John Kelly writes about the Washington that doesn't make it onto the front pages. His five-day-a-week Metro column, John Kelly's Washington, is about the normal -- well, relatively normal -- people who call our region home. It's about the joys and annoyances of living in the most important city in the most important country in the world -- as experienced by those of us who, frankly, aren't that important. His blog, John Kelly's Commons, is a place for readers to carry on a digital conversation.

Today: Learning to drive at six-years-old, passing gas in 18 languages and spending 44 years operating an elevator in a Washington office building.

A transcript follows.

Discussion Archives/Recent Columns

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John Kelly: Happy new year. Long time no chat. I hope your holidays were merry and bright. I fought a malingering cold and nagging cough all month but with the help of antibiotics and animal sacrifices I think I'm on the mend. Now if the jungle rot I caught from watching a "Survivorman" marathon on Discovery would just go away.

My blog really seemed to get a boost this week from my decision to go low brow, reprinting an odd little phrasebook I got after a visit to my gastroenterologist. It's how to ask someone

to pass gas

in 18 language. I love the comments. And now I get e-mails like this one, from a man in the Netherlands: "In the Dutch language it is: wind laten (pass wind)."

And this one, from a German: "Nobody in Germany would understand 'Fuhren sie gas.' 'Einen Wind lassen' is a common saying for this procedure. Better: 'furzen' (foortsen)."

And this one, from a woman in Trieste, Italy: "In Italian 'pass il gas' is not the right expression; it should be 'lascia andare il gas.'I wish you a happy 2009."

Er, happy 2009 to you, too. It's a small world after all.

I still haven't decided what I'm doing for the inauguration. Drive to Virginia, leave my car in Annandale and walk downtown? Watch it all on TV? I guess I won't be

renting out my house for megabucks

.

What will you be doing? In fact, what are you doing right now?

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Alexandria, Va.: Hi John,

Did you ever hear back from the D.C. taxi commission about how they're going to change the status quo about not accepting passengers with service dogs?

John Kelly: After the inaugural frenzy representatives from area disability rights groups are going to sit down with the heads of cab companies and with the taxi commission. They're supposed to talk over the issue and stress that cabbies need to follow the law. Jim Dickson, the guide-dog user I wrote about, said a brochure is being prepared to give to cab drivers. It's based on one used in other cities that had to make drivers play nice. He also would like to see sting operations. And so would I. There's nothing as satisfying as a good sting operation.

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John Kelly: Illinois's getting ready to boot Blago: Illinois House Impeaches Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

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Pan, IC: John, are you sitting down? I don't want to alarm you ... but it may SNOW tomorrow! Yes, SNOW! Oh my god, I need to get to the grocery store ...

John Kelly: I don't want it to snow tomorrow. I want it to snow one day next week. Why? Because I have a column all planned out for the next forecast of "wintry mix," which I once referred to as "everyone's least favorite meteorological snack food." My daughters will be disappointed too, since they consider snow on the weekend a total waste. They want a "snow day," not a "snowy day."

We shop at Costco, so we have huge pallets of toilet paper, enough to outlast any blizzard.

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L-line bus is infuriating: How does Metro justify the lack of scheduling (or sticking to the schedule) of their L buses that run up and down Connecticut? Six buses will come in a row (happened last night, going north) and after waiting for 40 minutes for a southbound bus, walked to the Van Ness metro station, and never saw one the whole way down. Is there any effort being made to regulate arrivals and departures? It's really cold and waiting outside is exceedingly unpleasant for everyone, especially when no bus comes for over an hour.

Thanks for letting me vent, there's probably nothing to be done about the situation.

John Kelly: Dr. Gridlock writes about this a lot. It's a real annoyance. I notice it on Georgia Avenue, with the Q2 and other buses: No bus. No bus. No bus. Ah, here comes two or three buses. I guess one issue is can you deviate from the leaving times posted at the end points? The buses may leave every 20 minutes, but if traffic is such that they end up jammed together a few miles into their route, how can you deal with that? The people at the station probably don't want to be told: "Sorry. I know it says this bus leaves at 1, but we're actually waiting till 1:10. Otherwise we'll ride the tailpipe of the 12:40 bus." What I'd like to see is a display that tells me when THE NEXT BUS is actually coming, not when it's supposed to come.

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Boyds, Md.: JK, JK. What's it looking like, my brother?

John Kelly: It looks infected. Don't touch it.

