The Car Wash

Steve is what we call a little bit of a tightwad. Maybe even a little more than a bit. And I don't mind. If I really need something I can usually talk him into spending a little bit for it.

For instance, a carwash.





I'd like to keep our cars in great shape to last a whole lot longer in life. I'm not ready to buy a new used car. So I say we have to wash it every once in a while to help prevent rusting with our nice Minnesota winters and all the salt and de-icers we get on the roads.

Well we don't have a heated garage, we don't have a drain in our garage, in fact we don't even have water hook up to outside (we shut it off in the winter.) So this means we have to go to a car wash.

Well Steve rather dislikes car washes. He finds it a waste of money. So he never goes. Well our car was quite a pig on the exterior so I finally talked him into spending a little bit of money to go through a car wash.

It was quite the fiascal.

1st. I suggest we top off our tank of gas so we get a discount on the car wash. Usually only $1-$2 but that is still a savings. Steve likes this idea but we already filled up that day... and maybe drove 15 miles. Oh well... so he pulls up, inserts our card and then can't figure out how to find which car wash.

I politely suggest he looks up.

Oh wow there they all our listed. I politely smile but really I'm saying in my mind what a Mom teaches her sassy teenager not to say... "DUH!!!"

Then he proceeds to take forever reading each description, comparing all the choices, what does this one have that that one doesn't.... meanwhile the machine even got so inpatient, it moved on without him. So we were stuck filling up $2 worth of gas while not getting and saving on a car wash.

Then Steve starts blaming society on how we are all so inpatient and in such a hurry.

2nd. We head to the car wash without our savings to buy one. He pulls up outside the car wash to buy it and is stumped.

I don't get it.

Touch the screen.

But what do I do?

Touch the screen.

Where are the prices?

TOUCH THE SCREEN.

Ohhh.....

He then realizes it doesn't take credit card so I pull out some cash. We realize we need $7. He's instantly not happy b/c it's $1 more than at the gas tank and relives the whole society moving too fast... anyways, he asks for a $10.

It takes $1 bills or $5 bills.

Well do you have a $10?

It only takes $1 bills or $5 bills.

Well we need a $10.

SERIOUSLY IT TAKES $1s or $5s. (as I'm searching for change so we don't have to politely ask the people behind us to back up b/c we don't have enough money)

It clicks... ohh. Well that's stupid.

I smile and tell him I only have $6. Which is fine but not. The $6 one doesn't have the underbody wash which is the reason why we wanted to go to the car wash in the first place... to remove the salt.


This makes him even more mad. But thankfully nothing about society was said.

He ssssllllloooooooowwwwwwwlllllllyyyyyyyy inserts each dollar making sure he doesn't skip a step. He's testing my patience... I can't get mad though. He hates car washes and never comes to them so obviously doesn't know how to work them.

He finally finishes. We pull inside. And I finally exhale all the stress being built up inside my self and just let it all out in a laugh.

Then he realized how ridiculous the whole situation was and he laughs. Then we make fun of him. We make fun of the situation.

Then I simply said I think I'll just go through the car wash by myself next time.



*note: Steve is usually a really smart guy. For some reason he just is "challenged" in the car wash technology world. Sometimes even in the whole technology world, but particularily with car washes. I love him inspite of some of his "special challenges." As I'm hoping he loves me inspite of the rare and few that I have :) jk I have a TON!