Some people prefer using self-service car washes instead of ones staffed with employees. That’s what a Pennsylvania woman chose when she went to Waynesboro Water Works Car Wash. What she didn’t expect, however, was to end up trapped inside for nearly an hour.
In a video she later shared, the woman documented the unsettling situation from inside the car wash. The lights were off, the rolling door refused to open, and her car hadn’t even been rinsed. It quickly became clear that she was stuck.
She tried pressing the emergency button and calling the car wash’s emergency number, but no one responded. When that failed, she left her phone recording and began pounding on the door with her fists, repeatedly calling out, “Hello.” She even attempted to lift the door herself, but that didn’t work either.
The video captured her growing frustration as she realized she was completely trapped with no immediate way out.
The Pennsylvania woman continued trying to escape the car wash, but nothing worked. She attempted to open another door inside the facility, only to find that it was locked as well. That’s when panic started to set in. She knelt by the door again and called out, hoping someone passing by might hear her. “Hello? Can you let me out please?” she pleaded. Unfortunately, no one was around.
At one point, she thought she saw the shadow of someone’s feet outside the door. She rushed over and begged, “Don’t leave,” but once again, no one was there. After several more failed attempts to get help, a police officer and the owner of the car wash finally arrived and were able to get her out.
Once she was safely outside, the woman was able to laugh about the situation. The officer and the owner seemed to find humor in it as well, laughing along with her after the ordeal ended.
She later posted another video providing additional context and responding to comments. Some viewers pointed out that there was a red emergency lever inside the car wash that she could have pulled. She explained that she didn’t know what the lever was for at the time. Others criticized her for filming instead of calling the police, prompting her to clarify that she did call the police first and only began recording afterward.
She said she decided to film because her sister advised her to document everything in case she or her car was damaged. In the end, the car wash apologized and gave her several gift cards to make up for the experience, bringing the frightening situation to a much lighter conclusion.
People Reacting to the Pennsylvania Woman Getting Stuck Inside a Car Wash
Many people sympathized with the Pennsylvania woman after watching her video, with some imagining how they would have reacted in her place. “I’m having anxiety just watching this,” one person admitted. Another joked, “Hell, after about 10 minutes I would’ve driven through the door.”
Others questioned whether she should have contacted authorities sooner. “Have you thought about using your phone to call someone instead of making a video?” one person asked. She responded by clarifying the timeline of events, writing, “Correct. It was about 15-ish minutes after I realized I was stuck in there… AFTER I tried all the doors, honking my horn, pressing buttons, calling the business number listed on Google, and calling the number on the emergency sign, I called the police.”
Her explanation helped many viewers better understand the situation and why she chose to document what was happening while trying to get help.
Some people suggested that the Pennsylvania woman should sue over the incident, but others quickly questioned that idea. “Just curious to those who said sue??? What exactly are you going to sue for??? It sounds like everything was handled to the best of their ability??” one person wrote.
The woman herself responded, shutting down the suggestion. “Absolutely correct, nothing bad happened. I was not harmed, my vehicle was not damaged, the owner is an awesome person and was so sincerely apologetic, we all got a good laugh from it when I was let out. No harm, no foul. A lawsuit never once crossed my mind, but I guess that’s the difference in people’s mindsets,” she explained.
She made it clear that the owner handled the situation appropriately and treated her with kindness, making legal action unnecessary.
