Question: I have been hitchhiking around Oahu lately. Some people give rides, but I also get dirty looks or even people saying stuff as they pass by, as if I am doing something wrong. I have never been stopped by the police or anything like that. Isn’t hitchhiking legal here?
Answer: Yes, hitchhiking is legal on Oahu, within certain parameters; you can’t stand in the road, for one thing. Interestingly enough, the law specifically prohibits the hitchhiker from annoying passing motorists but does not impose that same sense of civility on the drivers.
Here’s the essence, from Sec. 15-17.4 of the Revised Ordinances of Honolulu:
“The solicitation of free rides (hitchhiking) shall be permitted at any official bus stop of the city and county or in any open area where there are no official bus stops within a reasonable distance; provided, however, that the person soliciting rides shall not stand for the purpose of such solicitation on the roadway; and provided further, that no person shall attempt to intimidate, threaten or otherwise annoy passing motorists while so engaged in hitchhiking.”
Violators may be issued a summons that results in a fine, or, if they refuse to provide identification at the time of the alleged offense, they may be arrested, according to the ordinance.
Q: Does texting 911 give the person’s location?
A: No, which is one reason why calling 911 remains the preferred method in most cases to relay a request for emergency assistance, according to Hawaii’s Enhanced 911 Board, a section of the state Department of Accounting and General Services.
People should text 911 only when they cannot make a voice call because, for example, they are unable to speak or hear; it is too dangerous to speak out loud; or they are in a location with sporadic cellular voice serv-ice, according to the board.
When a person calls 911, the dispatcher typically automatically receives the caller’s phone number and approximate location, thanks to the Enhanced 911 service. However, a text to 911 does not generate this automatic information, according to the board’s website.
Therefore, anyone who texts 911 should specify the type of emergency response they need (police, fire or ambulance) and give as precise a location as possible. That would include the street address if they know it, including the floor or room number if they are in a building.
Text messages should be brief, in plain English and not use abbreviations. The 911 dispatcher will respond with questions or information as necessary.
Charter amendments
A free public forum in Waikiki this week promises an airing of all 20 proposed City Charter amendments on the upcoming ballot. Everyone is welcome to learn more about the pros and cons of each proposal, which focus on a range of issues, including the Police Department, affordable housing, the Oahu rail project, political term limits and others.
The Revised Charter of the City and County of Honolulu has been likened to the city’s constitution, governing municipal operations and profoundly affecting Oahu residents’ day-to-day lives. It’s important that voters learn about proposed changes — which tend to get less attention than races involving individual candidates. The forum offers one opportunity to do so.
The event will be held Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon at the Waikiki Community Center, 310 Paoakalani Ave. Featured speakers are to include former Gov. John Waihee, who sits on the Honolulu Charter Commission, and Natalie Iwasa, a community advocate who is president of the Hawaii Kai Neighborhood Board.
Note: Bring your 2016 Charter Amendments booklet, which Oahu households should have received in the mail, according to the event’s organizers.
Mahalo
A well-deserved mahalo to the Hawaii Better Business Bureau staff and the assigned Honolulu Police Department officer, for making the public shredding event Saturday run smoothly (even in the rain). — G.F.
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.
