Police Officer Finds Suspect Did His Work for Him

Nothing helps out a cop more than a suspect who captures himself. Case in point was the driver of a stolen car who was pulled over in Redondo Beach, then fled on foot.

The officer pursued him “and temporarily lost sight of him,” the Beach Reporter of Manhattan Beach said. “The officer heard a loud crash and went to the area of the sound.”

What had happened was that the suspect “attempted to jump over a wooden fence and gate. As he attempted to scale the gate, the gate opened unexpectedly and he fell” -- into a trash can, where he was found.

Drivers beware: Wayne Schultz of Simi Valley noticed what could be seen as a warning of jail time to anyone ignoring a “one way” sign in that city (see photo).

More confusion for motorists: James Helms of Arcadia spotted an area where drivers making a left turn seemed to have a 50-50 chance of being cited for an illegal maneuver (see photo).

Holy Moses! Rose Whelan of Lake Forest noticed that a book she ordered, “Jesus Loves Me (Cuddle and Sing Board Book),” sounded quite a bit different in the company’s abbreviated form (see accompanying).

Unterminated problem: Former KNX radio staffer Fred Bergendorf, a frequent traveler to Las Vegas, noticed last fall that the official “Welcome to California” sign on Interstate 15 had been knocked down in an accident.

A month later, it had still not been replaced, a lapse that Bergendorf found “odd, what with all the governor’s talk about trying to get people to come back to the state.

“I finally inquired and got a letter from Caltrans. They informed me that this was a standard sign ‘in the works.’ It has now been five months. And there’s still no sign. How long does it take to paint a sign in California?” Welcome to Bureaucracy!

What is that white stuff called? The last time it snowed in downtown L.A. -- Jan. 11, 1949 -- Jerry Feldner was 10 and living in the City Terrace area, having moved from Chicago a few years earlier.

“I still had my ol’ Chicago sled,” he recalled, “and, boy, was it a hit on the slopes of the local hills. I remember school was not canceled, but it did start late and we had a tremendous snowball fight (more like a festival) at City Terrace School.”

Other kids were more industrious: Of the 1949 snow day, long-time sportscaster Gil Stratton recalled, “That morning at 7:30, my doorbell in North Hollywood rang, and upon the front steps was a boy of about 12 holding a box Brownie camera. The young entrepreneur asked, ‘Take a picture of your house in the snow for a dollar?’ ”

miscelLAny: Mel Lopez of Chula Vista sent along a notice from his homeowners association newsletter, which began: “The board has received reports of rat activity within the association.” Hey -- let’s quit the name-calling among the residents!