Question: They’re encouraging everyone to ride bikes, including tourists in Waikiki. It’s dangerous on the roads so I go on the sidewalks, and then I get dirty looks. …
Answer: It is against the law to ride bicycles on sidewalks within business districts such as Waikiki, per Hawaii Revised Statutes 291C-148 and Revised Ordinances of Honolulu 15-18.7.
While the definition of “business district” may be arguable in some cases, the Waikiki prohibition is explicit. ROH 15-4.6c states, “No person shall ride a bicycle, skateboard or roller skates upon any sidewalk in Waikiki.”
Our guess for the dirty looks: Pedestrians filling the sidewalks fear that you are going to run them over.
Q: Four new portable buildings have sprouted on the front lawn of Central Middle School on Queen Emma Street. What’s the story?
A: The school is undergoing structural repairs and the portable buildings will serve as temporary classrooms for teachers and students displaced during the construction work. The portables are scheduled to remain on the front lawn of the historic campus until July 2018, said Lindsay Chambers, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Education.
Q: I read the article (808ne.ws/619sty) in Monday’s paper about domestic violence. With the rise of 615 percent, what percentage is LGBT?
A: Information about the gender or sexuality of offenders or victims was not included in the city audit on which the article was based. The audit, which you can download at 808ne.ws/auditdv, focused on how domestic violence cases are handled, processed and resolved on Oahu.
The 88-page report does include categories of crimes committed. For example, of the total 7,029 domestic violence cases investigated by the Honolulu Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division from Jan. 1, 2012, to Aug. 31, 2016, the largest percentage (29 percent, or 2,043 cases) were for misdemeanor abuse.
The 7,029 cases referred to CID are only a fraction of the total 31,620 domestic violence incidents reported by Oahu’s patrol districts during the same period, according to the audit.
CID’s felony domestic-violence workload rose to about 1,538 cases in 2016 from 215 cases in 2013, a 615 percent increase attributed largely to a 2014 change in state law that elevated physical abuse in the presence of a child under age 14 to a Class C felony.
Q: There are some interesting bridges on Oahu (some with people living under them). Where can I find out more about them — the bridges, I mean?
A: The Historic Hawai‘i Foundation is one source. You can download the Hawai‘i State Historic Bridge Inventory and Evaluation 2013 on its website, at 808ne.ws/hibridges.
E Kala Mai
My apologies to the neighbors for the loud TV. I live with my elderly father, who is hard of hearing, and he enjoys watching television at night because he has trouble sleeping due to the usual aches and pains of old age. I usually close the window closest to the TV, hoping to muffle the sound, but it’s been so hot lately that I have to keep it open. — Kailua caregiver
Mahalo
Thank you so much to the kind and thoughtful woman who came to my assistance on June 14 at Windward Mall. I had taken a fall from the elevator and was so shaken that I was in no condition to look for my husband. This person willingly took the time to go looking for my husband, who was waiting for my return to the car. It’s so nice to know that there are people to help a stranger in need. Except for some bruises and soreness, I’m fine, thank you. Again, many, many thanks. — A grateful senior
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.
