POLICE BEAT

Man Defends Skink at Local Pet Palace

Two unidentified adult males got into a heated argument after one of the men tapped on a skink aquarium.

Store manager Mike Chow said the glass is clearly labeled. "It says, 'Do not tap on glass.'

"I asked the man in the handicap scooter to stop tapping, but he said the lizard was dead. The lizard wasn't dead. Then that little man with a knife on his belt came over and started yelling at the guy. They reminded me of baboons, the way they made high-pitch howls at each other."

Chow, who has been with Pet Palace for just over a year, said he doesn't understand why people have to tap on the glass. "They all do it. Soon as they come through the front door the knuckles come out. Some use their class ring or wedding ring, and I saw one old man use a penny. They seem to head toward the aquariums with the signs posted.

"If there is one thing I've learned on this job, it's that I really don't like people very much."