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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Man across the road keeps washing his brand new BMW.

189 replies

Zippitydoodar · 31/07/2018 13:47

He got it a few weeks back and he's washed it, polished it or vac it daily, on Sunday he spent over four hours cleaning it. I haven't seen him driving it yet & it's parked in his garage all the time.
He's late 30's married to a horrible woman (to us anyway) has two children & works.

What the Hell makes someone love their car so much. It's a piece of metal.

I last washed mine a few years back & it resembles a dustbin inside.

OP posts:

Oblomov18 · 31/07/2018 14:57

What's wrong with looking after your car. I've never had a 'new-new' car, but I still look after mine, keep it clean and tidy.

Your car is a dustbin? That is grim. You do have time to keep your car clean. You just choose not to.

Oysterbabe · 31/07/2018 15:02

He's enjoying his new toy. Nothing wrong with that.

user546425732 · 31/07/2018 15:05

What's horrible about his wife?

Scotinoz · 31/07/2018 15:09

My husband religiously washes/cleans his car weekly 😬

It's his thing, I just leave it to it.

My car is not nearly as well loved.

We do have a man that comes every few months to valet both cars though 🙄

RadioDorothy · 31/07/2018 15:10

My FIL maintains that his car is his "hobby". He cleans and vacuums it every week, almost cries real tears if it gets mud or water on it, and then chucks away about £10k in depreciation every year or so by changing it again.

Myheartbelongsto · 31/07/2018 15:11

My boyfriend and I bought a beautiful Audi a few months and he gets it valeted every week.

Nothing wrong with looking after something you've worked hard to buy and have pride in it.

Xenia · 31/07/2018 15:12

We knew someone whose car was their pride and joy just like that. Why not? If they want to better than spending their spare time beating people up.

ethelfleda · 31/07/2018 15:13

You have too much time on your hands. I wouldn't notice if the neighbours had turned into zoo animals, let alone pay attention to how often they wash their car.

rubyjude · 31/07/2018 15:16

We had a neighbour who used to do this. He had this old silver Jag, and would wash it and polish it with such tender loving care. One time, his daughter came out (about age 12), they were always nice kids, very quiet and polite but nice in passing. Anyway, she went bounding over to him then very politely asked if they could wash it together. She seemed so excited to do something with him that he loved, but he didn't even turn and look at her when he said "No. Go back inside, you can't do this". She just turned around silently and went slowly back into the house, whilst he turned his loving gaze back on his precious car. Felt sorry for that kid, because it reminded me so much of how my own dad was to me, especially with his precious cars.

BluebellCockleshell123 · 31/07/2018 15:16

My next door neighbour washes and hoovers their his & hers Audis EVERY SINGLE morning at 06:30...in his dressing gown. Even in the depths of winter!

If their kids are staying (with their Audis as well) he does theirs too. And warms them all up by turning on all the engines. And arranges them in the driveway in the order that they will be leaving the house.

His office is a 7 minute walk away.

Cleaning cars is of these strange obsessions some people seem to have.

TheFairyCaravan · 31/07/2018 15:20

I thought this was going to be about DH.

We picked our brand new BMW up on Friday I genuinely thought he was going to cry when it rained on the way home. He’s already washed it and hoovered the front out because I got leaves in it. 🙄

He’s always been very anal about our cars. I’ve known him to wash them in the dark and the rain. The kids were never allowed to eat in them and only drink water. If they took a toy out they had to bring it back in. I understand that, I like a clean and tidy house.

DS1 has a new, to him, BMW and he’s washed it every weekend since he got it. No one is allowed to eat in it either. DS2 treats his Polo just the same. Some people like to look after their cars.

Slartybartfast · 31/07/2018 15:23

my car is an embarrassing mess

triwarrior · 31/07/2018 15:24

It’s one thing to be taking care of your belongings, but tbh it makes me a little sad to see someone so attached to a car that they spent hours cleaning it. For goodness sake, get it the damn thing and drive through the countryside enjoying it! My cousin has a car that she seems to have an obsessive relationship with..she drove our mothers and a friend into town the other week and made them all wear slippers. My mother thought she was joking. She wasn’t - shoes went into the boot, out came slippers. That’s sad.

ethelfleda · 31/07/2018 15:30

Some people find things like that therapeutic though. Nice day, put some music on and wash the car. I like listening to the smooth sanctuary every evening whilst cleaning my kitchen at the moment. My kitchen is spotless and I've revived my love for slow rock ballads

Happygoldfinch · 31/07/2018 15:34

Imagine if someone could see into our lives on the inside of our houses. There are some things I wouldn't like them to see, like the hour I lost to "Tipping Point" yesterday, when I should have been making dinner.
"Tipping Point", ffs.

