Walter White, the flawed central character in "Breaking Bad" invested in a car wash as a means of laundering his vast, ill gotten gains from his activity in drug production.
That may have, to a large extent, queered the pitch of those who earned a perfectly good and legitimate living from this particular type of operation.
The business has certainly changed in my own lifetime.
The old car washes were those of the whirling nylon brushes with you and the occupants of your car dragged through a waterfall of suds and spray to emerge, with a jolt after being ejected from the conveyor belt with a sense of having been on a journey and adventure.
On later, closer inspection the flaws of a mechanised system were all too evident with some patches of engrained mud and dirt having been completely missed and also that gradual emergence , with regular frequenting of the car wash, of a distinct scratched and deep down etching in the paintwork finish.
Still, we persist in using the tunnel based process as we all have to admit that a gleaming vehicle bodywork is as much a tonic for the soul as a good haircut for ourselves.
A relatively recent development has been the emergence of the hand car wash.
This has been down to a combination of factors.
The main one has been the surplus of a labour force from immigration to the UK driven by a few entrepreneurial types. This has been in league with the availability of suitable urban, suburban and even rural sites mainly from the demise of smaller and previously independent petrol stations and motor vehicle forecourts.
My local hand wash is a prolific operation in terms of quality and volume.
There is a great range of nationalities in employment from Eastern Europe and even farther afield and you cannot criticise or fault their dedication and application to what, at the best of times, is a harsh working environment.
Over the recent Christmas period the queues at the car wash sites rivalled those around the main city shopping parks.
It must have been on most of our lists as a "must-do" chore over the festive season. I can see the appeal of a freshly washed and sparkling car that will go down well with the in-laws and visitors or if you are on the rota to do all of the driving around to meet family and friends.
Of course, there is a downside to the business model of this type of commercial venture.
There is a defined golden period to get your car washed, this being during a long and dry spell or, more relevant to December and January when there is mud, spray and rocksalt on the roads that easily transfers onto car bodywork.
I have seen special offers on a car wash during a prolonged rainy period and indeed it is a well known urban myth that in the Southern States of the United States, including the territory of New Mexico where Walter White hailed from the car wash business took a big hit in terms of income because of one simple weather related fact.
The smartphone technology enabled a weather forecasting App to be at the fingertips of the resident population.
A five day or even a full week forward weather prediction gave ample forewarning of a possible fall of rain and so this caused the car wash customers to postpone their regular patronage on the off chance of getting a free and natural service.
The pre-App era was one of unpredictability in the prospect of a downpour or what was colloquially termed a "Mexican Car Wash".
With improved and cheaply available technology came the chance to just wait for the heavens to open at no extra charge.
Things have come full circle and it appears that the Car Wash Professionals are actually using the weather App technology to their own advantage.
Rather than customers using the intelligence to avoid having to pay out for a car wash there are Apps now available that tell you the best time to wash your car.
One such App is called "Car Wash Weather". This is what it claims to do; (The spelling is authentic)
Have you ever been caught by a sudden rain next day after car wash?
If YES now you can forget about the annoying mud from wet asphalt and puddles on your clean car - free app Car Wash Weather suggests you the most favorable days to visit a car wash based on current weather forecast and shows the nearest carwash station or detailing service in your geo-location. This app is as easy to use as an obvious speedometer - just open application and see the favorable car wash days, swipe between screens to see the nearest car washes and relevant weather details and decide on the best date to take care of a car appearance.
Car wash locator functionality has been released! Find nearest carwash service with distance calculator and read user reviews!
New app to your car dashboard: are you using Weather Underground, AccuWeather or Yahoo Weather services for planning your day and Cars.com, GasBuddy, CarBuzz, Torque or Carango to watch after your ride? Include Car Wash Weather to this list! Look for favorable washing day, search for car wash with good reviews and be a proud owner of your shining ride on a parking or going through city traffic!
Share Car Wash Weather with your friends using Facebook and VK.com.
With this app it is so easy to plan your car maintenance based on the weather conditions and your position: whether it's a car wash after hill racing or just a weekly washing activity - Car Wash Weather is your best buddy!
No comments:
Post a Comment