Q. A certain company makes it a practice to store trailers on Ualena Street between Pai'ea and Ohohia streets near the airport, taking up numerous parking spaces. These are full-sized trailers, some of them refrigerated, but with no tractors attached. They are therefore being stored on public property, not parked. Is this legal?

A. As a matter of fact, it isn't.

Honolulu Police Department spokeswoman Michelle Yu said, "The company that was parking its vehicles on Ualena Street was contacted and has since moved its vehicles."

Q. There are spaces marked "Private Parking" or "Reserved" on what appears to be a public street, Koapaka Street, 'ewa of Pai'ea Street. How is this legal?

A. It's legal because it's actually a private street and the owner can post his or her own signs.

Q. I live in Pauoa Valley and almost every weekend (and then some) we hear fireworks going off. It sometimes sounds like guns. I hesitate to call the police because I know by the time they get here they won't be able to tell where the fireworks are coming from. It is disturbing to hear the booming all the time. Sometimes I feel like I live in a ghetto with guns going off all the time! Do you know who I can contact to address this issue as well?

A. I know it's hard to locate the source of a booming noise, but the Police Department says your best bet is to call 911 and provide as much information as possible about where the fireworks or sound originated or a description of the people setting them off.

Q. In recent holiday seasons, we've seen newspaper ads for firecrackers that require no permits. So, technically, for which items do you still need permits?

A. You still need one permit for every 5,000 traditional firecrackers you want to buy. Get permits for $25 each at any satellite city hall.

However, there are now "paperless firecrackers" on the market, which are thinner, use less powder and don't require a permit. They aren't as loud as the traditional firecrackers, but are gaining popularity because they are cheaper and require a lot less cleanup.

You also don't need a permit for "novelty" fireworks such as fountains or sparklers.

Aerial fireworks are illegal unless a special permit has been issued by Honolulu Fire Chief Kenneth Silva.

You can buy fireworks through midnight Monday, but you can set them off only between 9 p.m. Monday and 1 a.m. Tuesday.

Reach Bureaucracy Buster at buster@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2454. If you call, leave a message, your name and a daytime phone number.

Make a difference. Donate to The Advertiser Christmas Fund.