A Wild Ride He Can Always Replay

An L.A. motorist who taped himself being carjacked? The tale appears in “The War Between the State,” Jon Winokur’s collection of wisecracks and anecdotes involving California cities.

The unnamed resident was supposedly watching a live police chase on TV one morning when he realized he was late for a job interview. So he slipped a blank tape into the VCR to record it and left -- only to have the same fleeing felon jump into his car at a red light several minutes later.

The victim escaped with minor injuries, but his car was wrecked and police had to drive him home.

There, he had the consolation of watching the tape of his misfortune.

Self-taped victim (cont.): Due to the lack of specifics in the story, I, being a cynic, wondered whether this was an urban folk tale. So I contacted David Mikkelson of snopes.com, debunker of such yarns, and he found an Associated Press story that confirmed the Feb. 11, 1998, incident.

By the way, the victim, Timothy Cole, later appeared on the “Leeza” TV show -- I guess I missed that episode -- and was given a new Chevy Lumina.

“One bit of advice,” host Leeza Gibbons said to Cole. “Every time you’re on the road, keep your doors locked.”

Talk about a negative campaign: David Chan of L.A. spotted a traffic sign that seemed to be against everything (see photo). Sounds like a lot of voters I know.

Getting a new twist: Carole Hilliard of Diamond Bar noticed that a video rental store had come up with a mischievous pairing of titles (see photo).

Laid-back: In Indonesia, Bob and Ana Cook of Encino chanced upon a turtle who obviously lacked the personality to be a used-car salesman (see photo).

Heaven mail: Bill Fawcett received a letter with markings that made it appear Duke Wayne was speaking from the hereafter (see photo).

They thought Halloween was the last day of September? The crime log of the Saddleback Valley News said a Mission Viejo resident reported there were three people “in her front yard, one with green paint all over his hair and face, one dressed in a nurse’s uniform and a third male dressed in a rat costume. Informant doesn’t know why they are on her property.”

miscelLAny: When a Chula Vista murder suspect was arrested in Virginia and refused to waive extradition, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a warrant for his arrest, relates San Diego magazine. The jailers back there were excited to see The Terminator’s autograph and received permission to make copies of it.

Only one person was unimpressed. “He writes like a woman,” the suspect said. The magazine couldn’t resist asking: “Girlie Man?”

Steve Harvey can be reached at (800) LATimes, 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.