Car-wash and Roti Canai

Some things just don't go hand-in-hand. Coffee and creamer, yes. Socks and shoes, yes. Shopping and eating, yes. Car-wash and food, no.

There is this eating spot in Klang with three outlets in a row. Roti canai, bah-kut-teh and Indian food. Recently a car-wash set up shop in the parking area, directly opposite the roti canai and bah-kut-teh eateries. Now if this was a one-man show with pail and sponge, fine. But this is a full-fledged operation with vacuum, high-powered spray and what-not. I can just imagine all the extra ingredients that would land on the roti canai, bah-kut-teh stew and banana leaf rice. Dust and grime. Soot from incense paper stuck on the cars. Mud from the mudflaps. Bits of roadkill from the tyres. Eeeww.

This reminds me of the car wash near my house. It's been around for a long time and does a roaring business. Cars are done in 30 minutes. Most people just sit there and wait for the cars to be washed.

Sometime back, a wise guy decided to open a roti canai stall at the very same place. The stall is located on the extreme left of the open lot whereas the car-wash took up a good two-third of it. It may seem like a good idea, the car-wash operates in the daytime and the stall at night. But their hours overlap in the late evening. The spray of dirty water could easily reach the food preparation counter. Whoever fancied an extra serving of dust and grime, soot from incense paper, mud and roadkill would make their way there. But you know what? People with such weird culinary taste are scarce because the roti canai stall folded up a few months later.

It's different if the all the unhygienic stuff which could possibly get into the food is unseen to patrons, hidden in dirty kitchens. That's another story altogether.