Open Market vendors required to get scales checked annually

Question: I went to the People’s Open Market in Salt Lake to pick up some vegetables. When I got home, I weighed them and saw that I was overcharged by about $1.50. The vendor only had a regular scale, and the scale looked off. Shouldn’t all the vendors have an electronic scale? Depending on the answer, I may not be buying from the People’s Open Market anymore.

Answer: We hope this answer doesn’t discourage you from going to the market.

If customers question the accuracy of a vendor’s scale, they should look for People’s Open Market staff, who wear a blue city Department of Parks and Recreation polo shirt uniform, said Ned Yonemori, the department’s Special Services Section Coordinator.

“There is no requirement for electronic scales,” he said. But he pointed out that all vendors at the Salt Lake market have current inspection stickers, including the two vendors using analog scales.

Under the rules and regulations of the People’s Open Market, all scales are required to be inspected annually by the state Department of Agriculture’s Measurement Standards Division.

They have to be “positioned sideways to be visible to both vendor and customer. Upon request, one-face scales shall be turned to face the customer.”

Here’s a link for rules and regulations: www1.honolulu.gov/parks/rules/pom.pdf.

Question: I shop at the Windward City Shopping Center quite often. Unfortunately, public restrooms are not available. The stores and restaurants have restrooms but will not allow public usage. What are the laws regarding public restrooms at shopping centers?

Answer: We get this question frequently. The answer is that the state does not require shopping malls to have public restrooms, although certain restaurants within a mall may be required to provide them.

The state Department of Health requires only restaurants that serve liquor to provide public restrooms. But no matter what, a food establishment is required to provide restrooms for employees because of sanitation concerns.

The Health Department previously explained that its administrative rules on sanitation cover food establishments, such as restaurants and markets, and places of public assembly, including theaters, auditoriums, amusement places, schools, dormitories and churches.

You can find the requirements for these places on the Health Department’s website, hawaii.gov/health. Click on “About DOH,” then “rules and regulations.” The pertinent section is Title 11, Chapter 11-9.

Mahalo

To the unknown Oahu citizen in a white truck who removed graffiti from a Kalani High School Driver Education car after it had been tagged all over with red spray paint. When I drove to work on Tuesday, Sept. 25, I saw what had happened and worried about how to get the graffiti removed. Lo and behold, on the afternoon of Sept. 27, I saw the car and it was spotless. No one at school knows who cleaned it. This kind deed allowed students to continue to practice driving and saved taxpayers money because we did not have to take the car to a body shop. To whoever removed the graffiti, may you be blessed. — Denise Darval-Chang, Kalani High driver education coordinator

Auwe

To a man driving a dark blue or black pickup truck at about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 18. I was driving down Likelike Highway in the right lane going toward the off­ramp to Kahekili Highway in heavy traffic. Suddenly, his truck passed me on the right at high speed off the road! Then he cut back in front of me onto the pavement and continued on to Kahekili. It’s frightening to witness so much bad driving behavior every day, but this takes first prize for sheer idiocy! — Still Shocked

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Write to “Kokua Line” at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.