He doesn’t have license, insurance or registration and isn’t off the hook
Q. Dear Honk: I was recently in a fender-bender accident and the person who hit me did not have a valid license or insurance or any ID at all. I called police, who ran the plate number to help with an ID. It turns out the vehicle wasn’t registered, either. According to officers, they were legally not allowed to cite the driver at all because they didn’t see him driving. It didn’t matter that the other driver admitted that he was driving. Is this really true? I asked an officer if he was going to have the truck towed, and the officer said no.
Corina Borsuk, San Bernardino
A. Yes, Sgt. John Echevarria of your town’s finest told Honk, the officers acted properly.
“In order for a police officer to issue a citation for a traffic infraction, we must eyewitness the violation,” he told Honk in an email. “The impounding of the vehicle was at the discretion of the police officer.
“I am sure a police report was completed,” the sergeant went on to say, adding that the driver was not going to avoid trouble. “He will ultimately be commanded to appear in court and pay a hefty fine for the misdemeanor unlicensed or suspended-licensed driver section.”
Q. The Surf City Cup, a soccer tournament for boys and girls, was recently held at various fields including those at Westminster High School and the Huntington Beach Sports Complex. There was a $5 parking charge levied at Westminster High to fund equipment and “wear and tear on the fields.” Is it legal for a non-school entity to charge for a publicly owned lot? Don’t our taxes pay for field wear and tear? How much of the money does the school actually get? Meanwhile, as always, the parking at the Sports Complex was $1.
Harry Kumpis, Fountain Valley
A. Organizations can rent various facilities from the Huntington Beach Unified High School District, which includes Westminster High.
“Outside groups can charge others for various fees, such as admission, concessions, parking, etc., as they have reserved the facilities,” Jeff Starr, the district’s assistant of business services, said via email.
To rent Edison High’s varsity baseball field, for example, the hourly rate is $56 for a nonprofit youth group, $110 for another type of nonprofit, and $221 for a commercial outfit. There are day rates, too.
“Funds collected from the user groups are returned to the site for the principal to reinvest into the school and to maintain the site facilities,” Starr said. “Yes, schools receive funding from the state to manage all costs associated with the school district; however, sometimes state funding is not adequate for all required maintenance and repairs at the site.”
Honkin’ fact: Doesn’t it sometimes seem like everyone else has a new car but you? According to IHS Markit, which provides information to businesses and governments, the average age of cars and light trucks in the United States is 11.8 years.
To ask Honk questions, reach him at honk@ocregister.com. He only answers those that are published. To see Honk online: ocregister.com/tag/honk.