Oh, Are You Saying This Check Is Supposed to Be Made Out in My Name?

For today’s stupid criminal trick, the L.A. Independent reported that a woman was arrested for forgery after she walked into a bank and tried to cash a check that “had gotten wet and had been repaired with transparent tape.” The check had been “made out to another person, and the suspect was attempting to cash it with a driver’s license that belonged to someone else.” Just one thing puzzles me: What made the bank suspicious?

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Don’t try to pet them, either: In Death Valley, Bill Anderson noticed a warning to leave the corralled creatures alone (see photo).

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Wholly confusing: Peter Woelper of San Dimas came upon a for-sale sign that might have reflected the refinisher’s sentiment. (see photo). And the church bench apparently had an unusual design.

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Stop the slaughter! Not only did USC defeat UCLA for the fourth straight time Saturday, but the Trojans chalked up the most points (52) in the series since a 52-0 victory in 1930.

After that 1930 rout, by the way, the two schools agreed to suspend their series because USC was just too powerful for its Westwood foe. They didn’t play each other again until 1936. In all fairness, I think it’s time for another break. Right now, UCLA is obviously not in USC’s class. I could see resuming the series in six years -- if UCLA’s football program has recovered.

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Clothes unmake the man: I guess that’s what I get for wearing scruffy clothes and a scruffy beard. Walking near the Seal Beach pier, I needed a quarter to buy a newspaper and asked a passerby if he would accept two dimes and a nickel in exchange. A toothless street person overheard part of the conversation and asked me, “What do you need, buddy?”

He pulled out a wad of cash, explaining that someone had just given him $20. The generous fellow was willing to give an obvious down-and-outer like myself whatever I needed to get through the day.

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MiscelLAny: The police log of Cal Poly Pomona’s Post newspaper said that “a fight was broken up on the lawn at Montecito Hall.

“A student admitted that he took a fraternity’s mascot, a toy fire truck.

“The electric toy was thrown into the duck pond and ruined by the water. The student was issued a citation and promised to replace the toy.”

And that concludes our leaders-of-tomorrow report.

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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.