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San Diego night guards, coffin hucksters

Those who pull animals apart and put them back together, used cars as career, deep detective, San Ysidro's tough guys

“There’s no point spending more than a thousand on your first car,” I had warned my son. - Image by Jim Coit
“There’s no point spending more than a thousand on your first car,” I had warned my son.

Used car dealings

When my septuagenarian mother (who knows nothing about automobiles) observed that the floor of the trunk was cracked, that the body had been repainted with two tones of non-matching red, that the front was slightly bent and so was the back,, and that the radiator had been damaged (“It’s obvious to me that it’s been in an accident,” she frowned), I immediately telephoned C.R.

By Sue Garson, Dec. 4, 1980 Read full article

Daniel Vomhof studied engineering/physics and chemistry, then a master’s degree in analytical chemistry, and a doctorate in biochemistry and physiology, with a minor in genetics.

San Diego's Sherlock Holmes

Vomhof found that the officers who arrived at the accident scene had dutifully measured all the relevant skid marks, but failed to analyze the significance of their fellow officer’s substantial skid. When Vomhof took into account the friction of that particular pavement surface, he computed that the Jeep had to have been doing more than forty-five miles per hour in that thirty-five-mile-per-hour zone.

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By Jeannette DeWyze, Nov. 27, 1980 Read full article

"I don’t think your scum will drive clear out to Tecate to cross when they can crawl out of Tijuana at night."

There isn’t a tougher port to work at than San Ysidro

“People yell at our inspectors for allowing cars to cut in line,” says McNally, “but the inspector can’t do anything about it, even if he sees it, which he rarely does.” The incoming traffic lanes are part of the state highway system, according to McNally, and thus fall within the jurisdiction of the California Highway Patrol. “But it’s so awkward to get to it,” McNally says, “even the CHP doesn’t like to patrol it."

By Mark Orwoll, July 3, 1980, Read full article

"I know of one woman who even rolled around on her bed to find out which position she'd be most comfortable in in her coffin."

Sales of a death man

“You bet it’s an emotional decision. I wouldn't want to argue that for a minute. But you tell me how much emotion you’re going to feel when you see the person you love stretched out on the table!” he spits out the words. “And you’re going to tell me that’s the same thing as making the decision when everyone’s whole and happy."

By Jeannette DeWyze, June 15, 1978 Read full article

Jaimie Lyons: "We boil the horns and then slip them back on.”

Stuff it

“The important thing in taxidermy is to have thumb nails, so you can dig out meat and stuff,” he says. After the skin is as bare and clean as possible, it is washed with soap and water. The feathers remain intact and are not damaged. The skin then goes into a solvent tank and on into a drum, where it is tumbled slowly in a drying powder which also moth-proofs it.

By Neal Matthews, June 8, 1978 Read full article

Shanda Prince: "I hate being called ‘little lady.’"

Night watch

“I had to force fifteen people to leave one night — they were having a pot party on the top patio. I told them to leave; they went down to the lower patio and kept smoking. I told them to leave again and they just went to another section. I told them to leave again and one girl started calling me names. I’ve been married to a Marine for twenty-two years and I never heard some of the things she called me."

By Kelly Dupuis, Oct. 25, 1979 Read full story

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Anniversaries, record releases, and fundraisers in Solana Beach, Ocean Beach, Little Italy, and Midway District
“There’s no point spending more than a thousand on your first car,” I had warned my son. - Image by Jim Coit
“There’s no point spending more than a thousand on your first car,” I had warned my son.

Used car dealings

When my septuagenarian mother (who knows nothing about automobiles) observed that the floor of the trunk was cracked, that the body had been repainted with two tones of non-matching red, that the front was slightly bent and so was the back,, and that the radiator had been damaged (“It’s obvious to me that it’s been in an accident,” she frowned), I immediately telephoned C.R.

By Sue Garson, Dec. 4, 1980 Read full article

Daniel Vomhof studied engineering/physics and chemistry, then a master’s degree in analytical chemistry, and a doctorate in biochemistry and physiology, with a minor in genetics.

San Diego's Sherlock Holmes

Vomhof found that the officers who arrived at the accident scene had dutifully measured all the relevant skid marks, but failed to analyze the significance of their fellow officer’s substantial skid. When Vomhof took into account the friction of that particular pavement surface, he computed that the Jeep had to have been doing more than forty-five miles per hour in that thirty-five-mile-per-hour zone.

Sponsored
Sponsored

By Jeannette DeWyze, Nov. 27, 1980 Read full article

"I don’t think your scum will drive clear out to Tecate to cross when they can crawl out of Tijuana at night."

There isn’t a tougher port to work at than San Ysidro

“People yell at our inspectors for allowing cars to cut in line,” says McNally, “but the inspector can’t do anything about it, even if he sees it, which he rarely does.” The incoming traffic lanes are part of the state highway system, according to McNally, and thus fall within the jurisdiction of the California Highway Patrol. “But it’s so awkward to get to it,” McNally says, “even the CHP doesn’t like to patrol it."

By Mark Orwoll, July 3, 1980, Read full article

"I know of one woman who even rolled around on her bed to find out which position she'd be most comfortable in in her coffin."

Sales of a death man

“You bet it’s an emotional decision. I wouldn't want to argue that for a minute. But you tell me how much emotion you’re going to feel when you see the person you love stretched out on the table!” he spits out the words. “And you’re going to tell me that’s the same thing as making the decision when everyone’s whole and happy."

By Jeannette DeWyze, June 15, 1978 Read full article

Jaimie Lyons: "We boil the horns and then slip them back on.”

Stuff it

“The important thing in taxidermy is to have thumb nails, so you can dig out meat and stuff,” he says. After the skin is as bare and clean as possible, it is washed with soap and water. The feathers remain intact and are not damaged. The skin then goes into a solvent tank and on into a drum, where it is tumbled slowly in a drying powder which also moth-proofs it.

By Neal Matthews, June 8, 1978 Read full article

Shanda Prince: "I hate being called ‘little lady.’"

Night watch

“I had to force fifteen people to leave one night — they were having a pot party on the top patio. I told them to leave; they went down to the lower patio and kept smoking. I told them to leave again and they just went to another section. I told them to leave again and one girl started calling me names. I’ve been married to a Marine for twenty-two years and I never heard some of the things she called me."

By Kelly Dupuis, Oct. 25, 1979 Read full story

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The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Elevated ice crystals lead to solar halos, Cottonwoods still showing their tawny foliage

New moon brings high tides this weekend
Next Article

Thanksgiving Lunch Cruise, The Avengers and Zeros ‘77, Small Business Saturday In Escondido

Events November 28-November 30, 2024
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4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
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