I took my car to get washed today at the Vienna Mr. Wash and was greeted with something pretty offensive.
I emailed the contact on the Web site what is pasted below. If you have feelings on the matter please do the same.
Hello -
I'm a regular customer in the Vienna Mr. Wash and was very unhappy with my visit today. Pasted on the fish tank behind the cashier is a fake dollar bill with a likeness of President Bush and the number "9-11" The implication of the text on the bill is that President Bush is a liar and he is responsible for 9-11.
I found this highly offensive. I come to your store to get my car washed, not to see a highly misguided, deceitful and disrepsectful political statement.
I called the store manager and expressed my concerns. I'm hoping that he understood what I was saying and will take the note down.
Please follow-up with your store staff and inform me when the item is removed. I won't be returning to your Vienna store until I hear this has been taken down and you've informed your employees that posting such material is bad customer service, offensive and harmful to your business.
Regards,
John Schultz
Vienna, VA
Let us know how it turns out!
Although I can't say that I disagree with you about the poor taste and inaccuracy of the dollar bill display, this is a free country as far as expression (to a point, of course).
I suspect the best effect you can have is to boycott the car wash, as you stated was your intention in the letter. If the owner decides to keep the dollar bill display up in his car wash, he apparently feels that his 'voice' and freedom of expression is more important than his business success, and I can admire him for that thought, anyhow.
Try not to take things too seriously in life...political views, although maybe distasteful personally, are really harmless overall. Most people, whether they like or dislike Bush as a president or his handling of Iraq and terrorism, will see the foolishness and absurdity of the display.
I have to agree with John - it's their freedom of speech to display whatever political items they wish. You can also exercise your right to get your car washed some where else!
In this case, freedom of speech = bad business decision. Is a business being run, or a political action committee?
I don't begrudge a person's right to free speech, I just can't believe I came for a car wash and got an insipid piece of propaganda.
I just don't think it is any different than the Christian owned gas station down the road that has Bible verses on their marqee, or the Catholic book store that I frequent that has lots of pro-life ads in its windows. While I definitely don't personally disagree with either message at all, others might see these messages as propaganda or preaching at a place of business.
Again, it is all in the way a person views the messge...just choose not to patronize the business and write a letter like you did to the owner, if enough people do the same, the owner will change his ways.
Good post...this is always a hot topic in the US.