Original poster

Zippitydoodar · 31/07/2018 15:38

I've just cleaned my car (inside) I didn't find it therapeutic but it does look a little better.
I may do the outside in a few months 😁

OP posts:

DextroDependant · 31/07/2018 15:39

My old next door neighbour loved his car and would wash it all the time. His wife's car was so neglected.
One windy we pulled up next to him (our drives were attached) and as i opened the door on out bright blue zafira the wind snatched the door from me and it bashed into his car leaving a bright blue dent.

Well of course I knocked to confess and arrange to pay for the damage and his face when I admited it was his car and not his wife's. He was crushed.

But it wouldn't of happened if he didn't park so close to our side, he just didn't want to risk the kids hitting the wall with the door so would park right over!

daisyinatree · 31/07/2018 15:43

Bit miserable of you OP. LOL.

I guess you will think me a sad little woman because I spend at least an hour a day in my garden looking after, and watering, and fussing over my lovely plants and shrubs and flowers (including thirty-three 5 to 10 foot sunflowers.)

But I couldn't care less what some nobody (who I don't even know,) thinks of me. So I doubt he will give a shit what you think either.

Leave the poor man alone. You say his wife has ignored you for the last 10 years. I am beginning to see why. Saying the man is 'sad' and saying sarcastically that you find him 'amusing' makes you come across as quite unpleasant and rude to be honest.

How about you mind your own business, and get on with your own life? I agree with a pp, what a very odd thread to start.

NKFell · 31/07/2018 15:53

It's like a pp said, he's happy with his new toy and is playing with it. I think it's a really nice thing, I love seeing people take pleasure in something!

My sister takes her wheels off her car to clean them properly. She bought me some clay for my birthday to 'get rid of the tar spots'. She loves cars and I think it's a nice harmless hobby and I love that she loves them!

ElementalHalfLife · 31/07/2018 15:54

That particular car I mentioned in my post has 200,000 miles on it from driving in it through the vast USA countryside for the last 13 years.The few hours relatively speaking we've spent cleaning it and otherwise taking care of it by DH keeping it routinely maintained are neither here nor there in terms of it's usage and we've reaped the benefits because it's still in bloody gorgeous condition both lookswise and performance wise. Yes, we're attached to it, it drives like a dream and for me it's an even deeper attachment because I learned to drive in it, I've seriously considered joked about getting buried in it. DH had a pick-up for almost 20 years that he also kept in the best condition possible, the only reason we no longer have that is because it was t-boned by another driver and written off.

We have another vehicle, 3 years old now, and that still looks like new and in great shape because we take care of it and will continue to take care of it because, like any car, it cost a lot of money and we want to get the most use out of it we can.

MNHQ

HebeMumsnet · 31/07/2018 16:06

I only ever wash the car if I'm earwigging on something going on in the street. (See also: washing windows and weeding around the front doorstep). Get out there and check you aren't missing something good, OP!

Or park your car outside his place and ask if he'd like to do yours too.

brizzledrizzle · 31/07/2018 16:14

@Hebemumsnet I only ever wash the car if I'm earwigging on something going on in the street. (See also: washing windows and weeding around the front doorstep).

I suspect that you are joking but I know people that actually do this. I wash the windows in the front bedroom when people are talking outside

bastardlyandmutley · 31/07/2018 16:23

He is enjoying (and treasuring) his very expensive new car, good on him.

princesskatethefirst · 31/07/2018 16:23

My brother does it, he's 30 and autistic though, he's always been obsessed with cars, as my mum says there's worse things he can be addicted/ obsessed with!!

MNHQ

HebeMumsnet · 31/07/2018 16:24

Of course, brizzle! am completely serious

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