Car Wash Blues

This weekend I did my spring cleaning of the car.  I sprayed off the winter’s accumulation of grime and the spring’s muddy splashes, and then spent the last couple of days admiring my sparkling vehicle.  

This morning when I went out to drive youngest son to school, here’s what I found:  A very large bird (or so I assume) had done his business down the driver’s door from top to bottom.  It was too late to take care of the problem before I left, so I had to take special care while driving, double checking before I pulled out into traffic just in case there was an approaching tractor-trailor hidden behind the dried bird business on my window.

Since this wasn’t really something I could take care of with a spray bottle of Windex and a paper towel, I stopped by the car wash on my way home.  It’s is a busy place this time of year, and I took my place in line to wait my turn.  Eventually, I made it to the front of the line, with a couple of cars waiting behind me.  Just as the bay in front of me emptied, a black BMW sedan whipped in from out of nowhere and squeezed himself in front of my car, taking his turn ahead of me and everyone else who had been waiting.  It was a maneuver as admirable for it’s slickness as it was deplorable for it’s rudeness.

 

I did nothing. Neither did the other waiting drivers. What do you do when someone’s that blatant in their disregard for waiting line etiquette? 

 

But there was an interesting buzz among the other drivers, as if we were instant friends as we washed our cars. I had a story to tell when I got home, and the doo is gone. Would I really want things any other way?

Comments

[annette]

well...seeing as he got away with it... what can you do? :) I suppose that's why people do these types of things. They say to themselves...i'm in a rush and no one will care if I just slip in (because afterall noone tells them) and thus they are justified (I suppose) in their actions.

People like that tend to get my dander up... but like you..I often say nothing.

[Kim from Hiraeth]

I know exactly what you mean; sometimes the blog inspiration one gets from experiences like that is worth it all. I'm just unsanctified enough to wish that the person who cut in line knew that he had provided a great vignette (and that he was the bad guy!)

[Daniel]

This sort of breach in etiquette can only increase as the me-first generation ages. Fun post.

[rebecca]

This sort of breach in etiquette can only increase as the me-first generation ages.

I hope not. Then it wouldn't be funny any more, and I might have to develop a strategy to deal with it. :)

Did I mention the guy looked to be in his fifties?