SAN DIEGO — Here's something that might grab your child's attention: a library for race cars. In this Zevely Zone, I traveled to Mission Hills to donate to the cause.
On a palm-tree-lined San Diego street, hidden by the shade of a towering tree, I'd advise you to slow down or you'll miss it like a dog walker I met hundreds of times.
"I mean this is my first time seeing it and I'm not too sure what I make of it," said a nice young man and cute dog.
It's a small box filled with Hot Wheels racing cars. We've all seen the Little Libraries where you leave a book and take a book, but inside this box is something every child would want to check out: A Hot Wheels House!
For me, reporting is a little bit like camping, I like to leave a place better than when I found it, but when I look inside this box, the car cupboard is a little bare. This isn't such a bad thing because I brought a bag of goodies. I brought about ten little cars to leave in the box. Whoever owned the cute house with a white picket fence where the box is located wasn't home, which was fine by me.
"Yeah, they pay me for this," I say into the camera as I play all by myself on the sidewalk with the cars.
I should have been checking my rear-view mirror because the owner of the house came home behind me.
"I thought you were a neighbor coming by to restock us," said Matt Ellis.
I asked the homeowner if he thought I was some creepy guy playing with cars.
"You know, I was just happy to see someone put some cars in there for us," said Matt with a smile.
He told me the Hot Wheels House belonged to some neighbors of his and when that family moved away, the dad knocked on Matt's door.
"He just said 'do you mind if I park it here for a while?' We said 'sure, that sounds awesome,'" said Matt.
Matt and his wife have two little girls who just love this little box.
"It is designed for the kids at eye level," said Matt. "It's designed for the kids, not us, and I think that it is not uncommon a parent will just be pushing the stroller will go 'What's that?'"
The next time you're in Mission Hills, back a few of your own cars in for a child to play with.
"This is going to make some child very happy," I said stuffing the box with cars.
If you'd like to take a car, leave a car, swap a car or pay it forward, the Hot Wheels House is located on the 17-hundred block of W. Montecito Way in Mission Hills. Matt Ellis says there is no need to knock on his door -just come on by and take a car or leave a car- whatever suits your fancy.