CAR WASH BLUES
They call it “autophenophobia,” the fear of car washes. More people have it than you think. And can you blame them. You pay a fee, really a chance at making it through. The attendant guides you to the automated lanes. Then you give up complete control. Your car and life are dragged into the beast with whirly brushes. All among the splashes of soap and water that blind your vision. Some say its the claustrophobia nature of the enclosure, others the sensory overload of the machine noise, the fear of damage and always the loss of control. The car is pushed side to side by the powerful equipment. You look out the window to see if everything is still there or if any parts of other cars are beside the rails. You know there must be scary things in there, machinery or parts you don’t know about all jumping out of every side it seems. You reassure yourself remembering that these dragons of clean first appeared way back in the 1950’s. Called Rub a Dub, Elephant Car Wash and other fri...