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Question: How can my father replace his handicap parking placard? It disappeared from his car. We don’t know if it was stolen or fell out of the car or was accidentally thrown away or what. Anyway, it’s gone. We’ve looked everywhere.
Answer: The state Disability and Communication Access Board explains how to replace a long-term disability parking placard (the blue placard) that has been stolen, mutilated or lost:
The applicant must fill out and sign Side 1 of the Parking Permit Application Form (Form PA-1). Mark “Replacement of my Hawaii placard(s)” under item 10.
You can download a PDF of the fillable form at 808ne.ws/hpform or pick up the form at an issuing agency, which on Oahu means a satellite city hall. For a list of issuing agencies in Honolulu, Hawaii, Maui and Kauai counties, see 808ne.ws/isag.
(To answer other readers’ questions, this is also the form used to apply for a long-term disability parking placard for the first time. Renewing a long-term placard requires a different form,
PA-2, which you can download at 808ne.ws/renewform or pick up at an issuing agency).
Because your dad is replacing, not renewing, his placard, he can skip page 2 of the form; a new medical certification is not required to replace a valid placard that has been lost, stolen or mutilated. The medical certification he provided to obtain the now-missing placard remains valid until its expiration date.
He must take the completed form to an issuing agency, such as a satellite city hall, show valid ID and pay a $12 fee. If the placard had been mutilated, not lost, the fee would be waived, but he would have to turn in the mutilated placard.
The lost placard will be invalidated once a replacement is issued. Anyone caught using the missing placard will get a ticket with a minimum fine of $250, according to DCAB.
E Kala Mai
My apologies to the pickup driver I almost cut off as he was trying to make a left turn across the HOV lane on Kalanianaole Highway Wednesday morning. He had the green arrow for a left turn and I didn’t realize at first that I had a red light. He must have anticipated that I would mistakenly try to go with the straight-ahead green light that applied to the non-HOV lanes and didn’t rush to turn left. I realized my mistake and stopped in time, but if he had been impatient he would have T-boned my car. I was all the more grateful as I continued my commute and came upon the aftermath of what looked like a serious accident on the H-1, with a car and motorcycle smashed together. I said a silent prayer for those involved and breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn’t me. Mahalo to that patient and alert pickup driver. — Lesson learned
Auwe
Auwe to the thief walking around in the middle of the night checking every car door to see if it’s locked. We have you on video! What, you think you’re never going to get caught? Stop ripping off hardworking people while they are sleeping! — Irate East Sider
(Although you didn’t provide the exact street, you did indicate that these property crimes are occurring in East Oahu. You may want to attend a town hall this evening at 6 p.m. at the Hahaione Elementary School cafeteria, which will focus on crime and public safety in Hawaii Kai. The forum is co-sponsored by the area’s elected lawmakers — state Reps. Gene Ward and Mark Hashem, state Sen. Stanley Chang, and Honolulu City Councilman Tommy Waters — who are expected to attend. Honolulu police officers also are scheduled to be there, speaking about crime on Oahu and specifically in East Oahu.)
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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