This holiday season Honk is thankful for his readers, who are the smartest, prettiest, handsomest, funniest, most creative and happiest people, and the sharpest dressers, too. Because of their questions during the past year, he has learned:
(Volume 2 for ’25)
The California Highway Patrol tries to open up freeway lanes as quickly as practical after a collision, the CHP says, but if a deadly crash or a freeway shooting erupted, the investigation takes sway and it could be hours until lanes reopen. …
California rest areas are often closed because, among other reasons, they are remote and difficult to service, have aging water systems or budget constraints. …
Those at least 62 years old can get a free senior citizen, state-issued ID card that doubles as a Real ID. …
When renewing your driver’s license, check the box for the Real ID even if you already have it, or you could lose it. …
If you sell a vehicle with disabled-person, special-interest or personalized license plates, take them off. The new owner needs to get their own new plates. …
The $92 million Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing should open in 2026 in Agoura Hills over the 101 Freeway, blanketed with dirt and plants to allow mountain lions, deer, desert cottontails, bobcats and other animals to cross over the highway. …
Cars, trucks and motorcycles can’t have exterior blue lights — unless they are first-responder vehicles. …
Temporary license plates have a QR code on them holding info about that vehicle. …
If you get a text concerning a supposedly unpaid tollway bill, Google away to get a legit number for the agency and double-check it — there are more scams out there than inhabitants of Honkland. Well, not that many, but a lot. …
Qualifying fire and police vehicles can go in the carpool lane with no passenger only if the driver is responding to a legit call. …
A personalized license-plate number can be revoked if a complaint is issued and the Department of Motor Vehicles reconsiders the sequence and agrees it is offensive. …
Going 100-mph-plus won’t put the offender in jail, because speeding is but an infraction. But circumstances could push the driver into misdemeanor land and into the gray-bar hotel, including passing on the shoulder, tailgating, weaving across lanes or going off of the paved roadway. …
When a clerk swipes a driver’s license through a reader, they are collecting from the magnetic strip on back the same info that is on the front. …
If a child or animal is in danger in a hot, locked car or truck, a good Samaritan can break in after contacting the authorities if they can’t get there fast enough. The rescuer must wait for the authorities with the pet or child. …
Waivers can be granted to airlines landing past curfew at John Wayne Airport by county operations officers for such reasons as bad weather or safety. …
On the backsides of some on-ramp traffic signals is a red light that flashes — letting police officers waiting down the ramp know if a motorist didn’t wait for the green. …
Honk wishes everyone in Honkland (and everywhere else, too) a wonderful holiday season and new year and a lifetime of sober, safe travels. …
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. Twitter: @OCRegisterHonk