This is Why I Don’t Get Out Much
Some people take Valium before they speak in front of thousands of people or before they board a plane. I like to save my supply for the really anxiety-inducing occasions in my life – like going to the car wash or La Madeleine.
I get my car washed about once a year. Notice I said, “get.” There are other, infrequent times, that I actually wash it myself. But every once in awhile, I feel entitled to give someone else the opportunity to try to scrape the bird poop off my roof.
My anxiety begins at the “Entrance” that is never quite clearly defined. If I make it onto the property unscathed, I am suddenly faced with 5 different choices of lines to head toward. I have been known to make a line decision that gets abruptly waved off by someone who appears to be absolutely appalled that I made such a terrible decision, and how could I not know that was the line I was NOT supposed to pull into?
Then I sit in the line and look at the choices for “packages” on the billboard above, noting that the least expensive package, which was listed online, appears nowhere on the billboard. And does that mean they don’t really offer it, or just that they don’t really advertise it, and do I really want to have this conversation with the guy who writes the code on my car, and where the heck is that guy anyway?
Everyone else has a code on their car except me. As I pull closer to the vacuuming area, I begin to panic. How will anyone know what I want done to my car if I DON”T HAVE A CODE ON MY CAR?
I am waved up to the vacuum and I try to focus on not running the vacuuming guy down because that would make for an embarrassing newspaper headline, while I prepare my speech about the package that I want that isn’t on the billboard and dig in my purse for my black Sharpie so I can write my own code on the window.
I can’t find the Sharpie, and they are telling me to get out of the car.
Code Guy magically appears and asks me what I want.
I mumble, “The Manager’s Special,” which was not the lowest package, but it offers an air freshener, and I figure that’s worth the extra $100.
Then I have to leave. The arrow to the waiting area does not point me to the waiting area, so I wander around stupidly while everyone in the car line watches the poor mentally challenged lady who probably should not be driving a car in the first place. I finally stumble into the building.
From previous experience, I recall that I must pay for my car wash at this point. I am not distracted by the many delightful objects being offered in the car wash “boutique” because I must pay before I can pick up my car. And even though there are at least 30 cars ahead of mine, I am compelled to get in the line of three people because it would be a disaster if my car was done before I finished my transaction.
Then I face the next challenge. If I sit inside, I will be told when my car is finished. Someone will yell out the make and model of my car, and I will march outside and hand over my ticket which I did not lose inside my purse this time.
But there is no room in the waiting area. So, I must sit outside, and then I must watch like a hawk for the special secret hand gesture that will be made when they are finished drying my car.
As usual, I misinterpret the hand gesture and try to Collect my Car Prematurely. They have finished drying my car, but now someone is supposed to inspect my car. And I feel like an idiot once again as I stand there for another 5 minutes because it’s too late for me to go back to the waiting section.
And the $5 bill I am holding in my hand gets all sweaty, especially as I realize that there are 3 people in charge of this last phase of the cleansing of my car, and I only have one $5 bill with which to tip them.
I finally thrust my money upon a surprised young woman who walks past me (it’s possible she wasn’t even an employee), assure the Inspector that my car is perfect, and get into my car to drive off out the Entrance as fast as I can get away from this traumatizing experience.
And then I realize there is no. air freshener. in my car.
My anxiety-inducing questions at La Madeleine are exactly the same – which line do I stand in? (oh, that’s for baked goods only?) what can I order? (you have 3 different menus and you don’t carry the item I’ve been ordering for 6 months any more?) how do I know when my food is done? (well, sometimes we give it to you while you are in line, and sometimes we bring it to your table) who do I tip? and WHY DOES MY CAR STILL SMELL LIKE WET DOG?
To be fair, I don’t really think anyone can answer that last question.
Posted on June 29, 2013, in Annoyances, Humor, Phobia and tagged anxiety, car wash, health, humor, La Madeleine, medication. Bookmark the permalink. 32 Comments.
Every single part of this was spot on!!! I’m glad to have finally met someone as awkward as I am…. *awkward hug*
I could kiss you! I really didn’t think anyone else has this experience! Everyone seems to always know exactly what they’re doing!
