167 Abandoned Cars Earn a Man Honors

You can park your car in front of Morris Pichon’s house, but just make sure you don’t let it sit there too long.

On Friday Pichon received a commendation by Los Angeles City Councilman Richard Alarcon for turning in 167 abandoned cars in his neighborhood over the past six months.

Alarcon, who also praised the efforts of city parking enforcement officers, said he was particularly grateful for Pichon’s help because abandoned cars have been a longstanding problem in his district.

Since July, 1993, more than 4,350 cars have been reported abandoned in Alarcon’s northeast Valley district, resulting in 469 cars being towed away and impounded, the councilman said.

The 52-year-old Lake View Terrace resident has been turning them in one at a time by calling 1 800-ABANDON, a number operated by the city’s Bureau of Parking Enforcement.

“I’m only doing what I think every good citizen should do and that is participating in local government,” he told the City Council.

Pichon said that after he was laid off from his job in the aerospace industry in July he had a lot of time on his hands and decided to put it to good use.

But why target abandoned cars?

“It’s a small personal passion,” he said. “I just can’t stand the sight of them.”