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Alexandria, Va.: I can't find any information on street closures for the inauguration rehearsal this Sunday morning. Can you help? You are the answer man, aren't you?

John Kelly: Lena Sun, part of our crack transportation team, says she hasn't heard of any specific closures, though there will be rolling street closures throughout the weekend. Fun!

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Frederick, Md.: The story about the six-year-old who tried to drive his parents' car to school so he could get breakfast is just sad. How can adults be so careless? The mother wouldn't get her lazy butt up to fix the little guy some breakfast. Very, very sad.

John Kelly: Yes, the poor fella was probably motivated more by hunger than by a desire to learn to read two-syllable words. He supposedly told police, when they asked where his mother was, that she was a "lazy head." I can think of a different part of the anatomy.

It's amazing that he got as far as he did, going as fast as he did. And that no one was hurt. My older daughter is learning to drive now so I have this on my mind: What's the best way to teach a teen to drive, now that high schools don't teach that skill -- as they did back in the Jurassic Period, when I went to school.

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Reston, Va.: Hiya John: Question...what do you think it says about a person (38 years old, in reasonable health, fairly athletic) when he injures himself while playing a snowboarding game on the Nintendo Wii balance board? Should I be doubting my virility? Should I lie about it to my colleagues? I'm not sure if it's funny or embarrassing. Help me Answer Man, you're my only hope!

John Kelly: I guess the real question is: What does it say about a 38-year-old person who PLAYS a Nintendo Wii in the first place, let alone injures himself on it?

It is funny AND embarrassing and you should not lie about it to your colleagues. It's too great a story. Did the doctor say you can only play your PSP while you're recovering?

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Reston, Va.: I don't recall previous inaugurations being so intrusive...are the security measures unique, or have they been in place in the past?

It's a good thing that terrorists would never consider using a taxi or a limousine.

John Kelly: Shhh! Don't give them any ideas! (Not that any terrorists read my chat. They're all addicted to Hax. Did you see that question last week about the boyfriend wanting to live in a cave but the girlfriend didn't?)

Were other inaugurations so intrusive? I don't think so. I mean, I don't remember bridges being closed. I walked around during Bush's second inaugural and there were checkpoints at various places that you had to get through if you wanted to get to the parade route, but that was it.

It'd be interesting to know what it was like during Lincoln's second inaugural. Were we still at war at the time?

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Rockville, Md.: So they close the Potomac Bridges and let people drive in from Maryland? One can only ask "What is so special about the Wilson and American Bridges?"

Do they have the new bomb detectors and the other bridges do not?

What is your take?

John Kelly: Our story today said the issue is that the exclusion zone is very close to the Virginia bridges. Basically, vehicles would get to the DC side and then have nowhere to go. The Wilson Bridge is nowhere near the inaugural events and neither is the American Legion Bridge.

I don't know what sort of detectors the bridges may have. I suspect they might not have any.

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10th and Penn NW: This is probably better addressed to your transportation people, but maybe you can answer. Spouse and I are returning from a trip on the afternoon of Inauguration Day, 1/20, arriving DCA. We live in NW DC. Will or will we not be able to take a taxi across one or more of the bridges? If so, which ones? I've seen conflicting info.

John Kelly: Our story yesterday said: "From 2 a.m. to 7 p.m. Inauguration Day, the inbound lanes of Potomac River bridges will be reserved for buses, limousines, taxis and other 'authorized vehicles.'" That sounds like if you're in a taxi coming from the airport, you'll be fine. But there's also this: "The plan would also cordon off a large section of downtown Washington from 4 a.m. to 7 p.m. to help manage the unprecedented crowds expected."

You may have difficulty getting through the inaugural zones and crowds to your house. It might be easier to go round to Maryland and come in that way. Welcome home!

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FRAZZL, ED: John, do you know how to unjam copier?

John Kelly: Just open the little door and pull out the offending piece of paper, right? Of course, there are occasions when the paper is jammed so far in there, in some alimentary canal you don't even know about and can't even see, and you have to forget about it. Call a repairman and take the time to copy by hand the relevant document. If it's your butt you were hoping to copy, well, I can't help you there.