Lol! I actually avoid our town’s fancy carwash just because of the anxiety I have in the line…
being a woman we are forever advised to be self-aware: check your lipstick, check there’s non of it on your teeth; careful with your skirt, check that it’s not tucked into your panties; check your make-up, that you didn’t forget to put some on before leaving; check the calendar, you don’t want any surprises; mark your calendar, YOU DON’T WANT ANY SURPRISES; when was your last period, or would you like for me to give you a surprise; when was your last mammogram…you get the point… but when all this SELF-AWARENESS just tells us how awkward and out-of-place we feel/are, well, that’s just not fun!!! I hate feeling like Goofy… let’s form a support group for Awkward Adult Women… side note: we are terribly hard on ourselves… read you soon, alexandra (p.s. most of the time I have no idea where I am going or supposed to go, if I question my direction before I get there)
That’s definitely a good point about how our culture seems to encourage this self-awareness on the part of females and not males. I like the idea of a support group for Awkward Adult Women!
I used to watch everything that happened like a hawk when I was a kid so as to avoid situations like this when I grew up. It only works about 50% of the time.
I am embarrassingly unobservant, which is what usually leads me to these ridiculous moments.
I am unfamiliar with La Madeleine (when I googled it, I got ‘country French cafe) BUT, in my experience car washes deliberately set out to bamboozle you as a ploy to upwell more expensive ‘extras’. You are not alone!
I agree with you that it is definitely a ploy. I guess comfortable people don’t buy as much as perpetually confused ones.
Ah! car washes are the same everywhere. You nailed the fine experience perfectly. If a line is closed, there’s no sign saying it is, and I can never interpret the meaning of the hand gestures two or three workers are directing at me…aarrggh! So much easier to drive the dirty, smelly thing until it rots, I say. Bless you for saying it so well. Excellent piece.
I think it will definitely be a long time before I try to go to the car wash again!
You get a hand gesture when your car is finished??? Even an ambiguous, easily misinterpreted hand gesture is a bonus. At my car wash, they just go on to the next car, and they’re usually 3 cars down wondering who abandoned their car before I eventually hop in and go home.
Oh, you have to watch for it very carefully. It’s subtle, like the ones they use at auctions when they don’t want anyone to know who is bidding.
OR there is no hand gesture, and I just completely misinterpret it when they are scratching their groin as an indication that my car is done.
I didn’t know they washed dogs too. Lol
Either that or Wet Dog is the default air freshener for people who aren’t assertive enough to state their preference.
Is that so people will come back or so they won’t come back ever again?
cheesus I love this post. I thought I was the ONLY one who feels mentally challenged at the car wash. HATE THEM. I finally ditched the ones where you get out and go into the boutique place and then they gang signal you when they are done. it was just too embarrassing and confusing and i’d always spend like $800 dollars (unintentionally) and hubby would be pissed. now I go to this great drive through one that actually gets your car clean. it’s been a bargain and non-threatening. I haven’t been to la madeleine in a while, so don’t know about that. after reading this, I think i’ll avoid it for a few more years. ;o)
What is the great drive-through one? Do they vacuum out Wonderbutt hairs that stick to every surface including the ceiling?
I won’t go to the car wash. I don’t have the right education. And please don’t make me park at the airport. Or even find it.
LOL. I had to park at the airport twice last week – and three other parking garages which were foreign to me. I had to refill my Valium prescription.
Stress filled, panic stricken me every time I think of going somewhere I really want to go to, The incidents like these are the reason.
Exactly!
Typist is so pleased it’s not just her!!
I am amazed at how many other people admit to this, because everyone sitting at the carwash looks completely confident!
I sooooo get this!
I move to standardize car washes around the world so we no longer have this problem.
I’m always the awkward one too. I watch to make sure I get everything just right and then I don’t. Then I make it worse with a hundred questions.
At least you ask questions. I just make a stab at it, and do the completely wrong thing.
THANK YOU. The car wash is very stressful, as is La Madeleine. But the worst for me is happy hour at any bar: Will there be a seat? Should I have cash? Can I put it on a tab? Where do I stand to get the bartender to notice me? If I order food, do I order it from the bartender? Do I actually tip the woman who brought the drink over to where I’m sitting? Christ, I just want to drink out of a paper bag in my bedroom.
That is so true! I always stand in the waitress well by accident, making enemies of the entire staff immediately.
You forgot to add the door put on the wrong way at La Madeline. I agree about the Wash Tub!! Oh and FYI I didn’t get this as an email, I had to look up your site when I realized I hadn’t seen anything from your blog in awhile.
Gosh, you are right! That darn door gets me any time. And thanks for the heads up on the e-mail issue. WordPress Support is getting to me very well, lately…