A Reader Trying to Conserve Water Gets Hosed by Eager-Beaver Police Officer
Catherine Scott of Hawthorne came up with a water-conservation idea that didn’t pan out.
“I came home from work at noon and parked my car on the lawn for a quick wash,” she said. “I went inside to change my clothes and get some old towels and by the time I came out I had a $55 ticket for parking in the frontyard.”
Observed Scott: “It would have been cheaper to use bottled water.”
Saving water (cont.): Dan Wickerd called attention to “that cute, little annoying thing that many Southern Californians do before heading back after a day in the mountains this time of year -- packing snow on the car.”
Wickerd suggests a law making such snow resettlement mandatory.
Moving on to the budget problem: Gov. Gray Davis wants to reduce that nasty little $34-billion shortfall by raising cigarette taxes. Well, if all the shops charged as much as the one spotted by Mike Peck of Manhattan Beach, there’d be taxes aplenty to balance the budget (see photo).
Peck points out the store is also helping those who’ve resolved to quit smoking for the new year.
From smoking to drinking: Warde Miller of Corona saw an ad for some mixed drinks that can be “hand fed” (see accompanying). Personally I like mine in a glass. And I don’t want the bartender sticking his fingers in them, either.
That’s cold: Pershing Square’s Web site gives the various costs for using the park’s skating rink. I’m boycotting it if the maintenance and security folks are treated the way the site indicates (see accompanying).
Boys, boys: When Vivendi Universal executive Barry Diller referred to “that fat Marvin Davis” the other day, he was continuing a colorful tradition of Hollywood moguls insulting each other.
Some other outbursts over the years:
* Disney boss Michael Eisner on ex-employee Jeffrey Katzenberg: “I hate the little midget.”
* Don Ohlmeyer, then NBC West Coast president: “Michael Ovitz is the antichrist, and you can quote me on that.”
* Music executive David Geffen: “Apparently, Don Ohlmeyer thinks more highly of Mike Ovitz than I do.”
* CNN founder Ted Turner on Fox’s Rupert Murdoch: “A scumbag.” Also, “a schlockmeister.”
* Jack Warner on a rival studio head: “They’ve said (Louis B.) Mayer’s his own worst enemy. Well, not really. Not while I’m around.”
* And, finally, theater magnate Sid Grauman: “I saw this empty taxicab drive up, and out stepped Sam Goldwyn.”
miscelLAny: In our mystery of the day, Si Frumkin of Studio City reports that while visiting the island of Aruba off the coast of Venezuela, he spotted a bilingual sign that seemed to say “Do not throw sushi” in Spanish (see photo).
Sushi in particular is a littering problem? “I don’t know and the natives wouldn’t explain,” he said. “Could your readers help?”
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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.