Looking forward to the New Year, I thought I would end the year by cleaning off my desk then going to the local car wash before my 1:30 appointment. Think positive and be ready for some hard work in 2009.
It looked pretty busy so I used my carwash time formula ( 5 minutes X each car ahead of me + 5 minutes for the 3 already in the car wash tunnel ) and figured I would make my 1:30 appointment.
When I was finally at the head of the line, waiting for the car ahead of me to move into the car wash tunnel - it stopped. With cars piled behind me, bumper to bumper, nothing to do but wait. The attendants were all in there working on the thing that pulls the cars through - after 10 minutes or so, the car ahead of me moved and they signaled me in.
I rolled the window down and asked;
"Are you sure it is fixed? I don't want to get stuck in there!"
"Yes, ma'm, it was just hung up, all fixed, working fine!"
So I pulled in, turned the interior light on and started reading the paper. All of that swooshing water and whirling brushes and mops were making me too dizzy to read - so I just sat there.
This was taking a very long time.
I peered ahead through the mops and soapy water swirling on my car and saw no one.
I peeked out the back window through the mops and soapy water swirling on my car and saw no one.
The swooshing water, the whirling brushes, the mops and brushes going around and around, covering my car.
I had been in there for 20 minutes with my car in the same spot. I started getting creeped out, thought about getting out of the car - can't see in there, brushes coming at me....
Nope! Too Scary.
I didn't want to get washed to death and I was pretty clean already.
I tried to google the car wash on my cell phone to get their number - but I didn't know the name of the place.
So I called my daughter in Mississippi to look it up online, she called right back with the number.
After a few tries, someone answered the phone -
"Yes ma'm, how can I help you?"
"Well, I seem to be stuck in your carwash for the last 30 minutes!"
Silence. Then,
"Umm...we are trying to fix the mechanism that pulls the cars through."
"Well, can you turn off the washer part? It is taking the paint off my car and it is creepy in here!"
Silence. Then,
"Oh. OK."
Long story short - Too Late! - They got me out of there, I missed my appointment by 1 hour, but they cheerfully refunded my 22 bucks, and I have a really clean car to start 2009!
HAPPY NEW YEAR - THANKS TO ALL FOR A GOOD 2008!
for information about Mesquite NV homes
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Mesquite Nevada Real Estate Agent ~ ~ ERA
Virginia Hepp ~ Mesquite Realtor 
Virginia - how scar - I would not want to be stuck in there either. Sorry you were late for your appointment, but that is a good excuse. Happy New Year!
Virginia, what an amazing and somewhat scary story. I think I would not ride with the car through those kind of car washes anymore. Happy New Year.....
That's quite an adventure Virginia! I was stuck in a car wash once - I leaned on the horn which vrought them out. That's is an amazing photo - such beauty in simple things.
Sharon - Yes, it was a good excuse, but really creepy!
Gary - Yes, I think I have permanent psychological damage. Amazing how scared you can be in your own car.
Deborah - The photo came out good! I should have used my Flip. :) My husband said, 'why didn't you just honk the horn until they came out?' Duh.
Virginia-Oh my goodness. I am glad you got out okay. What a terrible experience.
Viriginia, what a way to end 2008! I'm sure that 2009 will be much better and will end with a BIG profit!
Glad you got out ok - that could be scary!! Hopefully you could reschedule the 1:30.....
Virginia- That is a very scary story and I will make sure I don't get my car washed there. Welcome to the Happy group and I drive through your lovely town of Mesquite at least 2-3 times per month.
Laura, once I knew that they knew I was in there, I was OK, as Deborah said above - I should have just started honking the horn.
Regina - I am looking forward to 2009, 2008 was great, 2009 will be fine - :)
April - Actually, she came to the car wash looking for me when I called to say I was stuck and would be late.
Robert - They are a really good carwash, the guys who work there do a great job, this was the exception that proves the fact. It is amazing how much Mesquite has grown, isn't it?
That calling Mississippi thing was pretty creative and made me laugh out loud even louder!
Heath - when I told my husband about this, he was laughing so hard he choked. No sympathy! :)
Virginia, That would really creep me out! I never go in to those alone~Now I know why!
Happy New Year!
Ginger
I've always wondered if anyone has ever been stuck in one of those things before, now I know. Congrats on your really, really clean car.
Virginia - Interesting way to ring in/end out the new year. I haven't been through a car wash in quite sometime and it shows:) Happy New Year!
Ginger - I have never felt so alone (and clean) in my life! :)
JL - Very shiny car - I guess I don't need a new car after all.
