Look for the orange lining . ....

Look for the orange lining . . . At least one carwash seemed delighted over the rainstorm. A Long Beach shop displayed a banner that said: “Wash Off Acid Rain ASAP!”

*

Write the USA / About Your Chevrolet! You may remember the Cerritos man who complained about his problem-plagued Corvette and received a letter from the company assuring that his comments “eill help up to provide you with the quality you expect from Chevrolet” (see excerpt).

The letter further upset Dan Michaelson, who wants Chevrolet to replace the Corvette.

Rather than picket, he began a letter-writing campaign that succeeded in having Chevrolet’s letter quoted not only in Only in L.A. but in the Orange County Register, the Long Beach Press Telegram, the Wall Street Journal and “one paper in Hong Kong.” He added: “I’m still trying to get into the Japan Times “because that’s the world’s largest newspaper.”

Chevrolet, which claims that Michaelson is exaggerating the problems, says it “tried to reach an agreement with him but we couldn’t come to terms.”

The company has since dropped him another note, which he faxed to us. Chevrolet said his Corvette is due for “it’s” servicing and assured him that the company does “beleive” that maintenance is important. And it misspelled his name as “Michealson.”

He thinks the Japan Times will like the second letter.

*

We’re No. 1: Everyone likes to be associated with a pace-setter, even the local FBI unit, as its fax cover sheet makes clear (see reproduction).

*

We will sell no water before its time: One survey showed that half the Department of Water and Power’s customers preferred bottled water. Even some DWP offices had bottled water (since removed).

And so, the agency has formed . . .

The Water Sniffers!

“That’s what we call them,” said spokeswoman Deborah Sass. “The group is trained in odor and taste analysis. They all went through two weeks of training at UCLA.”

Their job, Sass said, is to test samples of water in the L.A. basin and be on guard for such officially verboten flavors as “sour,” “salty,” “bitter,” “earthy,” “fishy,” and the always delightful “septic.”

Sass said that when they quaff, the Sniffers “hold the bottom of the beaker, like wine-tasters,” so as not to affect the temperature of the liquid. And, of course, they nibble on unsalted crackers between swigs to clear their palates.

The team was recently called into action when a reservoir at Bouquet Canyon in Santa Clarita was shut down to have algae removed. “They went up there and tasted the reservoir before it was returned to service,” Sass said.

And the Sniffers will perform at a press conference in Sun Valley on Tuesday. Media types will be invited to taste the DWP samples as well. It could be one of the few occasions where members of the press turn down free drinks.

*

Makes you wonder: Rudy Leyva swears he saw it on 6th Street in L.A.: “An irritated motorist leaped from his car and gave chase to a man who reached through an open window and stole his ‘handicapped parking’ placard.”

*

Fair warning: Reader D. Hartman figures that a fellow resident of Newhall was probably victimized by a typographical error when he took out a singles ad in a shopper in that region. The blurb for the otherwise friendly sounding chap was titled:

“NEWHELL.”

miscelLAny:

The last time it snowed at L.A.’s Civic Center was Jan. 11, 1949.