laundry day

   I'm here in the laundromat observing the diverse clientele.  I think that the laundromat could quite possibly be one of the most fascinating institutions in society today.  Here you have a completely random collection of people all united by one single common bond:  none of us own a washer or dryer.  Either we're too poor, too cheap, live in too small of a place, or simply aren't prepared to embrace the convenience of laundering at home.  I personally would have to put myself in the "too cheap" category combined with the fact that my current abode has no washer/dryer connections.  And I suppose that I still sort of enjoy going to the laundromat every once in awhile.

    So today the people in here span quite an age bracket, starting with the youngest college student and working up to elderly retirees.  I wonder about the older people:  did they ever own a washer and dryer or have they been going to laundromats for 50 years?  If this is the case, I'm sure they must have plenty to share about their laundry experiences.  I find the college students amusing as well: there are some who come in to only do one load and then others who have 8 or 10 loads.  I think this could reflect on both their character and financial status.

For one, if you only have one load, you're probably a pretty neat, clean person who doesn't like a lot of dirty laundry piling up.  On the other hand, you might not have many clothes and are forced to launder more frequently.  Or maybe you can only afford to wash one load.

The ones with 8 or 10 loads tell a completely different story:  a) they could be popular socially and hence are out drinking at the dance club on Thursday night when they could be doing laundry.  From what I've observed there seems to be a lot of these rich sorority girls who probably have walk-in closets full of clothes, enough to last a month before doing laundry.  b) the person could be a lazy sloth who despises doing laundry because it involves doing work, so they just let it pile up until they're fed up with washing underwear in the sink.  c) they are simply too busy with their fast-paced lives that they can't take time out to enjoy one of life's simple pleasure - going to the laundromat.

    For some reason, Columbia is lacking in clean reliable laundering facilities.  I tried going to one of those laundromats that serve beer.  But it seemed like the management thought that since they served beer, they didn't need to actually maintain the facilities.  About 75% of the washers were either full of stagnant gray water or had been ripped out of the wall.  The dryers weren't much better, with about 50% in working order.  The other 50% were either broken or required a battering ram to shut the door. The one I use now is at least brightly lit and fairly clean, although the bathroom frightens me.  Aside from being pestered by Jehovah's Witnesses (since when have they started working the laundromats?) and occasionally losing change in the vending machines, I've found the Shandon Coin Laundry to be a decent place.  I still pine for the EZ-Way Laundromat in Blacksburg, though, with their sparkling facilities, ample reading material, and customer appreciation days (free dryer cycles and laundry bags!).

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