San Clemente hospital closed 2 years ago, and freeway sign will finally be covered
Q. I drove on the I-5 freeway to Oceanside last week and noticed that there was a blue “H” hospital sign along the southbound side of the freeway in San Clemente. Saddleback Memorial Medical Center San Clemente closed two years ago. If that sign is wrong, it should be covered until removed, so people in an emergency won’t get off looking for an emergency room when needed.
– Brian T. Poff, Mission Viejo
A. Totally.
And someone else agrees with you and called Caltrans before Honk asked the agency about the sign on your behalf.
“Plans are underway to cover the outdated hospital sign along I-5 and the Camino De Estrella off-ramp in the next few weeks,” Van Nguyen, a representative for Caltrans in Orange County, told Honk in an email. “Caltrans does not have a map or directory of businesses with signs along state highways in Orange County, because it’s difficult to keep track of the operational changes of all the businesses.
“So if drivers see something that we can improve upon, they can call our Customer Service Request line at 657-328-6255,” Nguyen said.
Or, if preferred, a form can be filled out at csr.dot.ca.gov.
Q. Hello Honk: While driving on Euclid Street in Anaheim, I noticed a bike rider in the left-turn lane. When the light turned green, he zoomed off. He had one of those motorized bicycles and within eight seconds was doing 30 mph. He was NOT staying on the right side of the road, but was driving like he was on a motorcycle. His bike did not have any lights – it was 6 a.m. He didn’t have on a helmet; he looked to be in his mid-20s. Is that legal?
– Mario Luna, Anaheim
A. Probably not.
A motorcycle officer for Anaheim P.D., Shane Spielman, directed Honk to a CHP web page that provides the laws – of which there are many.
Bicyclists, by the way, can ride in traffic if they can keep up with the speed of traffic.
A moped or motorized bicycle, under the law, can’t exceed 30 mph on a flat roadway – most non-residential streets have higher speed limits, although an officer probably won’t cite someone going just a tad below the 35-mph common on many streets. A motorcycle license and a helmet are required.
There are variations for what is considered an electric bicycle, which has pedals and a motor with less than 750 watts of power. The bike can go 20 mph or 28 mph before the motor kicks off, depending on the classification. Those under age 18 must have a helmet, and the use of these babies can be restricted by a local city or county.
Honkin’ fact: In his famous Checkers speech in 1952, when Richard Nixon was on Dwight D. Eisenhower’s ticket and the vice-prez-to-be was trying to convince America that he was honest and not living beyond his salary as a New York Post story had claimed, he cited how he had few possessions, beyond a 1950 Oldsmobile. (Source: historyplace.com.)
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.