Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi residents are crying foul over damages inflicted on their cars at the shopping malls.
Ahmad, an Abu Dhabi resident who did not reveal his full name, claimed his car was scratched in a basement parking lot in a popular mall last Wednesday after he had refused a car cleaner.
“A car cleaner asked me if my car needed cleaning and I declined and went inside the mall. He was visibly upset. When I returned to the parking an hour later, I was shocked to find a scratch on my vehicle,” he said.
The man said he did not want to point fingers at anyone, but the mall management should check surveillance cameras in the parking lot to catch the culprits.
Social media
Another resident S.A. recently took to social media to express anger about her car being scratched in the parking lot of another mall.
“I was parking underground at the mall and one of the car cleaners was directing me to where I could park. He asked me if he could wash the car and I politely declined. A short while later, I went back to my car and found a long scratch on the hood,” the resident posted on an online forum.
Many other motorists on the forum responded saying they had similar experiences and the scratches seemed deliberate.
Cleaning companies have workers who service cars in the basement parking lots of most shopping malls.
These workers can be seen chasing cars and helping motorists find empty parking spaces before offering their cleaning services. They charge Dh25 to Dh30 for a wash.
Residents said the help from the cleaners is not always welcome.
“I am a good driver and my car has sensors. I don’t need their help to park my car. They somehow make it obligatory that I use their service,” said Krishnakumar, an irked resident.
Bread and butter
Car cleaners XPRESS spoke to said they are doing their job and do not mean to upset people. “We do ask motorists whether they want their cars cleaned. It is a matter of our bread and butter,” said a Bangladeshi cleaner.
Another cleaner said he washes eight to 10 cars a day and he gets a small commission on each car.
“We also try to help people find parking. We have no complaints if they don’t pay heed,” he said.
