One Person’s Fashion Statement Leads Another to File Complaint With Cops

The police log of the Huntington Beach Independent reported an outraged resident’s complaint that a man was at a “tire store with his underwear outside of his pants.”

A fashion crime here, to be sure, but I couldn’t help thinking how warmly the offender would be accepted in the mythical nation of San Marcos in Woody Allen’s “Bananas.”

In that film, a power-crazed rebel leader seizes control of a Latin American country and, in addition to changing the official language to Swedish, declares: “All citizens will be required to change their underwear every half hour. Underwear will be worn on the outside so we can check.”

Hardly the Fourth of July spirit: The Marina del Rey Argonaut said a man confronted a passerby “with a barbecue fork and demanded money, but fled without taking any property.”

Such a deal: Today’s shoppers’ specials (see accompanying) include:

* A house that would sleep occupants comfortably as long as the occupants were mice. (Jeanne Kinsey of La Quinta)

* A surprising credit card statement--and you thought interest rates had gone down! (Lois Willows of Beverly Hills)

* An offer apparently aimed at Leisure World habitues who can’t adapt to all the fresh air on the coast. (Dorothy Behm of Laguna Woods)

* And a Pasadena restaurant with a quirky sense of humor. (James Rodriguez of Fontana)

This just in! Mia Lee of KCAL and Paul Moyer of KNBC were voted most irritating TV news anchors in L.A. by readers of the media Web site ronfineman.com.

(Oddly enough, neither KCAL nor KNBC have taken note of the honors.)

The flashy Lee received 22% of the vote, compared with 20% for the folksy Moyer.

A runoff has been declared to determine who is No. 1.

Runners-up were Michele Ruiz of KNBC (17%), Linda Alvarez of KCBS (13%), Hal Fishman of KTLA (10%), Lauren Sanchez of KCOP (8%), Harold Greene of KCBS (8%) and Kelly Mack of KNBC (3%).

Lee is believed to hold the edge over Moyer in the runoff since her often revealing outfits have drawn critical comments from readers. I sometimes quarrel with Moyer’s choice of ties, but I really can’t fault him on appearance.

Whatever, I’m hoping that Web site chieftain Ron Fineman, a radio newsman, intends to host an awards show at a suitable location to present the winner her (or his) trophy.

miscelLAny: The police log of the San Clemente Sun Post News carried a “report of a man beating on a car in anger.” Sounds like the driver has come into possession of my old Mitsubishi Montero.

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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.