Weird Wi-Fi hotspots
By Mark Milian, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
Some places are practically obligated to offer wireless Internet. It’s commonplace to walk into a coffee shop, library, hotel lobby, college campus, train station or airport and find people plugging away on their laptops. And by next summer
But the following L.A. Web “hotspots” might leave you scratching your head. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
EZ Lube
If you buy Barack Obama’s claim that proper tire inflation will solve the country’s gas problems, not only can EZ Lube “pump you up,” as the classic Saturday Night Live skit says, but you can surf the Web while they do it.
After you clean out the pennies from your ashtray, you can grab your laptop from the backseat because every EZ Lube location in L.A. is Wi-Fi enabled, says a company spokesman. (Christine Cotter / Los Angeles Times)
Pershing Square
This outdoor concert and event center in downtown L.A. offers free wireless Internet, though reception can be a bit spotty. If you’re looking for somewhere to check e-mail without getting hounded for spare change, Pershing Square’s Wi-Fi website lists other hotspots nearby, including libraries and Burger Kings. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
USC Hillel: Center for Jewish Life
After your night of Internet-enabled debauchery, it might be time to seek spiritual guidance. Thankfully the Jewish center on the University of Southern California’s campus is there to help.
And more important, they have free Web and printer access -- because even a house of God supports free Internet. (Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times)
Weird hotspots on Google Maps
If you actually want to visit any of these odd wireless hotspots, we have a