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Animals in Cabs: Obviously not as significant an issue as the refusal of cab drivers to take blind passengers with seeing-eye dogs, but twice in the last week, I have had cab drivers try to charge me an additional $1.50 when taking my cat to the vet. Not only does the list of fees clearly state the fee "excludes securely-enclosed or service animals" (and mine was most certainly securely enclosed), but the fee listed is only $1.00. Do these guys really think I can't read? While I'm at it, I'm getting tired of having to tell them how to get where I'm going to avoid the absurdly circuitous routes they love to use to drive up the meter. Even if I were a tourist with no idea of geography, do they really think I'm so dumb that if I catch a cab on Massachusetts Ave. and give them a destination on Massachusetts Ave. that the shortest way to go is around in a big, backtracking square? Grrr.

John Kelly: Did anybody see this article from the New York Times Magazine on the explosion of service animals and how to deal with them? Apparently there are now seeing-eye miniature horses. How'd you like that clomping up the salad bar?

I got a call a few years ago from a woman who was upset because guards at a local county courthouse wouldn't let her bring her ferret in. She said it was a service animal, that she stroked it to lessen her anxiety. I'm afraid I didn't have much sympathy for her, but that may just be because I'm not crazy about ferrets.

And at the risk of dooming you to a long and unsatisfying journey through bureaucratic hell: If you think a taxi driver is ripping you off, or trying to, file a complaint with the DC Taxi Commission.

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Washington, D.C.: Is there a list of all the federal and other law enforcement agencies in D.C.? I hear the full number is close to 30. I know about the Secret Service, Park Police, Supreme Court, Capitol, and Library of Congres police, D.C. police, D.C. Housing Authority Police, Metro police ... the list goes on. Thanks.

John Kelly: I seem to remember seeing a reference the other day to 38 or so. Can people add to this list?

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Washiongton, D.C.: I hope your daughter is learning to drive stick. Otherwise, she can't really drive.

That said, the best way to learn how to drive is to drive a lot. I was not properly taught how to drive, but I did a lot of driving and now I'm very good (and thankfully my two accidents involved no injuries or severe damage). Have her drive from a distant suburb to downtown and find a parking space somewhere difficult. When she's ready, you can take to graduate school: the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway!

John Kelly: I blogged about this earlier this week and readers had many good suggestions on how to get a teen ready for real world driving. One person said they made sure their kid had 600 hours behind the wheel before they went in for their license. Others said it's vital to have them do things like run off the road, just to see what it feels like and how it should be dealt with. I kind of wish my kids didn't need to drive -- and actually, right now, they don't -- especially since yet another teen was killed this week.

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Washington, D.C.: John Wilkes Booth is in the photo at Lincoln's Second Inaugural.

John Kelly: Really? AWK-ward.

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They want a "snow day," not a "snowy day." : So do I.

John Kelly: Let's just hope it doesn't come on Jan. 20, as picturesque as that might be.

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I fought a malingering cold: If it was just malingering, why was it such a problem?

Tsk!

John Kelly: Oops. What a difference a "ma" makes. Just ask pa.

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Indy Ave: Since security is such a large issue that the Secret Service is essentially sealing off the city, perhaps it would be best if the president-elect did not expose himself to the public at all. For the inauguration he could be taken to one of those underground, undisclosed locations. His image would be televised onto Jumbotrons around the Mall and the country. The Chief Justice should also be sent to a separate underground location. They could then both place their cursors on a virtual bible for the oath. Since the inauguration will not be the end of the security issue, Mr. Obama would continue to rule from the undisclosed location with his image beamed to Jumbotrons across the land. The undisclosed location would need a name. How about Oz?

John Kelly: Well are we sure that Barack Obama really exists at all? He already looks a bit like a hologram or some really good CGI. I've never seen the man in person.

I like your idea of the virtual inauguration, especially the simultaneous swear-in. "Do you promise to uphold the Constitution and the office of the President? Click: Yes/No. Note: Do not click your browser's back button or George W. Bush will serve another four-year term."

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E-mailing on-line articles to others: John, sometimes when I e-mail an on-line article to friends out of town, there is a space for my comments. Other times, I can only type in my e-mail add and theirs.

Why can't I include my personal comments all the time? I don't know who else to ask. Thanks.

John Kelly: I don't know the answer to that. I'll pass that on to our tech folks.

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Atlanta, Ga.: The technology exists to show you where the next bus is on the route. It was in Paris when I was there...in 1989. We in this country don't seem to think that might be important to people riding buses (or trains). Our attitude seems to be: you gotta wait for it. If you had any worth in this world, you'd have a car. (sigh). I think I've been living in the south too long...

