Spot the Driverless Car

When I first came to this country, I bought an old beat up Pajero to help me get around the city. Having more important matters to do than clean my car, I always postponed a trip to the car wash as much as I could. I probably went once every three months. Come to think of it, I can distinctly remember being quite embarrassed about the muck and grime on my car. When you get stuck in traffic next to gleaming Ford Expeditions, Nissan Patrols, BMW's, and the likes, your lack of car hygiene becomes painfully apparent.

Besides looking like crap, the car itself was also crap. It was a classic Subic import and fatigue had clearly set in. I have been stranded on all major thoroughfares due to various mechanical failures. Many times it was "just" an overheating engine, and other times due to crazy things such as a disintegrated gear box. The worst one I had was a blown engine, all thanks to a shoddy repair job at some shady car shop along the Alabang Zapote road.

After all this craziness I can honestly say now that I know what it is like to be stranded on the fast lane of the South Super Highway, all the while Victory Liners are careening past you at speeds over 120 kph, with only millimeters to spare. Definitely not fun. So shortly after all this nonsense I decided enough was enough. I bought a new car and hired a driver who would shuttle me all around this city.

Finally while enjoying the luxury of being a passenger in my own brand new car, I noticed an additional perk: my car was always clean! No matter the weather of previous days, it would shine as if it had just rolled off the factory floor. It was then that I realized you can actually spot, with reasonable certainty, who has a driver and who doesn't. Point out any car that has a lot of muck on it, and I can safely say the owner of that car does not have a driver.


I was painfully reminded of this fact today. These days I do not have a driver anymore, and as a result my car hygiene has suffered as well. Again it is extensively covered in muck, and I still have no time to take it to the car wash. Thankfully, someone else understands my plight, and decided to lend a helping hand (or finger). They had written on my car's bonnet: Wanted Car Washer.

Thanks for helping out!