Dave Rodriguez

Rodriguez has worked at Laurel Canyon News, the 24-hour newsstand in Studio City, for five years.

Who shops at 3 a.m. anyway? People on their way home. And you have your late-night guys who come by for adult magazines. Without getting into their habits, there’s people that have their little niche thing. Guys may come in for the auto section too -- car magazines. It’s a lot more male later at night. After that, like around 4 or 5, you start with morning people going to work.

Can you tell what your customers are going to pick up? Oh yes. Very much. There’ s a certain class of women, you know they’re going to be looking for fashion magazines. Another class you know they’ll be looking for home magazines. It’s just a knack of knowing the characters.

Are any publications particularly tricky to handle? Some high-class fashion magazines, the runway type, get very expensive. And being outdoors, there’s a certain amount of weathering. The elements are very tough on stuff. Sun bleaches it out.

The Sunday paper turns in about 15 minutes. It starts yellowing. And there are quirks about people: They will never grab the top paper. Magazines sometimes they won’t take the front copy either. But more so with the paper.

Any theories why? I guess they think the second copy is fresher. But it’s only the front page anyway.

This is L.A. Do you offer drive-by service? If I’m not busy. Every once in a while, you might get some New Yorker who will double park and want service. Right in the middle of Laurel Canyon. It’s usually an East Coaster.