I hate automatic car washes. No seriously, I do. Ask my sister Nickie. I feared them when I was little. Do you remember the ones you would drive into a conveyor and then it would pull you through? Ugh. Hated it.
Every time we would enter one my stomach would turn into knots and I would start to feel really warm. At 33 years old, this still happens. I don't know why. I have never had a bad car wash experience. The car wash has never come to life and attacked my car. But never the less, this is my life.
I don't fear small spaces. I used to ride the elevators when I was stuck in hospitals for enjoyment. You could stuff me in a closet and it wouldn't bother me (well, maybe a little but if you gave me a book and book light I would be all set!).
I know washing your car is a necessary evil. And living in AK, I am certainly not going to stand out in the cold and wash it by hand.
Not only do I hate car washes, I haven't had the best experiences with the car washes around here. Once someone stole my car wash. They didn't pull all the way out of the bay. They pulled up a bit, tripped the sensor and reversed right back, causing the door to close before I could even pull in. I swear this happened. I had a friend with me and we both just sat there laughing and honestly, cussing the guys actions. Luckily, there was a worker there to get me my free car wash. He said people have started doing it more and more since they learned how to trick the sensors. Who steals car washes!?! Idiots. That's who.
Moving on...I decided to wash the Trailblazer today. It was so dirty that it was getting hard to see out of the side windows. I choose the Laser Wash on Muldoon. I drove up, paid my money and pulled hesitantly into the bay. I turned up the music and starting singing away bracing myself for when the door would close behind me. Singing helps, sometimes. (I also sometimes close my eyes. It makes me feel like I can control something even if it is only the darkness. I know I am a freak people, how do you not know this about me already!?)
Anyway, I sat there ready for the pain when I realized there was no water. The arm spit soap unto my car and some spotless crap. NO WATER. I had no clue what to do so I pulled out praying the dryer would at least blow off the soap. It worked, a little. I pull back around the get the customer service number off the console where you pay your money. There was a guy getting ready to pay the machine where I had just gone through. I threw the car in park, jumped out of the car and ran at him screaming, "Don't do it!" I can only imagine what this guy thought of me. But once I explained, he was grateful I saved him $10.
I called the customer service number and shocker, no one answered. I had to drive to Eagle River in search of another car wash to get all the soap off. So $18 later my car is free of soap and still not clean.
I know the car wash is my nemesis. But someday, somehow I will win.
