Question: My daughter wants a tattoo for her 18th birthday. Does she have to get my permission? She promised she wouldn’t do it without my blessing.
Answer: No, not if she waits until she turns 18 to get the tattoo, according to state law. Whether she’ll be breaking a promise to you is a different standard altogether. Kokua Line will leave that to you two to work out, as loving parent and soon-to-be adult, and stick to citing the relevant rule or law for this question.
In this case it’s found in Title 11, Chapter 17, of the Hawaii Administrative Rules, which states that it is unlawful in Hawaii to tattoo anyone under 18 without the written consent of the person’s parents or legal guardian. The written consent must be kept on file in the tattoo shop for at least two years.
It also is illegal to tattoo anyone — of any age — who is under the influence of intoxicating substances, which include but are not limited to alcohol, drugs, paints and glues.
Q: Are they charging for the parking permits at Wilson Tract?
A: No, not at the moment, but the city’s Department of Transportation Services “reserves the right to charge, at a future date, appropriate fees to cover expenses,” according to the conditions listed with the application for a residential Restricted Parking Zone (RPZ) permit. The parking restrictions, which were tested and approved among residents of the Kalihi Valley neighborhood in April, take effect June 1.
Q: How long are you supposed to be isolated if you’ve been exposed to the mumps?
A: “People who have been exposed to mumps and are not vaccinated should not attend school, work or travel from day 12 through day 25 after exposure,” according to the state Department of Health.
People whose vaccinations are up to date or who are immune because of past infection (a blood test would show whether you are immune) should practice good hygiene (frequent hand-washing, for example) but do not need to isolate themselves, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
However, if you are worried about more than exposure and believe that you have been infected or are showing symptoms, call your doctor and take care to avoid spreading the disease to others. If you don’t have health insurance or a doctor, call Aloha United Way at 211 for assistance.
Under Hawaii law a person with the mumps may not go to school, work or travel for nine days after salivary glands have started to swell, according to the Health Department.
As of May 25 the department had confirmed 58 cases of mumps in Hawaii in 2017, the most in years.
Mahalo
On April 22 my daughter and I went to Macy’s to get a birthday gift for my great-grandson. I did not realize that I left my wallet at the children’s section cashier until we arrived at Times Waimalu to buy groceries. It was a heart-pounding experience to lose something so important — everything was in that wallet. So off we went back to Macy’s. A cashier friend of ours, Elaine, saw us and quickly took us to their office. Macy’s had announced my name over the loudspeaker. Elaine guided us to the office and vouched that I was the person who lost the wallet. A big mahalo to Macy’s and whoever found my wallet. I can’t thank them enough! — E.N.
Auwe
How awful and disrespectful for someone to break doors to Iolani Palace. The original glass panes may be restored, but they will never be replaced. Hawaii’s cultural heritage and history is under assault when a crime like this occurs, because Iolani Palace is much more than a building — it is a symbol of all that we had and all that we have lost. — Heartbroken reader
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.
