Question: Auwe! The state Department of Transportation should have known that leaving BMPs in place would cause that H-1 dip to flood whenever it rains hard. Why did it take so long to clear them?
Answer: The DOT acknowledged Monday that black fabric barriers, known as BMPs, that prevent roadwork debris from entering storm drains contributed to flooding Sunday on the H-1 freeway eastbound near the Punahou Street offramp. Moving forward, crews “will remove filtering fabric and other best management practices (BMPs) from the work zone near the Punahou overpass whenever work is not being performed,” it said in a news release. H-1 eastbound is being repaved in this area, and the roadwork is expected to continue for about the next three months.
Flooding that reduced traffic to one lane was reported at about 1:50 p.m., but the work crew did not reach the site until about 5 p.m., delayed by heavy traffic, the news release said. Once there, workers took less than an hour to fix the problem, by cutting through the BMPs’ fabric to drain the water and by cleaning gravel off the road, it said; drains were cleared by 5:51 p.m.
Q: I have veteran’s license plates, and I am getting ready to sell my car. Do I just take the plates off?
A: No, “prior to transferring ownership of a vehicle bearing a specialty license plate for veterans, you must surrender the veteran license plates and obtain regular issued license plates,” according to Honolulu’s Department of Customer Services. That will cost $5.50 for the new plate and emblem, it says.
Veteran speciality license plates are available only to qualified applicants and can be placed only on noncommercial passenger motor vehicles, motorcycles or motor scooters registered to those applicants. For more information, see 808ne.ws/3ZFa4QX.
Q: Will the city take an upright piano as bulky pickup? Donating it is out of the question; we’ve already tried — it’s too heavily damaged.
A: Yes, according to the bulky pickup reservation form reached via honolulu.gov/opala, which says discarded pianos will be collected curbside only if they are first disassembled into pieces that weigh a maximum of 60 pounds each. On the appointment form, note the number of pieces you’ll be leaving at the curb.
Q: Was that an April Fool about peanut butter on the plane?
A: No. The Transportation Security Administration has long subjected peanut butter to the “liquids, gels or aerosols” rule, meaning that only containers holding 3.4 fluid ounces or less can be carried onto the plane. Peanut butter rarely comes in that small a jar; larger containers can be stowed in checked luggage. The rule of thumb is that “if you can spill it, spread it, spray it, pump it or pour it, and it’s larger than 3.4 ounces, then it should go in a checked bag,” according to the TSA website, which lists peanut butter as being included in this rule. The topic has been trending lately because a podcaster’s tweet about losing a jar of Jif to the TSA screeners at the Pittsburgh airport went viral in March, according to The New York Times, inspiring other travelers to share similar stories.
The rule was imposed in 2006, to deter explosives and bomb-making components from being carried onto the plane.
Auwe
The painted street markings on Honolulu’s surface streets are increasingly faded and nearly nonexistent in some areas. When drivers can’t see lane markers, crosswalks, bike lanes and intersection stop lines, it’s extremely dangerous, especially at night! You can see examples of this neglected street maintenance along University Avenue and McCully Street. I understand budgetary constraints, but paint is hardly a big-ticket item. — D.M.G.
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
