Some In-Your-Face Record Setters

The 2001 edition of the Guinness World Records book honors the achievements of several locals, including Bob Hatch of Pasadena, who “snapped his fingers with a decibel meter reading of 108 on May 17, 2000.”

Obviously trying to get a waiter’s attention.

FEAT IN MOUTH: Some other Guinness marks, none of which I recommend you try to surpass:

* “Johnny Reitz managed to stuff three regulation-sized hamburgers (including buns and condiments) into his mouth at the same time” for a “Guinness Records” TV broadcast on June 17, 1998. “He was not allowed to swallow any part of the hamburgers.”

* Super Joe Reed made history’s “highest roof-to-roof motorcycle jump” July 30, 1998, when he drove “from the roof of one 160-foot-tall building to another in a 250 cc dirt bike in L.A.” There was a gap of 65 feet between the buildings but no other traffic at that altitude.

And, especially, avoid attempting this one out of compassion for the rest of us:

* Dave Thomas of Wendy’s hamburgers has appeared in 652 commercials, the “most ads starring a company founder.” The only way I would watch No. 653 would be if Dave tried to better Reitz’s record.

GUIDE TO DARING DINING: Now that I’ve got you in the mood for stuffing your face, let me say that this column’s Specials of the Day (see accompanying) include:

* A dish that sounds like a phone company promo (Wendy Mollett).

* A leafy vegetable that’s been kicked around a bit (submitted by Arthur Siegel).

* And a noisy condiment to add to your soup or salad (R.J. Morris).

ON A DIFFERENT NOTE: If bagpipes aren’t your thing, Cheryl Long of Arcadia found a company that will insert a dozen roses into another musical instrument (see photo). There ought to be a Guinness record for that category.

TOO LATE FOR DAN QUAYLE: Ben Beisel of Hawthorne points out:

* If GH can stand for P as in hiccough

* If OUGH can stand for O in dough

* If PHTH can stand for T as in phthisis

* If EIGH can stand for A as in neighbor

* If TTE can stand for T as in gazette

* If EAU can stand for O as in plateau

Then POTATO can be spelled GHOUGHPHTHEIGHTTEEAU.

I don’t even want to think about what the plural would be.

miscelLAny:

I’ve about had it up to here with all the inaccurate political ads on the airwaves, and Alan Silverman of Culver City agrees. Just the other day he heard a pitch for one of the ballot propositions that quoted John Dillinger as saying that he robbed banks “because that’s where the money is.”

As Silverman pointed out, it was safe-cracker Willie Sutton who made that statement. I hate to see Willie get short-changed.

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Steve Harvey can be reached at (800) LATIMES, Ext. 77083, by fax at (213) 237-4712, by mail at Metro, L.A. Times, 202 W. 1st St., L.A., 90012 and by e-mail at steve.harvey@latimes.com.