she said.

She noted that summer is the high-demand season at driver licensing offices.

"Lines are longer than usual now, and weeks with a holiday are even more congested," Kajiwara said. "The June 11th week was especially crowded, as we expect the July 4th week to also be."

For now "we hope people will continue to treat each other with fairness and respect."

Mahalo

» To the three women working at the Temple Valley driver licensing office on Thursday, June 5. They were obviously short-staffed but worked very efficiently to handle the volume of people that day and continued to be pleasant and helpful. I like that there was a clerk at the front desk to make sure we all had our proper paperwork before proceeding. The cashier was most efficient — it looked like she was running three stations at a time and still managed to smile. Service at that office has greatly improved with the new system, but it is the hardworking staff that really make it work. Getting my state ID was a surprisingly pleasant experience! — A. Anderson

» To the staff at the Hawaii Kai Satellite City Hall. My husband renewed his driver’s license there and, in the process, dropped or left his green body donor card. We thought it was gone. Lo and behold, a few days later it arrived in the mail. We greatly appreciate the courtesy extended by that staff. — Joan and Bill Huber

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