Illegal parking on overpass prompts enforcement by HPD

Question: Why are cars being allowed to park on the Koko Head Avenue overpass? I thought it was illegal to park on an overpass, but recently I’ve seen vehicles parked there every morning.

Answer: They shouldn’t be parked there, and given recent enforcement, they are less likely to be. You are correct that it is generally illegal to park on overpasses, including the one over the H-1 freeway at Koko Head Avenue.

Kokua Line heard from numerous readers who noticed this problem last month, most frequently on weekend mornings but also during the workweek. We contacted the Honolulu Police Department to see whether cars were being allowed to park there for some reason, and the answer was no.

HPD officers checked the area in response to your inquiry and cited 14 vehicles over several days, spokeswoman Michelle Yu said Monday.

Tickets were issued citing Revised Ordinances of Honolulu Sections 15-14.1 (Stopping, standing and parking prohibited in specified places — No signs required) and 15-14.8 (Parking prohibited in tow or tow-away zones), she said.

That first section specifies that it is against the law to park on bridges, overpasses or other elevated structures upon a highway — along with numerous other places, such as on medians, sidewalks, cul-de-sacs, etc. There’s no need for signs highlighting the illegality in those locations. Motorists are expected to know and follow the general rules of the road.

Q: Can someone keep a commercial driver’s license in another state if they are applying for one in Hawaii?

A: No. A person may hold only one valid CDL at a time, according to the city. A commercial driver’s license is required to operate heavy vehicles.

False missile alert

Public libraries have the state’s report on the false missile alert available for view, but the limited number of copies are not to be removed from the library, a spokeswoman said.

Library patrons should check their neighborhood branch for specific procedures, but in general, a person would be asked to leave their library card or another acceptable form of identification at the reference desk so that they may take the report to read or photocopy elsewhere in the library, said spokeswoman Mallory Fujitani.

The expectation is that the person would keep the report only as long as it takes for them to read or copy it, then return it to retrieve their library card or ID, she said. A library card is not required to view the report in this manner, but may be used as a form of ID, she said.

Each public library has been asked to print five copies for patrons to peruse, she said.

The 13-page report also can be found online at bit.ly/2DPsRUB

Auwe

It’s flu season. Is it too much to ask people to carry tissues and cover their mouths when they cough and sneeze? I literally was sneezed on while walking across Kapiolani Boulevard to Ala Moana Center. Someone else in the crosswalk sneezed and didn’t try to cover their mouth at all. Disgusting! — A pedestrian

Mahalo

Mahalo to the people on the bus, on the sidewalks and in the stores etc. who go out of their way to help “little old ladies” like me. … People talk about how it “takes a village” to raise a child, but the same is true at the other end of life, too. Almost every day, kind people help me get my errands and tasks completed. A little patience goes a long way. A helping hand is always welcome. I laugh when people tell me how “independent” I am. I am able to live on my own because of my neighbors’ assistance and the kind consideration of strangers. Thank you all! — 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.