A punch line we’ve all heard before:...

A punch line we’ve all heard before: Beer distributor Brian Hunkins of Inglewood began his workday Sunday in his customary manner--by phoning KABC to hear the radio station’s recorded “Dumb Joke of the Day.�

Then the line went dead.

“I wondered if that was the joke,� Hunkins said.

It was around 4:58 a.m.

Nothing beats the real thing: A Times reporter who visited the quake simulator at the Museum of Science and Industry on Sunday found it devoid of other people.

Incidentally, the exhibit, which enables visitors to experience a mild jolt, came through the real quakes with no damage, spokeswoman Sue Glad said. And for good reason.

Several months ago, the simulator was moved from the Ahmanson Building to nearby Technology Hall on the museum grounds in downtown Exposition Park. Why?

“The Ahmanson had seismic problems,� Glad explained.

L.A. Epicentre: In case you were wondering, there was no seismic damage to downtown L.A.’s earthquake-themed eatery, the Epicentre. For a few moments, though, the tumbling City Hall in one disaster-scene painting was standing straight up.

Early wake-up call: Sunday marked the first day on the job for L.A. Police Chief Willie L. Williams. A worker at L.A.’s Emergency Operations Center was overheard to say: “Daryl Gates is out of office one day and look what happens.�

A day without SigAlerts? If the quakes had occurred on a weekday, would the city have gone along with the stay-off-the-freeways request that was issued by the state on Sunday? “No,� Mayor Bradley told the inquiring reporter. Then he jokingly chided him: “Are you a city employee? You trying to get the day off?�

Maybe it’s time to triple-check: Carrie Oi gave a McDonald’s worker $20.25 for a $10.18 purchase in Rowland Heights earlier this month. She received the correct change, despite what the “double-checked-for-accuracy� receipt said. No telling what that cash register was spitting out after the twin quakes.

Is Pasadena safe? One wonders what World Cup officials think now about their decision to hold the championship here in shaky Southern California--Pasadena, to be exact. Even before Sunday’s double jolt, they had admitted having some reservations about coming here. The recent riots, you know.

As a matter of fact, we’re a bit concerned about having the World Cup here ourselves. What we want to know is, will we be given advance warning about the arrival of British soccer fans?

miscelLAny:

L.A.’s last Big One, with a magnitude that may have been 8.0 or more, struck on Jan. 9, 1857, in the largely unpopulated Tejon area north of the city. It lasted “for perhaps two, or 2 1/2 minutes,� historian Harris Newmark wrote. One person was reported killed. It hit about 8:30 a.m.