Question: I was taught that when the red lights are flashing on a school bus, all traffic behind the bus must stop — not just the cars in the same lane as the bus. Am I wrong about this? I see a lot of cars flying by.
Answer: No, you are correct. Section 291c-95 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes explains that whenever a school bus is stopped with its red signals flashing, any vehicle “in the lane occupied by the school bus and all lanes adjacent to the lane occupied by the school bus, regardless of the direction of traffic in those lanes, shall stop the driver’s vehicle not less than 20 feet from the school bus and shall not proceed until the school bus resumes motion and the visual signals are turned off.”
There is an exception if the road is divided by a median or some other space not intended for vehicular traffic. Then vehicles traveling in the opposite direction of the bus don’t have to stop. Traffic traveling in the same direction as the bus always has to stop when the red lights are flashing, though, regardless of the number of lanes. You can read the law at 808ne.ws/busrule.
Q: Waianae residents have a closer option for free document shredding. Can you print something about the Waianae Financial Fitness Fair?
A: Yes. The third annual event will be held at Waianae Mall on April 22, the same day as the three-island event we publicized in an earlier column (808ne.ws/287g3xT). The fair includes seminars about investing, saving for retirement, couponing and other financial matters, and also offers free, confidential shredding of personal paperwork.
The Waianae event runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the mall at 86-120 Farrington Highway. People may drop off up to three bankers’ boxes per household to be shredded on-site. Paper only; no e-waste. Paper clips, staples and binder clips need not be removed from the documents.
The event is sponsored by Ho‘oulu Waiwai (a program of the nonprofit INPEACE) and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.
Q: Could you please tell me where and when the next electronic recycling drop-off is happening?
A: There are numerous options coming up. Here are two: April 22 at Kapolei High School and April 29 at Our Savior Lutheran School (in Aiea). These upcoming events (both on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.) are part of the “Going Green” community cleanup and recycling program, which accepts e-waste such as computers, monitors, printers, scanners, batteries, cellphones, ink cartridges and a limit of one TV per car. The program also accepts a variety of other recyclable material but not metal, paper, plastics (other than HI-5), wood or bulky items. For more information, call Rene Mansho at 291-6151.
Mahalo
On Wednesday I fell down in Times Supermarket Liliha parking lot. I was putting groceries into my car and slipped. When I was on the ground, a young woman rushed to my aid. She helped me up, and when she saw that I was all right, she then put the rest of my groceries into the car. She was so concerned about my welfare, and to top it off, she handed me a bouquet of flowers — roses, hibiscus and a gardenia — and wished me a good day. She was at the parking lot after she dropped off her 90-year-old relative for rehab therapy, and the woman at the bakery shop gave her the bouquet of flowers. My good Samaritan’s name is Sheila. Sheila, I’m awfully sorry I didn’t get your last name, but I do want you to know how much I appreciated all that you’ve done for me. The flowers are still on my counter. Your compassionate personality is much to be admired. I’m fine — I just got a cherry on my knee, nothing major. Wishing you many wonderful moments in your life. — Gratefully, Ellen, a 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.
