Vanity Plate Spells Out the Joys of Driving in L.A.

Tourist Alan Beauchesne thinks he may have “spotted the license plate that best describes the traffic that Southern Californians have to put up with. The plate was ARRRRGG.” But, added Beauchesne, “we didn’t see it on the San Diego or Golden State Freeway. It was parked on the street in the relatively tranquil burg of Summerland!”

Probably a driver visiting from L.A.

And now for the weather: Russ Fega noticed that the forecast at one gas station was for a lot of air pollution (see photo).

Alphabet soup: While I was away, Rachel Simon of Burbank and her husband attended “Camelot” at the Hollywood Bowl, taking a shuttle from the L.A. Zoo parking lot. The lot has sections named for animals. So where did the shuttle drop them off on the way back? At section C, of course. The Camel lot.

Duke of dumpsters: Only on the Westside, observes Paula Van Gelder of West L.A., would you find that even the waste is high grade (see photo).

Unclear on the concept: One of L.A. publicist Paul Shefrin’s projects is “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,” and he sent a release to Radio & Records, the L.A. trade publication, announcing that Ryan Seacrest would join Clark this year.

Added Shefrin: “I guess my PR efforts might have come up a bit short.” The item that appeared in the publication said the event would be televised by ABC from Times Square, “date TBA.”

Shefrin forgot to tell Radio & Records that New Year’s Eve is Dec. 31.

Food for thought: Phil Proctor of Beverly Hills labels one synagogue’s marquee “Chicken Fat for the Soul” (see photo).

Who’s afraid ... : Gil Chesterton of Valley Village, on a trip to Pismo Beach, spotted this police beat item in the Coastal News: “$600 to $700 worth of bricks were stolen from the 100 block of Main Street.

“He or she will be ready for the Big Bad Wolf.”

miscelLAny: In the Adventures-in-the-English-Language category, Lynn Dickhoff of Topanga reports that, during the recent heat wave, one radio station repeatedly warned that the weather in the San Fernando Valley would be in the “mid-100s.” The mercury never did hit 150 degrees, luckily, only about 110.