John Kelly: In England you could get that info texted to your cell phone. I find the decision on which information to communicate to riders on Metro/Metrobus maddening. For example, outside the subway stations they added the time till the next train, but half the time when I'm walking in the sign displays the elevator and escalator closings around the city. Frankly, what do I care that the escalators are out at Waterfront/SEU? That useless little bit of information is ALWAYS up there.

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Baltimore, Md.: Bus bunching: I can attest that this has been going on for decades in D.C. Back when I lived in Glover Park and worked in Georgetown in the early 1980s, I would occasionally walk to Wisconsin Avenue to catch a #30 rather than wait for the D2, which ran every two weeks or so. And I would look up Wisconsin Avenue in vain for 15 minutes, only to have four or five number 30s come roaring down simultaneously. Usually, three or four would go right by, being jammed with passengers, but the last would pick me up. I think Metrobuses are imprinted to travel in herds.

John Kelly: They must be afraid of some natural predator, a Camaro or El Camino that will cut a straggler off from the herd and consume it.

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New Drivers: Hey John, I'm a 28-year-old female. My mom was my primary teacher. I look back and credit her for the fact that I've only been in a few fender benders over the past 12 years. 1. require a certain number of hours driving with you or mom or other guardian and keep a log of it. I think mine was 100 hours. 2. Take her out in the snow to an empty "safe" parking lot and let her experience the ice and stuff. 3. Ask your colleague Warren Brown -- he is full of ideas. Like, no cell phones, no texting, no friends in the car etc., etc.

John Kelly: Good suggestions. I was watching some horrible program on MTV the other day with my daughters and a slutty 18-year-old wastrel was driving somewhere, texting away. I don't mind if they kill themselves, but could they please not take anyone else with them? (Except maybe the MTV cameraman and MTV Reality producer in the car with them?)

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Fo, OD: John, are you up to a Bobby Flay throwdown?

John Kelly: I don't know. Does it hurt? Does it have MSG?

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Agent Smith: John, the guy seeking out the D.C. law enforcement agencies might be a terrorist of some sort and you are asking us to constibute to his list! The CIA is on their way to your location.

John Kelly: They'll never find me. No one in the newsroom can find my office, including hotshot investigative reporters like Woodward. I'm a little hidey-hole, a veritable spider hole.

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Washington, D.C.: Sure the story of the six-year-old driver is sad, but did it deserve the prominence of the front page of wp.com? No, I say. It's disappointing to see wp.com go the way of CNN.com (which highlights non-news all the time).

John Kelly: It depends on whether you feel a front page--whether on newsprint or pixels--should be stories that are "important" or stories that are "interesting" or some combination thereof. I think The Post is right to try to mix it up. The boy driving the car could have been a 6-inch story at the back of the Metro section, but it obviously had a lot of appeal as a "talker." And it was the most e-mailed story of the day--still is pretty high up there. When I was, ahem, at Oxford we often discussed this issue: Are readers best served by "broccoli" or "custard." That is, by stories that are good for them or stories that they will enjoy. (Because this was England, custard was the one foodstuff thought to be irresistible.) A bit of both, I think.

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Ballston, Va.: I taught my sis how to drive a stick. We started in parking lot. I was lucky she played soccer and had good foot/eye coordination. We then moved to the hill in front of the house. She just practiced there for hours. She was out of traffic and only had to move a few feet and then coasted back. She mastered starting on a steep hill without using the parking brake.

I then taught her how to heel and toe and then we moved on to advanced manual tranny driving shifting up and down without the clutch smoothly.

John Kelly: Up and down without the clutch? We'll probably be doing that soon, but only because the clutch will be toast. (Just kidding, Gwyneth! You're doing fine!)

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Washington, D.C.: Booth at Lincoln's Second Inaugural. Booth's face is seen very very top in front of the column just to the right of the statue.

Archive Picture

John Kelly: Are you sure that's not Edgar Allen Poe? And why does that photo of Edgar Allan Poe look like Bill Murray?

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SW D.C.: Hi John, Who can I contact for advice about getting around town on inauguration day? My wife is close to term with our first baby and there's a decent chance she could go into labor on Inauguration Day. I need an emergency route to get from SW D.C. (close to Nat's Park) to Georgetown.

John Kelly: Why don't you send me an e-mail: kellyj@washpost.com. I think that would be a great story, actually.

And congratulations!

