Question: What rule governs sleeping at bus stops? The sign at the bus stop says ROH 13-12-2(a), but I couldn’t find that section in city law. Where can I find it online? Is the sign wrong?
Answer: No, the sign isn’t wrong. The prohibition against lying down (not sleeping, specifically) at Oahu bus stops during operating hours will be codified as ROH 13-12.2(a). However, the Revised Ordinances of Honolulu haven’t been updated yet, which is why you couldn’t find that section online (808ne.ws/roh)
“The ROH publisher will probably be sending out the replacement pages that include Section 13-12.2(a) within the next two months,” said Andrew Pereira, a city spokesman.
In the meantime you can read the ordinance at 808ne.ws/busstop, as it appeared when it was approved by the Honolulu City Council and signed into law by the mayor last year.
Here are the key points:
>> “No person may lie down in a designated bus stop area, or on a tarp, towel, blanket, sleeping bag, bedding, chair, bench, tent floor, cardboard or any other object or material located in the designated bus stop area, between the hours of 4 a.m. on one day and 1 a.m. of the following day.” This 21-hour span is when TheBus generally runs.
>> The law does not apply to everyone. There are exceptions for anyone who can’t comply due to a medical condition or emergency; is engaged in “expressive activity”; is engaged in “maintenance, repair or construction activity” for a governmental entity or a public utility; or is under age 6 and lying down in a stroller or carrier or being held by someone who is not lying down.
>> Offenders cannot be cited unless they keep lying down after a law enforcement officer warns them that it is against the law to do so. Each violation can carry up to a $50 fine.
>> A person can’t claim to have been engaged in expressive activity after a citation is issued; they must have told the officer beforehand, or it must have been evident to a “reasonably observant” person that the lying down was part of such conduct. Expressive activity is defined elsewhere in the ROH as noncommercial speech or conduct intended to freely share political, religious, philosophical or ideological views with all who wish to observe or participate.
Enforcement of a law can occur before an ROH number is officially assigned, said Michelle Yu, a spokeswoman for the Honolulu Police Department.
The city makes law year-round but usually updates the lists of statutes only once or twice a year, a spokeswoman for the ACLU confirmed.
Q: Does the Honolulu airport have layover beds, where you can go to freshen up?
A: No, there aren’t nap-and-shower facilities on-site, according to the airport website, which directs travelers to nearby hotels. Courtesy phones can be found on the Travelers Information Board on the baggage claim level.
Auwe
In the old days towns used to have a “dog catcher” to round up strays that were a dangerous nuisance. Honolulu needs a “cat catcher.” Feral cats are out of control. I find dead birds in my yard every week. It’s not right. — Reader
Mahalo
I want to thank the Fort Shafter military police officer manning the gate this past Tuesday afternoon. While driving on the H-1 freeway, I had to pull over at the Fort Shafter/Mapunapuna exit; a rear tire was totally flat. Not knowing how much longer I could drive, I pulled up to the Fort Shafter gate. That wonderful MP came to my aid and helped us get on our way. He was courteous, calm and a great reflection of the people who serve in the military. Hats off to all of them, and another “thank you” to that young man. — Bev (and Moseley)
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.
