Thursday, March 24, 2011

Public Service Announcement



The other day, I witnessed something that horrified me.  The fact that it actually happened leads me to believe that some folks out there might not realize why such a thing could be so awful.

So there I was, putting gas in my car.  Across from me, at another pump, were a woman and a child in a Mustang.  Not one of the newer Transformer-type Mustangs, but the gen. prior to that – a nice-looking car.  Anyway, she walked over to the front of the pump to get that thing you use to clean off your windshield.  You know:  it has a scrubby/spongy bit on one side and a rubber wiper on the other.  She dunked it in the fluid bucket and SCRUBBED the passenger door!  Up and down, up and down, over and over!  Aghast, all I could do was stare, open-mouthed.  Did she not know what she was doing?  Think about what is actually in the windshield washing fluid bucket.  Further, think about all the people who have used it before you, scraping bugs and dirt off of their windshields, and merrily putting the sponge back in the bucket.  Further yet, think about how often said fluid is replaced.  Yes, this means that she was scrubbing her car’s paint with a grit-infused sponge.  This is the close equivalent of scrubbing your car with wet sandpaper.

For all I know, the kid could have barfed out the window.  Couldn’t she have at least waited to get home to wash the offending particles off properly?  From now on, every time she walks by that door when the sun is shining, the scratches will remind her of that fateful day when she used a filthy windshield scrubber to “wash” her car.  {{shudder}}

BTW, this also applies to those fundraiser carwashes that the local schoolkids/baseball team, etc. have.  If you want your car scratched, go to one of those.  If you want to help their cause, just give them cash.  It’s worth it to not let them get near your car with a sponge that has been collecting grit all day.

8 comments:

  1. Well put! But cmon, those high school cheerleader squads REALLY NEED the money!!! And pervs that go to THAT sort of fundraising car wash really don't care about getting their car a lil scratched.

    And *cough* Transformers are Camaros, not Mustangs. =P

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  2. Oh lord. That is the highest sin...well after spilling alcohol. You don't abuse your car. My car is my baby!! Shame on her. She should be driving a Daewoo!!

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  3. I've seen people do this before. Apparently you can get your drivers' license without a working brain now...

    Pearl

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  4. O.M.G. Who would do that? Ohhh. Wait. Morons. Got it.

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  5. :)

    i get your point but i live in snowigan...the road salt will destroy my car long before the girls in bikinis will...

    however i would never wipe my car with the window squeegee...that is like icckity times ten..

    it is just a car...( or in my case truck, and trucks NEED scratches)

    things can be replaced...

    plus i have a dog that goes ev.er.y.where with me...

    i get ya, but i repsectfully decline to jump completely on your soap box here..

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  6. I won't even use those damn things on my windows. Not that I clean my car that often, but I wouldn't use one of those. I wouldn't let kids wash my car either even though I don't wash it. It's a personal choice, the inch of dust on the dashboard...

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  7. I appreciate that some vehicles are more utilitarian than others. If Squeegee Woman would have been scrubbing a REAL truck (the kind that actually touches dirt), I probably wouldn't have thought twice about it. But a nice-looking Mustang? Not cool.

    BTW, there's a future post in the works regarding different types of car owners. Maybe some of us will recognize ourselves! ;-)

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  8. looking forward to your post on differing owners.

    i can see your point on it being a mustang...

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