Unable to steer straight, a 39-year-old Torrance...

Unable to steer straight, a 39-year-old Torrance man had the bad luck to lurch into the parking lot of the Compton Police Department.

He tested above the legal limit for intoxication, officers said, and was arrested for drunkenness. They couldn’t get him for drunk driving because he was on a horse at the time.

The urban cowboy, sporting a big hat, boots and spurs, was first thought to be ill. But officers said they found a half-empty bottle of wine in his pocket. He had been riding on a railroad right-of-way when the animal apparently panicked after hearing the whistle of the Long Beach-L.A. trolley, which was on a trial run.

The horse was later released to a friend of the cowboy after spending an hour tied to a tree in the parking lot.

The creature was driven home.

The idea of a horseman on city streets got us to thinking about the old days.

Examining the earliest index of criminal charges (1905-1919) in the county district attorney’s office, we didn’t find any drunk-horseriding charges.

But we noticed that, in some ways, society has changed less than you might expect. Scattered through the book are such charges as “having cocaine in possession,” “felony (opium),” “having morphine in possession,” “opium pipe in possession” and “carrying drugs into jail.”

Other charges, however, seem outdated or puzzling as listed in the book:

“Running race on highway,” “evaded fare on rr (railroad),” “prize fighting,” “felony (voting twice),” “fictitious telegram,” and “driving wagon (with) no light.”

Before we get off our high horse . . .

We regret to announce that the Pete Schabarum Trail Ride and Barbecue will be held for the last time June 3. Schabarum is retiring from the county Board of Supervisors in December. While his name will be rubbed off the doors at the Hall of Administration, it will remain on the trail, which runs between La Verne and San Dimas. That honor almost makes up for his being passed over by the Bush Administration for the cabinet post of secretary of transportation.

Our mention Thursday of the cancellation of TWA’s romantic Burbank-Long Beach run raises the question: What is the quirkiest local route?

There aren’t many left. American Airlines’ 17-mile LAX-Long Beach run was also grounded recently. That one sometimes took 30 minutes--10 minutes waiting to take off, 10 minutes in the air and 10 minutes to taxi to the terminal.

So, the current honor would appear to go to Alpha Air, which ferries the freeway-fearful 19 miles between LAX and Burbank Airport four nights a week. Cost is $50 one way, which is a bit more expensive than the cost of a taxi. But, then, you don’t have to hear the dispatcher yelling at the cabbie over the two-way radio, either.

Gary Robb of Silver Lake points out that Culver City school officials weren’t alone in rejecting “Little Red Riding Hood” because the book depicts Red taking Grandma a bottle of wine to pep her up. A ban was also announced in Modesto--the headquarters of Gallo, the world’s largest winery.

miscelLAny:

George S. Patton, father of Gen. George S. Patton Jr., was L.A. County district attorney from 1886-1887.