The Idiot...

The washing machine finally gave up the ghost last weekend and, as our new one doesn’t arrive until next week, I ventured to our local laundrette as soon as it opened to do a few loads.

The sign at the place said it opened at 6.30am so I arrived at 6.25am to find the door closed and locked. Fortunately I was feeling quite chilled (I actually imagined myself to be some type of UN missionary doing a good deed for needy folk plagued by dirty clothes) but as the clock passed 7.00am and nobody else was still present I started to imagine hurting whoever was delaying me getting to the washing machines by not coming and opening the place up…

Then a little old woman hunched over a shopping trolley came slowly pootling towards me and enquired if it was open.

‘No. It’s shut…’ I offered as way of explanation as to why I’d been sitting on top of two large bags of dirty washing.

Then Ninja-like she struck the door near the locks and it flew open. I looked stunned.

‘It sometimes gets stuck…’ she offered as she pootled in.

In my defence it never occurred to me that the door was on a timer and it could be opened with a firm shove and that it could also get stuck.

Sadly all I could hear was the voice of the missus as I filled the washing machines while Ninja-laundry woman looked on.

It told me I was an idiot. And I wouldn’t disagree…