Jason - Your car cannot be as dirty as mine was - my kids and their friends used it the week I was on vacation in Mississippi. The memorabilia they left was not memorable - and Oh...that Subway Scent!
Hahah thats pretty funny! Im already a little creeped out by those carwash tunnels, I would hate to get stuck in one of those! Happy New Year!
That is scary. I'm glad they hadn't closed early and gone home due to the holidays!
James - thanks, I had a really good time! LOL
Renee - Oh. I hadn't thought of that - then I would have really been scared. Or really clean. :)
Virginia, look at this as a moment of zen. You washed the old year away, along with all the grime on your car. The story is quite funny, once we learn you got out of there in one piece. There is a Twilight Zone quality to all this. Happy New Year. Hope it's a great one.
wow - I would have freaked out!! Don't feel bad, I probably wouldn't have thought of the horn either... My three year old son loves the car wash, and begs me to take him. I'll bet that would cure him!!!
Millie - Love the perspective - In with the new, out with the old (grime). Happy New Year to you, too!
Leah - My grandaughter is petrified of the car wash - she jumps on my lap when the spongy things start, glad she wasn't with me on this one.
Virginia: Well, now you have a REALLY clean car. Nice of them to refund your $22 (kind of expensive for a car wash!). Sorry you missed your appt. but at least you had a good story with a happy ending to tell. Happy New Year Virginia. Wishing you much prosperity and good luck in 2009!
Michelle - $22 is for a complete in and out carwash and they do a nice job, windows, tires, everything - and I do have a really clean car! I should have stuck my head out the window and gotten my hair done.
Virginia: ROTFLMAO! Now that was funny.
Wow - what an experience! That must have been really weird - I think you handled it amazingly well, though - I don't know if I would have been able to think so clearly!!!
Michelle - YOU are so funny! Here you are laughing at me in my distress, just like my husband! LOL
Emily - I was scared a little, but really, being late for my appointment had my adrenaline going - and anyway, I did just sit there for awhile in a confused state. :)
My grandmother always said what you were doing on New Years day you would be doing all year long. For your sake I hope she is wrong. Good Luck and Happy New Year.
Hi Virginia,
I have a car wash story from earlier this year. I also had scheduled an appt with a seller, but had enough time to get my car washed. Well, as I was going through the sets of air blowers, at the last ones, a 6-foot piece of my hood, called a cowl...I never knew that, blew off and over my car and into the car wash floor in front of the next car.
So I gunned the car to get out of the wash real fast, put car in 'park' and dashed back into the car wash to retrieve my 'cowl' before it got run over by the next car.
Now, I thought, what do I do. There was no damage to anything as my appt approached. I was a 1/4 mile of the dealership...how convenient!
Long story short....$275 later, I got a new 'cowl' installed. The old one just failed. I was an hour late to my appt, but I kept her informed and she was ok with that. Thanks goodness for cell phones.
The only lasting issue is every time I go through that car wash, I say a little pray asking for the cowl not to blow off again.
Well. I guess there's always "the clean it yourself with a sprayer" car wash!
Oh my gosh!! I don't mean to laugh Virginia, but this was hysterical! I probably wouldn't have thought about the horn either, if it makes you feel any better :)
Hi Virginia, what a funny story! I can't believe they left you in there that long. Couldn't they at least have come and checked on you? Greetings from St. George Utah!
What a positive attitude you have!! I can imagine that it was a pretty creepy place to be stuck for that long. I don't particularly like being in there for the three minute cycle. Thanks for the smile tonight!!
Happy New Year, my friend!!! May 2009 be THE YEAR that ALL YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE!! ~GBU~
Virginia, That's a very funny story. I find it interesting because I own a car wash in Tucson, AZ. We see a lot of strange things on our video surveillance system. Yours would have been one to see.
Virginia: This is a freaky story. I have never been stuck in the car was. Here is a great tip if this happens again. Program this into your phone.. 800-GOOG-411 {800-4664-411} It will actually dial the number for you.
Almost started sounding like a Stephen King movie -- thank goodness for cell phones eh? Nothing like feeling like a trapped rat. You are way resourceful. I smiled all the way through reading your post, but I sure wouldn't have if I were in your shoes.
Did your missed appointment ultimately turn out okay?
Virgina- I don't think being stuck in the car wash is a very Happy event. But I think you blog is very good and so do The Gods so I hvae featured your blog at:
HAPPY AT ACTIVERAIN and I am glad you made it out OK!
