Question: Auwe! You didn’t give us enough notice of the free shredding. I need a few days to get my paperwork together and time to arrange a ride since I don’t drive anymore. When is the next one?
Answer: This Saturday (Oct. 20) from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the upper parking lot of Hickam Federal Credit Union’s Pearl City branch, at 1260 Kuala Street.
You can drop off two business-size boxes of personal documents, which will be destroyed on site, according to a news release from the credit union. It is sponsoring the free, public event as a community service.
You don’t need to remove staples or paper clips from the paperwork. Participants must sign a release form (available at the site) before their documents are shredded.
It’s not typical to have free shredding events open to the public on consecutive Saturdays, but this time you are in luck.
As for the past event, we published the notice on a Wednesday. We understand that some readers appreciate more time to make arrangements. You are not the only one who complained.
We asked a few of the readers why they prefer driving to these mass shredding events rather than buying an inexpensive shredder to use at home. Some said they had purchased shredders in the past, but ended up not using them much.
Their reasons were consistent: The home-office type shredders they could afford tended to overheat before the task was done; shredding is tedious work that always takes more time than they want to spend; and even if they do finish the task they hate having to deal with the rubbish afterward.
So, despite the availability of relatively inexpensive at-home shredders, there’s still a demand for these community events with industrial-strength shredders and no cleanup. We’ll continue to publicize them, as far in advance as we can.
Q: Will they take e-waste too?
A: No. Saturday’s event is for paper only, not for electronics disposal.
Q: Can you make an appointment to get a learner’s permit?
A: Yes. Go to license. honolulu.gov and click on the green tab that says “Appointments.” That will take you to a page where one of the options is a blue tab that says “Make Appointment.” Click on that, and you will see a column listing the five driver licensing and state ID centers on Oahu (Kapalama, Kapolei, Koolau, Wahiawa and Waianae). While certain services vary among the locations, all of them offer “driver license, instruction permit (first time, renewal or duplicate) and state ID services.” Instruction permit is the credential you seek; it’s the driving permit required for eligible minors before they qualify for a full driver’s license. Click on the location you prefer (green tab) to make an appointment.
Q: I renewed my license (for 8 years) and my passport (for 10 years) last year, before they started the “gold star” thing. Do I need to update either of them?
A: No. The “gold star” applies only to your Hawaii driver’s license, not to your U.S. passport. You will be able to use your U.S. passport to get through airport security even after the “gold star” mark is required on U.S. driver’s licenses used for that purpose (said to be in October 2020). For driving, your license will remain valid until its expiration date, even without the gold star.
Auwe
Drivers, please be aware of what the cars alongside you are doing. If the car next to you is slowing down or is stopped, it’s slowing down or stopping for a reason. Probably because there is someone walking in the crosswalk. … I hold my breath crossing the street these days. Honolulu is supposed to be an age-friendly city and here we are fearing for our lives. — Senior citizen
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.
