Halloween was earlier this week and car washes across the country usually try cash in on this time of year by transforming their establishments into haunted houses. These tunnels of terror with employees in costume offer a few thrills and jump scares for paying customers, but some of the regular days at a car wash can be even more horrifying.
Today, we are asking what are your nightmare car wash stories? A few previous stories on Jalopnik immediately come to mind. Cybersecurity researchers in 2017 revealed how easy it was for hackers to take control of an automated washing machine. Hackers could then use a variety of methods to kill anyone inside, like slamming the door or a mechanical arm into a vehicle and flooding it with water.
A 77-year-old man earlier this year proved that you didn’t need hackers to put your life at risk inside a car wash. He crashed through a gate and flipped his car inside a car wash outside of Philadelphia. He was stuck inside his car for 90 minutes until rescue crews could reach him.
Please don’t hesitate to share your own stories in the comments. If you own a car, you have to wash it at some point. There isn’t always a convenient rainshower to rinse the dirt and grime off the bodywork. Please wash your cars. While some of us have the time and space to wash our cars at home, the rest have to head over to our local car wash. I mean it. Please wash your cars!