San Diegans Don’t Really Hate L.A. -- They’re Just Jealous

“How San Diegan Are You?” -- a poll in San Diego magazine -- lists 111 hometown characteristics, including this one: “Have always hated Los Angeles.”

If Los Angeles magazine conducted a questionnaire about the characteristics of an Angeleno, I wonder how L.A.’s neighbor to the south would be mentioned. Perhaps:

“Have rarely given San Diego any thought.”

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Adventurous San Diego! Hunter Lowry of KTTV’s “Fox 11 News” couldn’t resist sharing this recent bulletin about America’s Finest City:

“Eds: The 6:30 p.m. ‘Family Literacy Snow Night’ event at the Salvation Army and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center listed on the SD Budget for today has been CANCELED due to the expected bad weather.... “

Commented Lowry: “Where else could you have a snow night canceled by bad weather?”

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“Duh!” award winner: Bob Rhinehart of Torrance spotted a CD holder unit that contained some words of caution for gymnasts and house-painters, among others (see photo).

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Word imperfect: “Our daughter is a graduating senior from Pitzer (one of the Claremont Colleges) and her commencement time was changed,” wrote Andy Eaton. “The company printing the announcements sent out a correction along with a note of apology” (see accompanying).

Judging from the spelling, Eaton added, “the printers clearly didn’t go to one of the Claremont Colleges.”

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Food for thought: Pam Ovlen of Thousand Oaks noticed an offering of soup that may be a bit greasy (see photo).

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International problem: Readers have sent me photos of New York City signs that say, “Don’t even think about parking here.” In more urbane England, Bob Patterson of Alta Loma found a different approach (see photo).

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Fish story: New warnings by a public health advocacy group about the mercury levels in tuna here reminded Jerry Goldstein of a note that appeared in a Herb Caen column in San Francisco when the issue was raised a quarter-century ago.

“The contributor,” Goldstein recalled, “suggested that restaurants and fish-purveyors simply take the whole tuna and hang it outside by the tail on a clothesline overnight. As the temperature dropped, the mercury would slowly fall to the head. Then at the crack of dawn, merely cut off the head and -- ta-da -- no mercury in the fish.”

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miscelLAny: Mrs. Only in L.A. was at a gas station in Long Beach when a transient asked her, “Can you spare 50 cents?” I had gotten to her first for cash, so she told the guy, “Sorry.” He answered: “You can’t spare a bum 50 cents?” After a pause he added: “It doesn’t have to be 50 cents. It can be $100.”

What a negotiator.

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Steve Harvey can be reached at (800) LATIMES, Ext. 77083 and by e-mail at steve.harvey@latimes.com.