SkiBike Tour 2010-11 - Car Wash
Posted: Sunday, 9 January 2011 by Mark Kinnon in Labels: 2010-11 Tour, Switzerland
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Sunday and it rained all day in Geneva, I could but hope that at altitude the precipitation would be white and fluffy not grey and wet. I spent the day catching up on a number of outstanding chores.
I sauntered over to the excellent garage "Auto Secours" where I have been loaned a parking space and was surprised to find they were open on a Sunday.
I asked politely if I would be permitted to use their water tap to wash my car and received the reply "non...c'est pas permits... desolee" literal translation "no, it's not allowed... I'm distraught with the grief of it" in other words "on yer bike skibiker".
Time for some lateral thinking... what do you need to wash down a car? Water, bucket and sponge.
I drove car from the garage and down to the a spot by the lake where, in summer, boats are prepared. Next bucket goes in the lake, sponge goes in the bucket and the car gets weeks of accumulated salt washed off.
I probably broke 1000 Swiss regulations by doings this and it almost certainly isn't permitted; nobody has taken the trouble to regulate it, only a foreigner would even think to do such a thing. Even the local Somalian drug dealer, who was hanging around the quayside humming a jaunty tune to himself began to shuffle about nervously at my audacity.
I couldn't help but notice a raised eyebrow from the garage kiosk when I returned half an hour later with my gleaming motor.
I sauntered over to the excellent garage "Auto Secours" where I have been loaned a parking space and was surprised to find they were open on a Sunday.
I asked politely if I would be permitted to use their water tap to wash my car and received the reply "non...c'est pas permits... desolee" literal translation "no, it's not allowed... I'm distraught with the grief of it" in other words "on yer bike skibiker".
Time for some lateral thinking... what do you need to wash down a car? Water, bucket and sponge.
I drove car from the garage and down to the a spot by the lake where, in summer, boats are prepared. Next bucket goes in the lake, sponge goes in the bucket and the car gets weeks of accumulated salt washed off.
I probably broke 1000 Swiss regulations by doings this and it almost certainly isn't permitted; nobody has taken the trouble to regulate it, only a foreigner would even think to do such a thing. Even the local Somalian drug dealer, who was hanging around the quayside humming a jaunty tune to himself began to shuffle about nervously at my audacity.
I couldn't help but notice a raised eyebrow from the garage kiosk when I returned half an hour later with my gleaming motor.