When Robbing a Cabbie, Give Him a Fake Address
The moral of this story is don’t bring your work home with you.
When a taxicab arrived at a University City apartment complex, the customer pulled a knife and robbed the driver of about $60, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. But the driver watched as the robber entered the complex. San Diego police arrived, described the assailant to the manager of the complex and were directed to an apartment unit. The occupant was identified by the cabdriver and arrested.
Not exactly a roads scholar.
Soon to be featured on “Antiques Roadshow”? Diane Lee of Palm Springs couldn’t help but notice a headline about a conservator with an unusual collection (see accompanying).
I knew Southern Californians were in love with their cars but....: An ad placed by a prospective groom caught the eye of David Veal. The guy seems to be dumping poor Chevelle (see accompanying).
Speaking of affection: Jonathan Clark came upon what could be illicit pleasures for sale--or just an armoire (see accompanying).
And if your homonymic urges still haven’t been satisfied: Bill Johnson found chilling evidence of the misspelling of “forced air” (see accompanying).
This item is freeeeeee! As any commuter can tell you, the annoying Sit’n Sleep mattress commercials of high-pitched Larry Miller seem to air every three to four minutes on the radio. Each contains a moment when Miller’s whiny accountant shouts, “You’re killing me, Larry!”
Anyway, I was stunned to hear that radio host Larry Elder of KABC-AM (790) has begun playing a tape of the accountant’s line every once in a while for comic effect. Doesn’t Elder realize that who-knows-how-many listeners will reflexively change stations upon hearing that voice? Talk about a career gamble.
Will the writers be invited back next week? Tom Brennan caught a boo-boo on TV’s “The Weakest Link,” of all quiz shows. Asked the meaning of “e pluribus unum,” a contestant responded: “In God We Trust,” and that answer was accepted. Brennan points out that while both phrases appear on United States currency, “e pluribus unum” means “one from many.”
Another “Duh!” award winner: The media Web site ronfineman.com caught a TV reporter discussing a bank robbery with a police officer. When the cop mentioned the “teller alarm button,” the reporter asked: “Are those usually set off by tellers?”
Webmaster Fineman, a radio reporter, told his readers: “Granted in a world where black boxes are orange, and knuckle balls are not thrown with your knuckles, I guess you never know. But in this case, the answer was ... yes.”
miscelLAny: In response to a Manhattan Beach man who claims he grew the first square watermelon in 1986, Richard Lorentz recalled seeing the straight-edged fruit in Japan in 1979 when he was married there.
A department store was offering them for about $25.
Lorentz points out that Japan has long gone in for exotic foodstuffs--real gold flakes sprinkled on food and sake, vitamin drinks in jars, “dry” beers and horse sashimi. I don’t think anyone here is going to demand credit for inventing horse sashimi.
*
Steve Harvey can be reached at (800) LA-TIMES, 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.