Shell Car Wash

So this morning I fill up with gas, buy a carton of smokes, and a “Works” carwash. Typical weekly ritual. It didn’t get interesting until I went through the carwash that I have used before. I creep into the wash to get the full advantage of the underbelly wash (which I kinda wish I had in my shower) and stop at the plate that activates the soapy brush monster. This is made a little more difficult because the indicator lights on the monster aren’t working so you have to guess the message on the partially obscured LED panel at the back right of the wash. I like that they put the LED panel on the right because if you put it on the left when your driver is on the left the viewing angle would be decreased. Had they extended the length of the wash building you would be able to see the panel even when the monster was in the starting position. It now partially obscures the panel which is only important when the indicator lights on the monster are inoperative.

I don’t know if something changed but this is the first time this has happened me with this wash. I creep on to the plate until the wash engages and I see the “ST” on the panel. The wash begins and I start looking for a hand towel to dust off the interior windshield and dash. While doing this for a few minutes I look out to see that the soap sprayed on part of the hood, but the monster appeared to have stopped and returned to the starting position. I can barely make out a potential “RESET” on the panel. I sit for a minute to see if the monster is resetting or if it is asking to be reset. After no action and no one showing up. I exit and head to the counter.

“Did you drive over the plate?” The cashier questions with that “you’re another dumbass” gleam in her eye. “I can’t give you a refund. We were doing that but she (pointing the manager who’s on the phone explaining to some that today has been a very emotional draining day and it is only 9am) won’t let us. You’ll have to talk to her.”

As I wait for her to get off the phone, I find myself kinda wanting to hear a little more behind the drama of her morning since we are all human and it is comforting to see everyone else has fucked up things too. She finally tells me I drove over the plate and that she has to go down to the wash building and reset it and I’d have to wait her so the cashier can print me a new code.

I know this something I can’t help but doing so I decided today I’d start writing it down.