Citicorp knew Suzie: To those who say...

Citicorp knew Suzie: To those who say that L.A. has no respect for preservation, may we point out the delightful antique machines in the Citicorp Plaza parking garage? Where else can you find gizmos that give only Susan B. Anthony dollars as change?

Yes, Susan B.s, those 11-sided coins that were minted in 1979 as a tribute to the famous suffragette--and quickly rejected by the public. (Even feminists asserted that the quarter-sized coins were too small to show true respect for Anthony.)

But they were perfect for the automated system installed by Citicorp in its garage off Figueroa Street in the mid-1980s. Made in Britain in the 1960s by a now-defunct manufacturer, the contraptions had formerly spit out British coins across the Atlantic.

These days, a Citicorp shopper will occasionally puzzle over the treasure.

“Someone will complain that their fee was $6 and they put $10 into the machine and only got four quarters back,” a worker said. “We have to tell them, ‘No, those are Susan B.s.’ ”

One recent shopper, magician Stanley Blumenthal, wound up with a handful of Susan B.s, but spotted a sign that said the coins can be “exchanged for currency at cashier’s booth.”

It saved Blumenthal the trouble of using his own powers of wizardry to make the coins disappear.

The Capitol CDs Tower? The articles reporting the recent 50th anniversary celebration of Capitol Records casually referred to it as a “record company.” Actually, platters (as we used to call them) constitute less than 1% of its product. Record company is one of those phrases that no longer means what it once did.

It joins such outdated expressions as glove compartment , dialing the phone, theater ticket (it’s usually a piece of paper), and swap meet (just try swapping something with one of the booth operators), and, in L.A., at least, slow lane .

A Capitol spokesman, by the way, said the company has no plans to change its name.

A brief history of history: In the June issue of L.A. Style, state Treasurer Kathleen Brown recalls the trials of growing up as the daughter of the governor (Edmund G. Brown Sr.): “When I was in junior high, my father found out that I wasn’t taking history and made a rule that every junior high school student had to take history.

“Not only that, he talked about me when he announced the new rule. You can imagine how popular that made me in school.”

Merchandising the riots: Joel Maliniak of West Hollywood believes he has devised the ideal bumper sticker for Ventura Countians.

Attn., Earthlings: Edison Johnson sends along a reminder that July 5 is the date of the third annual UFO Abductees/Contactees Day Walk in Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge. Naturally, he’ll understand if you can’t make it because you’re planning to get out of the solar system during the three-day holiday.

miscelLAny:

The sidewalk outside the Million Dollar Theater is speckled with stars honoring Spanish-speaking performers--except for one space. It’s occupied by a star for Gilbert Lindsay, the late city councilman.