Dear Laundromat,
Yesterday I ventured over to your Sterling location and pretty much got the scare of my life. So much so that I didn't even dry my clothes there - just got out as fast as I could. Driving home with wet laundry and looking over my shoulder the whole way.
As you are aware this laundry service location is a massive store with lots of extras like flat screen TV's and a convenient store selling soaps, snacks, drinks, and lotto tickets. There had to be at least 100 washing machines and even more dryers. The place smells like Tide and Downy, has clean floors, and bright lights. Well, it is all a facade. After all it is still a laundromat; complete with crazies and unattended children running around banging their heads on folding tables.
When I first walked in I felt perfectly safe. It really wasn't really crowded, after all it was noon on Tuesday. So I picked out two machines (The Super Loaders @ 5.75 a load) and squeezed a weeks worth of laundry in each. That part was sort of impressive. Once my loads were spinning I leaned against the folding table and watched the Spanish Soap Opera that was on; only catching the main idea not each word.
As I am watching TV another patron put his clothes in the washer next to mine. He screwing up the directions and trying to turn the washer on before he put his clothes in. I nicely told him that he had to load first then add money. He seemed grateful for tip and went back to his work. Then things start to get a little weird.
This man then asks a clerk to change the channel to either 4,5 or 7. The clerk was trying to help him by handing him a remote but he wouldn't take it. "It is your job not mine" is what I thought he said, but that certainly couldn't have been, or so I thought. So then the clerk puts on channel 457 and I notice this and say to the man, "I don't think she understood she isn't turning on your channels, she combined them to four-hundred fifty seven." Here is where things got scary.
The guy was staring so intently at me and just spewing A LOT of racists remarks really loudly, telling me all about his life in the Navy and how he can re-up anytime but then telling me he was in in the 70's. He wouldn't stop talking. I just sort of said a lot of 'uh-ha' and 'oh's. But I said nothing in response to any racist comments. He was basically ranting to himself for 40 minutes. I tired to look busy at a snack machine - he just followed me. I crossed my arms over my chest; he still stared. I attempted to talk to another lady - she didn't speak English though. Then when my wash was done he says "so are you just heading back to your house now - I am not busy or nothing, I could follow ya." To which I replied "Oh well thanks, interesting listening to you, have a good day." And then I ran ... FAST. OGLING RACIST CREEP.
Obviously you need to add to the sign that says "Fluff and fold services" to explain to dumb ass hicks "No racists rapists allowed"
Sincerely,
One Who Cannot Wait to Have Her Washer Back!
2 comments:
Laundromats are scary ass places, even the nice ones. The last time I was in one a random guy wandered in with a huge cut on the side of his and and arm, bleeding all over the place. He thought that the place was a clinic or something. The attendant tried to get him to sit to call for help, but he staggered out of the place and left. He left a trail of blood all over the place, which the attendant was afraid to clean up w/o gloves and what not...understandably. This is in a really small town, w little crime, but I think that the drug use/crazy quotient has been notching up.
I'm glad you got out of there un-raped and alive. :)
Man! Who would have thought the laundromat was such a scary place. It has been eons since I have been in one and I think it was the one on Lincoln St, next to Friendly's that's not there anymore. (Do you remember that one J) I might just have to set my next piece of short fiction in a laundromat. I would have been scared out of my mind. Talk about creeps!! And random ones at that. Huggs!!!
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