Kirkwood Car Wash

About this location

A few stories people tell about this place

1. At dawn one morning, when Kirkwood Car Wash usually hummed with activity, an old pickup truck pulled in, its headlights casting eerie shadows on the wet pavement. The regulars had already left for work, but a lone delivery driver emerged from the truck, carrying a mysterious box wrapped in brown paper. He placed the box under the nozzle and whispered something into it before walking back to his truck. Suddenly, the water started dancing like a disco ball, spraying rainbows everywhere. A neighbor driving by laughed and honked, thinking it was some new fancy feature. Turns out, it was just the delivery driver testing his latest prank on the car wash.

2. One day after school, little Sarah walked past Kirkwood Car Wash and stopped in surprise. The water jets were dancing in perfect syncopation, spraying colorful patterns on the cars below. No one else seemed to notice but her. Suddenly, an old man emerged from behind the curtain, wiping his glasses with a dirty rag. ‘What are you staring at, child?’ he asked gruffly. Little Sarah stammered out her story, pointing at the dancing jets. The owner chuckled, adjusted his cap, and said, “That’s just Ol’ Betsy here, she likes to entertain the kids.” He winked and went back inside, leaving Sarah smiling, knowing that some things in life are best left mysterious.

3. One foggy afternoon, as customers queued up for their turn at Kirkwood Car Wash, a voice crackled over the intercom: ‘If your vehicle is named “Liberty,” please proceed directly to Bay Three.’ A puzzled delivery driver named Liberty shrugged and drove his truck to Bay Three. Moments later, an old man emerged from behind the curtain with a smile: 'Welcome to Kirkwood Car Wash, Mr. Liberty! Your car's been waiting here since last Tuesday.'

4. At midnight, when Kirkwood Car Wash was supposed to be quiet, a soft humming started coming from inside. A delivery driver passing by stopped to investigate. Curious, he peered through the window and saw nothing but dark shadows. Suddenly, an old radio tuned to static crackled to life, playing some vintage jazz tune. Startled, he knocked on the door, only for a friendly voice to greet him: 'Hey there, delivery guy! Just finishing up my night shift—can I help you?' Turned out it was just an enthusiastic employee who loved his music more than customers' cars.