Look -- It’s the Rip Van Winkle of Billboards
Have you seen that Chrysler billboard on the San Diego Freeway that says, “Expect a daily SigAlert at this location”? Hey, this is the 405 we’re talking about. I expect a daily SigAlert at any location. And by the way, does Chrysler think that mention of a SigAlert will bring a smile to drivers crawling along on the 405?
Food for thought: David Chan of L.A. spotted a Japanese-Korean smorgasbord of a restaurant, which I’ve placed in my Hall of Fame of Mixed Stew signs (see photos). Falafel and grits, anyone?
Back to SigAlerts: I notice that KFWB-AM (980) has introduced “Drive-Time Traffic” reports, giving motorists estimates of the number of minutes it takes to travel from Point A to Point B after an accident has occurred.
Talk about depressing news.
Some other developments in radio traffic reporting over the years:
* 1956: Radio executive Loyd Sigmon pioneers the hookup by which radio stations can receive news of traffic mishaps from the CHP. Unplanned lane closures are dubbed SigAlerts.
* 1968: Music stations KFWB-AM and KNX-AM (1070) go all-news, with an emphasis on traffic reporting.
* 1985: KHJ-AM (930) briefly tries a format called Car Radio, with songs (called “car tunes”) and traffic reports every 10 minutes.
* 1988: KNX-AM holds the first traffic tipsters party for commuters who phone the station. One frequent tipster, Cardinal Roger M. Mahony, is unable to attend.
* 1994: After the Northridge quake, KNX-AM moves traffic reports from every 10 minutes to every six.
* 1998: All-traffic station KKTR-AM (1650), better known as K-Traffic, debuts. It folds nine months later after a report of a cow carcass on the Pomona Freeway.
Department of Miscommunication: Linda Trevillian visited a restaurant in Alhambra and noticed that the special written on the chalkboard was that old French favorite: Gordon Blue.
Trevillian also contributed a childhood misconception. (I’ve retired the word “mondegreen” -- it’s too difficult to spell day after day.)
“When I was small,” she said, “my mother dutifully took me to the local Methodist church on Sundays. I remember my favorite hymn: ‘Jesus Loves Me.’ ”
But Trevillian thought the lyrics were: “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the barber tells me so.... “
Well, haircutters do enjoy a lofty status in Southern California.
miscelLAny: Columnist Tim Grobaty of the Long Beach Press-Telegram points out that the surfing team at Wilson High -- yes, there are surfing teams these days -- has a bit of a problem. There’s no surf in Long Beach, due to the breakwater. The team has to head south to Sunset Beach to find actual waves.
Wilson won a CIF title in the “inland” division despite the fact that the school is only a mile or so from the ocean.
Steve Harvey can be reached by e-mail at steve.harvey@ latimes.com.
