No wonder freeway drivers seem younger every...

No wonder freeway drivers seem younger every year:

Daniel Riche of Long Beach sent along a flier from the Cypress Federal Little League, which is “open to all boys and girls 6-12 years old. . . . Original birth certificate and proof of residency (i.e. driver’s license) within bounds is required. . . .”

I DUNNO, HONEY, WHAT DO YOU FEEL LIKE EATING TONIGHT? Al Hix of Hollywood came upon a newspaper coupon placed by Reptiles Unlimited of Long Beach that says: “Free mouse or 25 crickets with this ad.”

AND FOR DESSERT. . . . A colleague found an ad for a fruit that sounds delicious--if you can get it to stand still.

L.A., CITY OF HEADLIGHTS: With the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show in town, we thought it a good time to dust off some of our favorite L.A. motoring milestones:

* E.E. Erie drives the first automobile in L.A. on May 30, 1897--in the early hours, so as not to stir up the jealousy of equine competitors. The Times says in wonderment that “this innocent tally-ho has about 25 miles an hour concealed in its vitals.”

* L.A.’s first auto theft is recorded in November 1904, according to the Petersen Automotive Museum.

* The Times reports: “While showing another man how to run an automobile, F.A. Christ . . . overturned his machine and injured himself as well as the student.” The date: April 30, 1915.

* The California Railroad Commission optimistically announces in 1919 that the county’s auto population has reached the “saturation point”--about 100,000. Today the total is more than 5 million.

* L.A.’s first parking ban goes into effect in 1920, making the curbs off-limits in the downtown area during peak hours. The first parking ticket is issued to James Wynne, age 19, “who refused to remove his vehicle from in front of the store in which he worked on 1st Street,” according to historian Bruce Henstell.

* The first drive-in theater in California (and the second in the nation) debuts at the corner of Pico and Westwood boulevards in 1934. Instructions to spectators begin: “Sit in your car. . . .”

* The first parking meters in L.A. start gobbling the coins of drivers in 1949 on Lankershim Boulevard in North Hollywood. Charge: 5 cents an hour.

* The first self-service gas station in Southern California opens in Whittier after World War II. Its name: Gas-a-Teria.

* The Phone In--Drive Thru market in West L.A. welcomes motoring shoppers in 1983, closing down a year later.

LANGUAGE! Indefatigable photographer Phil Proctor took a shot of a sign outside Barbara’s Place that advertised, ominously enough, “FIERY OUTPUTS.”

Afraid to drive over to the West Hollywood print shop for an explanation, we phoned instead. We learned the neighbors have nothing to fear. The sign refers to a process by which printouts are made of images stored on computer discs. “Fiery” is a brand name for the copier.

miscelLAny:

And how was your year? Entertainment Weekly reports that when Burt Reynolds filed for bankruptcy in December, he owed one toupee-maker $121,797.