I put this post under “favorite questions” because this WOULD have been a good question for a car washer to ask me before he washed it.
On a random day my friend and I were driving from Montego Bay to Ocho Rios and we decided to stop on the way and stock up on some groceries. We figured if we shopped in some place other than Ochi the food would be cheaper so we pulled over at a little shopping center in Runaway Bay (I think). I’ve driven by this place a million times and I can’t remember if it’s Runaway Bay or Salem but regardless….be aware!
We parked our car in front of the yellow building and walked over to the shop that says L&M Meats. I would say we were in the shop for about twenty minutes gathering all our food supplies and checking out. When we walked out the shop we noticed there was a man washing and polishing our car!! Normally you would think one would be delighted at the service, especially since my car was dusty as ever and I kept meaning to get a car wash but this one wasn’t on my terms.
The first thought in my head was the dude wants money and I don’t have any and I felt bad. But my second reaction was annoyed because he wasn’t washing anyone else’s car….just the one that belonged to the foreigner. I know he watched us pull up, waited for us to go inside the shop and then proceeded to wash my car thinking he was going to make some money that day. The problem was that he didn’t notify me and I walked out of the shop cashless putting me in the position of having to appear like a jerk by not paying him.
Probably if I had a little cash I would have given it to him but part of me was glad I didn’t have any because in my mind no one should assume that foreigners are money trees. It would have been proper of him to ask if I wanted a car wash while I shopped to give me the chance to choose.
Anyways that was just a little rant but still something my friend and I look back and laugh about. Only in Jamaica!
Comments
7 responses to “Do You Want Your Car Washed?”
Lol that is very true. When I shop in Santa Cruz I get my Jamacain husband to pay for the big ticket items because he will barter and ultimately get a much lower price. We live in Ontario, Canada and work very hard for our money…lots of overtime and sacrifice. We save save save so that we can finish our house in St.Elizabeth and we are NOT rich by any means..
Lol. Im from salem and i always go to that supermarket when i’m ja. That guy (well there were several over the years) is always washing people car with the filthy water in the bucket. We always had to run him because he dirty up the car more than cleaned it.
Heheheheheh, that’s funny!!! My husband and I we always go to Royal Decameron Hotel that’s right behind that store and Runaway Bay sports bar and grill, and boy we had numerous problems with that guy trying to wash the car we rented or our friend’s car!!! So funny!!! I think it’s the same guy and he has been doing it for probably 5 years at the same location. My friend would get so mad at him!!! We would seat upstairs at the bar and watch him try to wash the cars. I posted a link to one of my Jamaica albums from FB and if you flip thru it you will see him washing my friend’s car!!! Poor guy, but it’s so rude to touch somebody’s car without asking!!! My friend was so worried he was going to damage his car!!!
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.14801229813.20523.544674813&l=d5eb240603&type=1
LOL thanks for the link Dzana….I’m gonna check it out.
love the story,would be nice to be asked first,anyway.keep up the good vibes JC,ONE LOVE
One of the best comments for a laugh is “Can I just take the surface dirt off?”
LOL Feenix, the funny thing about this post is my friend who was with me that time….she’s currently in Jamaica and she stopped at this store again the other day. She sent me a text saying “The same guy just tried to wash my car again!!!!” LOL.