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Horance from Orange asks: I travel a lot, and if there’s a crash on the highway and traffic is backed up, normally without fail, vehicles start to cut over the grassy median to avoid waiting in the standstill traffic. Is this practice of cutting across the median legal? Once one does it, there’s almost a domino effect where many other motorists will cross the median.

Answer: If you travel on the highways of Texas, at some point you will find yourself in stalled traffic. This is when we, as responsible motorists, have to exercise this long lost thing called patience. This is an issue that definitely needs to be addressed! Cutting across a median to avoid waiting in stalled traffic is ILLEGAL in Texas, and should NOT be undertaken unless directed by a law enforcement officer on scene. Keep in mind, just because you see someone else doing something, doesn’t mean it is legal or you should do it as well. Because just as luck would have it, “YOU” will be the one caught and immediately the excuse will be “everyone was crossing the median,” which will not mount to a hill of beans! Crossing any median without the guidance of a police officer in Texas is wrong, no matter how long the wait seems.

Don from Port Arthur asks: My friend moved here from Kansas, and he lost his driver’s license out of that state. Since he was here he applied for a Texas Driver’s License and was issued one by the state of Texas. Just recently he found his lost driver’s license. Now he’s confused because he’s not certain if it’s legal to have a driver’s license from both states. Is it legal to possess two driver’s licenses?

Answer: Since your friend has established residency here in the state of Texas, the normal procedure would for him to surrender his Kansas driver’s license upon being issued a Texas Driver’s License. I’m glad he found his Kansas license, but you cannot have two different and current state driver’s licenses. So to answer your question, he should go back to the Texas Department of Public Safety and turn in his Kansas  Driver’s License. Here’s a note to new Texas residents, the state of Texas allows you to drive a motor vehicle up to 90 days on the roads of Texas with a current license from another state in USA before applying for a Texas Driver’s License.

Milton from Port Arthur asks: My wife and I were in the car the other day and she was approaching a school zone and still had her phone in her hand while she was driving. I politely said, “Baby, you need to put the phone down until you get out of the school zone.” Of course that didn’t go well. She told me she wasn’t talking on it, so what’s the big deal? I calmly said, “Baby, aren’t school zones a hands-free cellular phone zone, and don’t you still have the phone in your hand?” This went back and forth for a few minutes without any resolution. I it legal or illegal to drive through a school zone with a cell phone in your hand, even if you are not using it? My argument was the police wouldn’t know if you are talking on it or not! Please help us out with the correct answer.

Answer: The state of Texas is encouraging ALL drivers of motor vehicles to put cell phones down while driving in school zones. I agree that your wife’s act of holding a cellphone in her hand could cause a law enforcement officer to believe she is texting or dealing with her phone in the cellphone hands free zone. Let this be one time that Mr. Milton is right (smile)! Please, put the cellphone down while driving in a school zone. Cellphones and driving don’t mix, and if the cellphone is in your hand, that means you are using it or about to use the cellphone while driving and that act is ILLEGAL in school zones.

Join Me, Officer Antoine and the CREW Stephen “Buzzard Boots” Mosley, Lelo “mouth of Hwy 69/73” I Washington & Tejas “Lil Man”Morning Star for Ask A Cop live on KSAP 96.9 FM The Breeze every Tuesday from 1 to 3 p.m. and beyond. Call in questions at 409-982-0247. You can also email questions to rickey.antoine@portarthurtx.gov or leave a voicemail at 409-983-8673. Mail them to Ofc. Rickey Antoine, 645 4th Street, Port Arthur, Texas, 77640. If you happen to see me in public, you can always “Ask A Cop!”