Fred tries to discourage Mrs. Fuentes from settling in Los Angeles by asking her whether she's heard of Sam "Airplane" Yorty. Mrs. Fuentes rebuts by asking Fred if he's ever heard of John "Garbage Strike" Lindsay. Sam Yorty (1909-98) was the controversial mayor of Los Angeles from 1961 to 1973. He earned the nickname "Airplane" by having spent 40% of his time as mayor traveling outside the city. John V. Lindsay (1921-2000) served New York in the House of Representatives from 1959 to 1965 and then as mayor of New York City from 1966 to 1973. Mrs. Fuentes refers to the nine-day sanitation workers strike in February 1968 that resulted in mountains of uncollected garbage piling up along city streets.