Charles - My mom used to say that, too! That is why I thought I would start the new year all clean and organized - next year I am going to sleep all day. LOL
Dan - Your story is scarier than mine and I never heard of a 'cowl' - do all cars have one? Now I will worry about that, too. Thanks a lot :) Sounds like you react a lot quicker than I do. I haven't done the self help kind of car wash in many years, too lazy - I was thrilled when this car wash opened, the first full service one in Mesquite. I take my car there regularly, they are great, this was just a Twilight Zone moment, as Millie said above.
Lisa - It was pretty funny, would have been really funny had I gotten out of the car, that would have been a Laverne and Shirley show.
Erika - I think that they didn't realize that I was in there. I was still in a daze when I got out, and didn't ask, just in a hurry to get to my appointment with my really clean car. :)
Elizabeth - It was a very wierd feeling - it will be interesting to see if I am apprehensive the next time I go in there. Happy New Year to you, too, I hope you have a wonderful year with your new angels.
Virginia: I was laughing at your comment about getting your hair done. That was funny. Just curious why you didn't blow the horn. SOS in morse code is 3 short toots, 3 long toots, 3 short toots:o))
I know it's not funny to you. But, I have to laugh... We love to stop at Mesquite on our way to Las Vegas and even thought about buying a winter home there. We like small towns. Better luck in the next car wash.
Michelle - I know, I was just teasing you.
Blowing the horn would have been the perfect solution and simplest - and I am sure they would have heard it right away. Why didn't I think of that? That is the question that my husband asked me, through his fits of laughter. LOL
Greg - You own a carwash? Has this ever happened at yours? Tell me that I am not the first!
Roland - I tried Googl, but because Mesquite is in Clark County, HUGE area, I got a long list of results which sometimes happens on Googl searches, when you don't know the name of the carwash. I use my daughter as my personal search engine. :)
Chris - I had called her when I was in line to say I might be a few minutes late then called her back to say I was stuck. She was standing there waiting when I finally pulled out of the carwash and she admired my clean car. It was her suggestion that they refund my money. It was fine.
Robert - Thank You! I love your new Happy group.
Hi Virginia, Happy 2009. Don't shower alone this year :)
Mark, it is funny to me. Now. But it sure wasn't at the time. I think you should buy a house in mesquite. Or 2. Or 3.
BTW - I love your market reports on your blog. Simple yet elegant, informative.
Gretchen - you nut - stop it! You are scaring me. (:-O)
Virginia - At least your clients were aware that they were important enough to have a car washed for!
Mark - that's right, they were! I wonder if they knew that was why my fingernails were all bitten off, too. :)
Wow, I would not want to be trapped in a car wash. I would have been freaked out also. We have handwash carwashes around here...maybe that might be better for you.
Mindy and/or Jay :) I am too lazy to go to the handwash! When my daughter was still at home, she would detail my car - gave it the Q tip final touch - on a regular basis. Now that I am an empty nester, I take it to the full service wash. This is the only negative experience I have ever had there - so I will be back, they do a great job.
Virginia - That's terrible. Most of the time the mechanical features of today's car washes work just fine. Unfortunately you got caught in one that had it's breakdown at the wrong time (for you). I hope you were able to reschedule your appointment.
Hi Jon,
I am over it - but will be probably be a little apprehensive next time I go, which will be soon, I was out looking at land today and walking around in the dirt.
My appointment was standing there waiting for me when I pulled out. No problem.
Virgina, in Dallas they have car washes that you pay and THEY PHYSICALLY "hand wash" your car for you. I dont wash mine myself....no way. Mindy
Mindy - There are a couple of guys here who come to your house or office - do a great job, but you have to make an appointment - I always seem to have mine done at the last minute. I should schedule it for a time that I am in a meeting or something - yes, thanks for that idea!
Wow! Crazy story, Virginia. I would have been scared, too. Happy New Year!
Virginia that is a funny story! Hope you are doing well:)
Virginia, this is just way to funny.... to read. I'm sure it wasn't all that funny for you at the time!
Hi Terri, it was my first experience with claustrophobia.
Bill, all is well here, no rain so my car is still clean, thanks, I am sure you are doing well!
Margaret, my husband was laughing so hard he was crying, I didn't laugh till later. :)
I'm still old-fashioned. I go to one of the magic wand car washes and feed them a few billion quarters. LOL
Virginia, I'm so glad that you didn't get out! It was really smart to call from inside the car. Thank goodness for cell phones. Thanks for sharing your funny story.
Russel - I don't like to get my shoes wet!
Lara - What did we ever do without cell phones?