But really, it’s just for a couple of minutes

“You know parking’s tough in L.A.,” writes Keith Johnson, “when Parking Enforcement resorts to valet parking in order to get a spot” (see photo).

Added Johnson: “Not sure if they were eating or citing.”

Chances are you haven’t had to fill up your gas tank on Catalina Island lately, and you can count yourself lucky, as a snapshot from resident Bill Agresta illustrates (see photo).

Worst bargain in L.A. County

Agresta, the chief engineer at radio station KBRT-AM (740), drives a company truck but will soon visit the mainland to purchase a moped, he told Robert Gonsett’s radio newsletter.

Agresta’s pic, by the way, was taken in Avalon, which has the cheapest gas on the island.

“The only other place we can get gas,” he added, “is at Two Harbors -- for 20% more.”

Honest, Officer, I was just getting my hair done

In North Hollywood, Claudia and Tom Storey as well as Ginger Durgin found a place that undoubtedly has beer shampoos (see photo).

Zen approach at LAX?

Bart Boydston suspects that perhaps, in an effort to offset the new baggage fees, United Airlines “is asking that you chill out and let the self flow in baggage claim.” (see photo).

Food for thought

The mention here of a “Bavarian’s Liver” on a Siberian eatery’s menu reminded Dick Seibel of an experience he had in Pasadena. “A waiter at the former Chronicle restaurant offered us a dessert option of ‘Barbarian’ chocolate cake,” Seibel said. “We didn’t bite.”

Chew on this

I’ve mentioned the various wacky placards of the panhandler on the Wilshire offramp of the southbound Harbor Freeway. Maybe he likes the publicity and wants more.

“In the past, many of his signs were illegible because he was using a pencil or crayon to draw on brown cardboard,” said David Chan of L.A. “However, his latest message was on a bright white poster board with his message written with colored markers.

It said: ‘Omigod. My stomach ate my liver because I am so hungry.’ ”

I’ve really lost my appetite for liver.

miscelLAny

The Seal Beach Sun’s crime report mentioned an early-morning sighting of “two men driving around in a dark vehicle who made frequent stops, got out of the vehicle and ran around.”

The suspicious characters turned out to be newspaper deliverymen.

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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