Why didn't anyone tell me it's bad etiquette to go to a do it yourself car wash bay on a Saturday afternoon and HAND wash your car?

I pulled in, took my bucket, soap, and brush out and set them down. I put $1.50 in the machine, and began to spray my car with water (and fill the bucket). As soon as I dunked the brush, the operator of the place starts letting me have it about having to hurry, and I should only hand wash very early or very late.

I understand his point, in that I am only giving him $3.00 (1.50 for each rinse) while others are giving him a whopping $4.50 because they use his fowl brush/soap dispenser.

Unfortunately, his place is the closest to my appartment, so I have to go back. I told him I would come earlier in the day next time, and then spent about an hour in his drying bay using my wafflle MF to dry my car and use a QD spray. Is this really bad etiquette? I should add, one of the cleaning bays was closed for repairs, and the place was busy, but not so busy anyone waited long to give up their hard earned $4.50.

Thoughts?

 

Yes, it's in bad form.
When I lived in NY they had signs at those places stating "no hand washing"... When I moved to my old apartment here in VA, I had a gas station across the street with one of those DIY hoses. I made it a point to go and ask the gas station cashier if it was ok to hand wash. If there was a line, they'd say no and I'd be cool with that, just come at a later time.

Check around with other places around your area, there may be more DIY wash places than you think I found one further down the road after they took the one across the street down and replaced it with a vacuum (!). I used to get 2 washes at $4 each, which was 18 minutes total. I took my time and really rinsed well. They really didn't care at this other place, and were always cool with me bucket washing.

Of course now I've got a hose outside my house and just wash it whenever I want

 

they don't mind out here

 

I do it all the time, only thing they say is make sure the machine is running while you are using your own bucket and mitt.

 

They have signs at the place I go to that point out that it's not allowed, but if it's slow (early or late), it's fine to hand wash.

They also have a sign that says I can't degrease dirty parts there too

 

In reality, I took just as long as the people using the supplied brush/soap. I gave the machine my money for the wash and rinse, and actually spent LESS time in the bay as others. Oh, well, I will submit to the higher powers and go early in the day. I was especially mad when someone else showed up, hand washed his Ford F-150 extended cab long bed truck, and didn't get yelled at... Oh well.

 

When i was in an apartment, they had a couple hosebibs located throughout the apt complex outside....you could ask to see if they have them and buy a hose. Sucks not to have the ability to hand wash!

 

Hehe. I hear yah, man.

I have to wash my car after 8pm if I want to use the self-service bays, and it is really my only option here at college. However, once you get used to it, it's not that's bad. I've spent 2+ hours there at a time washing, claying, and waxing my car. At least it's warm out now, and daylight savings time will help