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Alexandria, Va.: Geez, get with it John -- video games aren't just for kids anymore. I'm 34 and have a Wii with balance board too -- it's far more entertaining than anything that's on TV these days.

John Kelly: When do you find time to play Twister?

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Washington, D.C.: Re: street closings this weekend. I've been told by my organization that both Constitution and Pennsylvania Ave from the Capitol to the White House will be closed all day Sunday until 6 p.m. I would avoid the downtown area like the plague on Sunday.

John Kelly: Thanks. Good advice.

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WiiVille, Md.: Hey, butt boy -- I love my Wii and I'm 49. Wii Sports, Wii Fit, Wii polls, Wii Mario. When it is no longer freezing cold, I will be in much better shape for all my outside activities than you will! And I have no shame in saying -- the Wii is awesome fun! Ask my 76-year-old parents, my 15-year-old son or my 55-year-old husband!

John Kelly: Wii, Wii, Wii, all the way home.

I guess I have a hard time thinking of my TV as anything other than an evil machine that allows me to squander countless hours in drooling, semi-comatose obeisance every week.

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Teaching a teenager to drive: Start them on an automatic transmission, then they can focus better on what's going on around them. When they're comfortable driving, then teach them to drive a stick.

John Kelly: Our dilemma is that the only non-stick car we have is a minivan. She learns in it occasionally but it's big and boatlike and not ideal.

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Dupont Circle, D.C.: John I just wanted to let you know I leave for Belgium in a couple days for vacation and while I will do my best in the efforts for invasion, I understand they are purveyors of very fine chocolate and beer. Curses! Clearly they know the weaknesses of their foes. Let's hope I return unscathed.

John Kelly: We are at peace with Belgium--for now--so you may go with a clear conscience and consume beer, chocolate and french fries, though ideally not all at once.

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Fairfax, Va.: John, are you going to participate in the "no pants on the Metro" day this Saturday?

John Kelly: Nice try. I'm waiting till they replace the vinyl seats with wool. Itchy, but you don't stick.

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Pregnant ladies: Just call an ambulance if you go into labor. Or call 911 and request a police escort. No sweat.

John Kelly: Right, because the ambulances and police won't be busy that day.

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Bethesda, Md.: RE: Waterfront Metro Escalator out of service... I see that every day for what seems like forever on my trip from Alexandria to Bethesda. Is it possible that there really isn't an escalator anyways? I wouldn't know I don't go there. Any thoughts?

John Kelly: It's possible there isn't even a Waterfront/SEU station. I think it's a message to deep cover sleeper agents.

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"perhaps it would be best if the president-elect did not expose himself to the public at all": But if he did expose himself, it may make for an interesting start to the next four years!

John Kelly: Right, not since the days of Bill Clinton....

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Bowie, Md.: About the six-year-old-driver, a lot of people in the comments section latched onto the following sentence. Doesn't it make you want to know what's being left out?

"[County Sheriff] Wilkins said the father, David E. Dodson, 40, was under a court order not to leave the 6-year-old and his 4-year-old brother alone with their mother, Jacqulyn D. Waltman, 26, at their home in the town of Wicomico Church."

John Kelly: Yeah, how awful must things be at that house for the court to order that?

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Get realistic folks: There is no way such a traffic-generating event could take place WITHOUT affecting your day somehow. The angry people seem to expect someone wave a magic wand and make their communte unaffected by the biggest traffic generator DC has seen. It just ain't possible.

John Kelly: We're not really going to know how things are gonna fall until they're falling. All the planning in the world can only help prepare us, but can't include every contingency. Car crash? Snowstorm? Broken Metro train? My advice to anyone going anywhere is to just be patient, courteous and roll with the punches. No matter what happens, you should have a good story to tell.

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Bristow, Va.: Ha! Getting hurt on the Wii Balance board I get...at least you don't have to admit you pulled a butt muscle while Wii Bowling...

John Kelly: Another good story. Say, is there Wii Bungee Jumping?

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Wow, snarky!: I thought this was the JK chat, not the Dana Milbank chat. Sure, the police might be busy on 1/20, but the ambulances? Surely they could help a pregnant lady get to a hospital. Or anyone get to a hospital, for that matter.

John Kelly: I hope so. I think we should ask them what their plans are for the 20th.

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Bethesda, Md.: John, why don't men automatically stand for visibly pregnant women on the Metro? I'm in the final trimester and feel dizzy when forced to stand for more than five minutes. Why doesn't Metro indicate on its signage that this courtesy should be given to great big preggos like me?

