Car too dirty for car wash (From Stroud News and Journal)

Car too dirty for car wash

A CAR WASH employee turned away a Range Rover which needed cleaning - because it was too dirty.

He then told the owner to hit the road and wash it himself.

Adam Ash from Minchinhampton had been clearing out a house and had taken several car loads of old furniture and carpets down to the Valley Trading recycling centre on Wednesday.

But he had to drive through a few deep puddles to get there and his car ended up splattered in mud.

Mr Ash thought there was nothing for it but to take it along to the Arc Clean Car Centre in Cainscross for a bit of a spruce up.

But he was was flabbergasted to be turned away by manager Don Macmillan.

"He said he wouldn't wash it because it was too dirty. I couldn't believe it. He turned me down flat.

"I've been going there for years, it's a good car wash and the car always comes out really clean," said Mr Ash.

He told the News & Journal he would have been happy to pay double the cost to get the car clean but Mr Macmillan was not interested.

"I get lots of filthy cars in here, every car's filthy at this time of year," said Mr Macmillan. "But there was half a field on that one. There was mud hanging onto the bumpers and off the back flaps.

"It would have taken ten minutes to get it all off and I would have had to kick big lumps of mud off. The jet just wouldn't have done it.

" I would have had to clear the yard before I could let another car in and "I had six cars here already. I was so busy I just wasn't prepared to do it. So I suggested he went to Tesco to do it himself."

Asked just how dirty a car has to be before being turned away Mr Macmillan said: "He's the first person I have ever refused."

Mr Ash then took his car to a Gloucester car wash where it was scrubbed clean for £8.50.

For more Stroud-based news, see this week's SNJ.