QUESTION: I love Hawaii’s license plate with the rainbow. Stores sell miniature trinkets (with names) that are cute, but I want a full-size one to display back home.
ANSWER: You can buy one for your collection, according to the city’s website, which states:
“The Division of Motor Vehicles and Licensing sells a single plate of the Hawaii license with the rainbow design. The letters SAMPLE are used for the license number. The $10.00 cost includes shipping, and only checks are accepted. To request a sample license, send a written note with enclosed check made out to ‘City and County of Honolulu’ to:
“Division of Motor Vehicles and Licensing, P.O. Box 30330, Honolulu, HI 96820.”
Q: Regarding the ticket for taking up two parking spaces at a shopping center (808ne.ws/1210kline), a notice for parking over the time limit is pretty clear cut, but this seems arguable. There are so many variables.
A: The outcomes of disputes over parking citations issued by companies hired to enforce parking rules at shopping centers and other private property vary depending on the facts of each complaint. In general, parking fees must be conspicuously posted and reasonable for the circumstances. Signage at the parking lot, or lack thereof, matters. Other elements also come into play, specific to each dispute.
“While a parking lot operator might be entitled to receive additional compensation from someone who takes up more than one space, they do not have unfettered discretion as to what they decide to charge,” explained Stephen H. Levins, executive director of the state Office of Consumer Protection.
For example, if a parking lot charges $5 per hour per space, and someone parks horizontally in two spaces for one hour, “absent other factors, charging more than $10 could be deemed to be improper,” he said.
As a second example, he said, “the parking space dimensions could be inadequate to accommodate a standard vehicle, in which case, it would not be reasonable to charge someone a fee for parking over the line.”
Parking in someone’s reserved space might be treated differently, he said.
Such disputes are so fact-intensive “that we would have to examine each situation to determine if improper charges were imposed,” said Levins, noting that anyone who believes they are being charged excessively can file a complaint with the OCP.
AUWE
Auwe to drivers who roll through stop signs as if they are not even there. It’s become an epidemic on Oahu. We pedestrians should not have to fear for our lives from these careless drivers, who also are a menace to other cars. HPD, where are you? — Frustrated walker
MAHALO
Yesterday at Costco Iwilei, I was leaving while juggling two bags, receipt and change, and a sweet little lady came rushing after me waving a $5 bill she said I had dropped. I was so surprised that I didn’t think to ask her name, but a big mahalo to her. — Mahalo, Jan
MAHALO
Mahalo to Roger for driving me home after I noticed my brakes were weak while driving from Kalanianaole Highway to Kuliouou Road. The Lord brought me an angel. I parked my car on the road, and he told me that I could not park my car because it was at a “no parking” area. My car would have been towed away. I told him about my problem, and he helped me drive my car home, going slowly and using the hand brake. He would not take the money I offered and had to walk more than a mile back to his own residence. The next day, we towed the car to have it repaired. They found out that there were no brakes and there were other problems. Roger, I can’t thank you enough. Many blessings to you and your family. Have a blessed Merry Christmas. — Grateful senior
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.
