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Question: If I stow my wheelchair, do I have to pay for it like luggage?
Answer: No, unless you stuff the wheelchair full of personal belongings, in which case it could be subject to a bag fee, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. In general, an assistive device such as a wheelchair, walker or cane doesn’t count toward a airline passenger’s baggage limit. For more information, see 808ne.ws/dotasst.
Q: I heard they are paying census takers $20 an hour. Do they check citizenship?
A: Yes, and the pay is slightly lower than you’ve heard. The U.S. Census Bureau says it is filling various temporary jobs related to the 2020 census, including census takers, recruiting assistants, office staff and supervisory staff. “To be eligible, you must be at least 18 years old, have a valid Social Security Number, and be a U.S. citizen,” according to the agency’s website.
The pay rate for census takers is $18 an hour in Honolulu County and $16 an hour in the other Hawaii counties, according to the agency. Wages are paid weekly.
You can apply online at 2020census.gov/en/jobs. For more information, check the website or call 855-562-2020.
Q: Please repeat the website for looking up complaints on Hawaii businesses. Maybe I am typing it in wrong, but I keep getting an error message.
A: Go to BusinessCheck.hawaii.gov to look up companies, individuals or licensed professionals you are thinking of hiring. This website is overseen by the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. It links to information about licensing status, tax and business registration, and complaints about licensees. You received an error message because you mistakenly typed in .com rather than .gov to end the internet address; .com is used for commercial enterprises, while .gov indicates government websites.
Auwe
On Friday at about 2:15 p.m., I was picking up my friend, who had just picked up meds from her oncologist at the Pali Momi oncology center (where Ross’s used to be in Pearlridge Shopping Center). I had stopped at the corner of the T-intersection, and my friend (who a few weeks ago had cancer surgery) was attempting to get into my silver van when the driver behind us started tooting his horn. My friend was trying to get in quickly, but I told her to go slowly so she wouldn’t fall and hurt herself. The driver in the back tooted his horn four to five times before we were able to proceed. Dear driver in back of us, why were you so impatient? Could you not see that my friend is an elderly woman who could not walk quickly? Could you not understand that she was trying her best to move quickly so as not to inconvenience you further? I hope you never have cancer or major surgery, because they’re not easy! On the other hand, perhaps if you have to suffer, you may learn to have a little compassion for those who have to deal with difficult trials in their lives. — M.T.
Mahalo
A belated mahalo to the kind gentleman who returned my lost wallet to the First Hawaiian Bank in Kapahulu. That day, I had boarded the No. 2 Waikiki bus using my bus pass, which I had taken out of my wallet. When I got home my wallet was missing. I think it fell out of my pocket on the bus. I checked with the returning buses, and no one had turned in a wallet. About a half-hour later I got a phone call from First Hawaiian Bank that a man had turned in my wallet. I think the first person who found my wallet took the cash and then tossed the wallet. The next person, the kind gentleman, found it and brought it to the bank, with my driver’s license, credit cards and a First Hawaiian debit card. Thank you to the good Samaritan! — Waikiki resident
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.
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