John Kelly: It would be nice if people offered, but don't be afraid to ask. I bet most people (ie, 51 percent) would get up if you said you were pregnant and need of a seat.

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Arlington, Va.: ...sorry to sound snarky, but that A1 article on the supposed 'dissing' of NOVA was a waste of column inches. It was Virginia officials who wanted to close the bridges -- and for good reason. Listen folks, nobody is 'dissing' the Old Dominion and the talk of some sort of "Yankee" conspiracy just makes me want to guffaw! A true son of the Old South, I can't wait to walk to the inauguration and see our first black president given the oath of office. And, no, I won't be wearing my confederate uniform! Even though my friends say I look a lot like J.E.B. Stuart...

washingtonpost.com: Virginians See Bridge Closings As Dose of Northern Hospitality (Post, Jan. 9)

John Kelly: I agree, though I will say that I've been talking with some people connected to various Confederate history organizations and for plenty of them the war's not quite over. I don't mean that they're racist or anything, just that they think a lot more about the North then the North thinks about the South.

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Bus bunching: I don't know the solution, and I would welcome suggestions from all your complainers. But clearly the reason buses bunch is because, unlike trains, their stops are unpredictable. If I ride a 30 bus across town with 10 other people, it could stop 10 times or twice. The next bus might have 5 people on it, all who are riding until the end of the line. And a third bus might not have anyone on it.

It makes sense that it happens. And with all the complaining I've heard through the years, no one has ever had a suggestion on how to solve it.

John Kelly: That's why I wonder how variable timing on the routes would go. But then you lose the "predictably" of a bus timetable, which of course may be moot if the bus can't actually keep to a timetable.

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Your hidden-away office: I have never tried to get to your office, but a few weeks ago, I dropped off some foreign coins to you for your charity drive and left it in your mail room. What an experience finding your mail room. If someone had not been standing outside and pointed me in the right direction, I would have given up.

John Kelly: Yes, the relocated mailroom is an artifact of 9/11. At least your e-mail gets to us no problem!

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Get real: The word 'snarky' makes me want to vomit.

John Kelly: Funny, the expressions "No worries" and "It's all good" have the same effect on me.

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Washington, D.C.: John, have you heard of Caroline's Form: it's an ethics disclosure survey for potential U.S. Senate appointees where the public knows neither the questions nor their answers.

John Kelly: Bada boom!

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Chatz: I adore the Post's online presence, and am addicted to the variety of chats. Do you know if Other Papers have similar regularly scheduled chats? I can't hope for the depth and variety.

John Kelly: The Post made a decision early on to really flood the Webwaves with chats. In fact, my predecessor, Bob Levey, was one of the first to climb aboard. We were supposed to get them back recently, but I haven't noticed it. I think we probably have more than most other papers. And ours are better, of course.

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OOPS: If you're in the first trimester, you are not visibly pregnant.

John Kelly: Did she say first or last? The thing I remember from when I was pregnant was I felt nauseous before I looked pregnant. (I'm channeling My Lovely Wife, of course.)

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To Bethesda, Md.: Saw a lady ask for a seat on Tuesday. She apparently was healing from a hip fracture and couldn't stand. The woman she asked immediately jumped up. Yesterday, a sergeant in full camouflage who is at least 8 months (actually, looked like twins; why she's still dragging to the Pentagon is another discussion), was offered a seat before she had even taken a second step on the train. Just ask -- many men are afraid to move or just won't unless you ask them. I noticed that women will call you to a seat long before most mean will even make eye contact.

John Kelly: Although when I followed a few pregnant women around just for this purpose (I had their permission) they both said that young women--that is, women their age-- were usually the last to offer a seat.

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Burke, Va.: John, I wish the problem with Metrobus "stacking" was just traffic. But my husband witnessed two Metrobuses sitting, idling. A third pulled up. The driver got out -- and delivered McDonald's to the other two drivers!

John Kelly: A few months ago I saw a DC fire truck idling outside a bank while a fireman was at the ATM. Talk about having a company car.

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Alexandria, Va.: I'll volunteer for a taxicab service dog sting operation! Do you want to come along?

John Kelly: Sure! How do you look in a dog collar?

Okay, back to work everybody. Thanks for stopping by. Remember that today is the last day of our Children's Hospital campaign. Please take the time

to donate

.

Have a great weekend and I'll see you in the paper on Sunday and back here next week.

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