Passenger Filled Up on a Bag of Peanuts

Aboard an Air Canada jet, Sheila Seaton noticed a feathery stowaway who had ignored the “Exit/Sortie” sign when the plane took off from L.A. (see photo).

“The pilot made an announcement just after this photo was taken that the bird was humanely captured,” Seaton related. “He said it would be released in Canada to a safe environment. But first it had to pass through customs and immigration.”

I wonder if the creature was trying to escape the sounds of all those car alarms that blare through the night in L.A.

MOVING EXPERIENCE: Katherine Fugate of L.A. came upon a spot that seemed ideal for those who don’t want to have to get out of the car to observe art (see photo). Actually, the sign refers to parking in a mini-mall. I should add, though, that Salt Lake City does have a drive-by art gallery. How much longer can L.A. go without one?

ONE-STOP SHOPPING: Stephanie Spika of Long Beach spotted a shop in Long Beach that not only offers bridal gowns but will also help fill out the wedding party, if necessary (see photo).

OK, LONG BEACH, GIVE IT BACK! A week ago, a robber held up a bank in downtown Long Beach and, when police gave chase, he began throwing the loot out his car window.

He was captured, but several thousand dollars thrown into the streets of the city got away. Police warned passersby who scooped up cash to turn it in, adding that it is unlawful to spend such ill-gotten gains and that the bills could be traced. The result? Officer David Marander, a department spokesman, said: “No one has come forward with any money yet.”

SPEAKING OF MYSTERIES: And then there was the theft of a trio of chameleons from an exhibit in the lobby of the Lowman Special Education Center in North Hollywood. Hilda Ramirez, a spokeswoman for the L.A. Unified School District, feared this might be a tough case to solve. “Hopefully the chameleons aren’t disguised,” she said.

But after school officials put out an appeal to the community, a mother and her two teenage sons dropped the missing lizards off at the school in a shoe box. She said her sons had found them elsewhere. Whatever, kids at the school, who consider the creatures their mascots, wore happy faces.

IT’S COME TO THIS: Dan Morin of West Hollywood noticed that the fine print on the back of his Hollywood Bowl ticket says in part that among the activities “prohibited in the theater” is the “use of . . . weapons.”

LET’S NOT EVEN TALK ABOUT THE KITCHEN FLOOR: Mary Alice Toomey found this crime log item in the Los Angeles Independent: “11:10 p.m.: Angry because a man belittled her attempts to keep her toilet bowl sparkling clean, a woman snatched the victim’s slacks from the bed and sliced them up.”

Like we at Only in L.A. always say, you give us 2.2 minutes and we’ll give you the weird.

miscelLAny:

Brent Basinger of Alta Loma saw this license plate frame on an Ontario Police K-9 patrol car: “We Love to Play Hide and Seek.”

Steve Harvey can be reached by phone at (213) 237-7083, by fax at (213) 237-4712, by e-mail at steve.harvey@latimes.com and by mail at Metro, L.A. Times, Times Mirror Square, L.A. 90053.