Talk about your desert island

You can imagine my delight when I learned that an area near my mother’s house had been granted “national park” status (see photo). What an honor for West L.A.!

Upon closer inspection, though, I noticed that the “park” consisted of pavement surrounded by three streets.

Turns out the official-looking designations are posted at a number of local traffic islands and are -- surprise -- fakes.

A website -- www.islandsofla.com -- claims credit, or discredit (depending on your point of view), for the signs and explains that the intention is to provoke a discussion about the “role of art and dialogue in public space.” (The signs, I guess, are the “art” part.)

Anyway, I’ve canceled vacation plans for the West L.A. traffic island, which is just as well. I’d save on gasoline but I have a fear of sleeping near wild creatures -- mainly Westside drivers.

Islands National Park (cont.)

Some people left comments on the group’s website indicating they didn’t realize the signs were a joke.

“How can this be a National Park?” said one. “Isn’t there a fee to go to a National Park?”

Another grumbled, “These simple medians with fruit-sellers and beggars and bums sleeping under the trees should not be called National Parks.”

But some e-mailers were amused, including one who said: “Now that you have made my home a National Park, I eagerly await the official assignment of Park Rangers, and will be happy to volunteer to man the parking permit or campground as needed.”

Unclear on the concept

In Glendora, Alan Duignan saw a plant that won’t yield much guacamole (see photo).

High-end parking

Ristorante daVinci, which is next to the Long Beach Airport, tries to accommodate all vehicles (see accompanying), though I don’t think the valet parking service is available to pilots.

More food for thought

Joyce Waddle of Oceanside found just the item for folks who must eat -- and cook -- on the run (see accompanying).

A sorry sight

“At the new immigration counters at LAX,” writes Norm Sklarewitz, “arriving passengers are treated to a lively ‘Welcome to the United States’ video [that] invites them to enjoy the many wonderful ‘sites’ the country has to offer. Clearly the text wasn’t outsourced to India to be written, since folks there know how to spell.”

miscelLAny:

On the Long Beach Freeway, I spotted a gasoline tanker displaying an ad for “Shine a Light,” the Martin Scorsese documentary about the Rolling Stones. Considering the age of Mick Jagger’s group, shouldn’t it have been on a milk truck?

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