Bako Bits: The IRS hands out bonuses to employees who are behind on their own taxes, some really bad form and more memories of old Bakersfield

 * … IRS: Did you hear the Internal Revenue Service handed out $1.1 million in bonuses to more than

1,100 employees who were behind on their own taxes? And they wonder why the public is so cynical these days.

 * … SCAM: Here's the latest scam making the rounds, compliments of my friend Ken Barnes: "My phone rang this morning and I noticed the caller input name was 'Stine Doughnuts.'  Wondering why they would call me I answered, and a mortgage company  representative was on the other end of the line trying to get my business. This is a new low for these companies using legitimate business numbers to get someone to take the call. Have you heard of this practice before now?  I get a lot of calls with out of state area codes that I do not bother to answer because they are usually sales calls. I thought there were laws in place preventing this type of practice. If not, there should be.

* … OVERHEARD: A woman is telling a friend: "My grandmother always told me that if you wanted to know how clean a restaurant was, ask someone in the pest control business."

* …. BAD FORM: Brian Kelly knows bad form when he sees it, and he always drops me a note when he spots a doozy. Brian was getting into his car when a woman pulled into the space in front of him and promptly tossed a banana peel out the windows. "Pulling out I saw her step from the car and slip. Quickly thinking, she grabbed the steering wheel, but continued to slide off the seat and landed with a thud on the door jam. Her grasp on the steering wheel had prevented her from going all the way to the ground. I  pulled forward and asked if she was okay. In a colorful way she said yes. I asked what kind of trashy idiot would leave a banana peel on the ground for someone to slip and fall, and drove forward. I noticed in the rear view she responded in sign language. In hindsight, I wish had driven back around and reminded her to buy bananas."

 * … TRASH: Jon Crawford also wrote to talk about trash, and the people who treat out community like an open trash can. "I belong to a local gym and about once a week I feel compelled to tell the manager that it’s time to clean the men’s dressing room because of all the trash and towels littering the floor. One woman said the women’s dressing room was also littered, so it’s not just a gender issue. A friend said that his gym has the same problem, so it’s not just the members at my gym. I think that the litter issue is a three-fold problem. People who think they’re entitled because they pay taxes or dues to litter; expecting others to clean-up their messes. The littering, at least in my gym, seems to be oriented around the ages of 18 to 35; the younger the member the more likely he is to litter. Lastly, it seems to be related to background culture or heritage; as one group seems to be the greatest offenders."

* … MEMORIES: Some folks asked what the name of the restaurant was that was located in the old bank building at the corner of 18th and Chester.  According to Carl Bryan: "I believe it was called Sixpence and Rye." And yet another reader called to tell me that the old Sambo's restaurant was never located on Chester Avenue but rather on Union Avenue where Casa Munoz now sits.