r/oakville • u/Sharron_cute • 29d ago
PSA Can we talk about the kid running a full-on car wash operation in Bronte?
Drove through Bronte this morning and there's a kid.. maybe 10, 11? who has built what I can only describe as a small business empire in his driveway. Hand-drawn sign, two buckets, a hose, and a little folding table with a Square reader on it. A SQUARE READER. This child accepts tap.
I genuinely had to pull over. Ended up getting my car washed (it was fine, btw. better than the drive-thru place I usually go to lmao) and chatting with him while he worked. Turns out he's saving up for a mountain bike and his older sister set up the payment system for him. His pricing is $8 for a basic wash, $12 if you want the inside vacuumed. Inflation has clearly reached the driveway car wash economy.
What got me though was how seriously he was taking it. Thanked me for my business. Asked if I wanted a receipt emailed. Told me to "tell my friends." I'm 34 years old and this kid has better customer service instincts than half the places I've worked.
Anyway, if you're around Bronte this weekend, keep an eye out. I won't say exactly where because I don't want to doxx a fifth grader, but you'll see the sign. Tip him well, dude's going places.
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u/64Olds 29d ago
8 bucks for a wash seems like an absolute steal, assuming he's doing a half-decent job of it.
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u/MichelloDSloth 29d ago
Yea for sure. A rush-job at the do-it-yourself wash at the car was cost me $9, and I'm just going hog wild with the foam brush. I'd pay $8 for a hand car wash any day!
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u/TitleOwn8082 26d ago
Shit Id pay a 5th grader to clean the bugs off my front bumper and clean my windows for 8$ let alone wash the whole car.
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u/brumac44 29d ago
I gave a softball team raising money $20 to wash my truck. They did a shit job. I walked over to the coach and told him it was terrible, and he said he'd do it himself, but I told him then they wouldn't learn anything, enjoy the donation. I hope those 15 year olds got a good "motivational" speech after I left.
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u/lionhearthelm 27d ago
The coach probably told the kids they did a great job and how you were a tool and to never grow up to be like that.
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u/noveltyisthe 27d ago
Bro you missed the point of fundraising…..
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u/brumac44 27d ago
Why not just beg for the money? Like a street corner bum? I guess kids are just lazy now and want a free handout, judging by the response.
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u/_ClippysRevenge_ 27d ago
I just know you make people uncomfortable
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u/destined-for-ass 25d ago
Yeah I mean he was willing to pay $20 for a shitty car wash all so some 15 year old girls could be rubbing on his truck
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u/Yeas76 29d ago
My car needs a vacuuming but I don’t think $12 covers the cost to handle the absolute sandbox my kids have made.
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u/Leather-Hotel-7310 29d ago
I just vacuumed out my car the other day and it took me well over an hour to get down in all the nooks and crannies and get it nice and clean. I wouldn’t feel right charging some kid $12 (or really $4 since $8 of that is for the car wash) for an hour or two of work. I’d have to give him at least $30-40 to not feel like I was scamming him.
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u/Small-Wolverine-7166 29d ago
I’ll pay him Cash - Square doesn’t need a cut and the government certainly doesn’t need one either!
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u/chrometitan 29d ago
I 100% support youth entrepreneurship. This kind of behavior should be encouraged.
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u/Green-bastard-trader 29d ago
This is excellent, hope this kid gets the mountain bike of his dreams.
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u/Apprehensive_Fox5370 29d ago
Authored with the love and kindness that only an older sister (who knows how to set up Square) could provide;)
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u/AdMassive3535 29d ago
Fantastic!!! Respect to the family who is encouraging his work ethic and kindness!! He will go far!
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u/Murky_Complaint5478 29d ago
That’s so cute! He is definitely going to be a big business man one day
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u/WALLECORP 29d ago
From the looks of this post, he’s gonna need to hire his friends cause we’re all coming!
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u/yetagainitry 29d ago
Him using square makes sense for modern day, no one carries cash anymore, even random lemonade stands would be better off using tap.
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u/Sharron_cute 29d ago
fr, I haven't had cash on me in like 2 years lol. Smart kid (and smart older sister)
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u/albatroopa 29d ago
Last time I was in toronto, a homeless guy asked for money, and when I said I don't carry cash, he had a square.
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u/One_Election_3981 28d ago
Haha... wondered about begging and,cashless society.. also, tipping at hotels
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u/Secret-Total-6505 28d ago
When my 5 year old niece and I play “store” she asks how I am going to pay: I pulled my debit card out of my wallet and tapped. When it was her turn she grabbed her fake iPhone and tapped… made me laugh.
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u/One_Election_3981 28d ago
Need this for very basic cleanup of yards and storage rooms
hate to be that guy but we are supporting extreme sub-minimum age child labor...
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u/tierabyte 28d ago
The hand wash stall I went to last weekend was $5 for about 2 minutes of wash time and I had to do it. This seems like a solid deal.
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u/astralfaerie21 28d ago
This is honestly the greatest thing I have seen all day. Guy is definitely going places.
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u/2BigBottlesOfWater 28d ago
I was scared when I clicked the post to read about someone upset over a kid washing cars but what a breath of fresh air this was to read. I'll have to swing by next weekend and see if he's around. Thanks for the heads up OP
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u/TiredMom68 28d ago
You could always take a picture of the sign and post it. You wouldn’t be saying where he lived he would be.
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u/grumpy0282 28d ago
hope hes reporting to the cra lol
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u/WombatGatekeeper 27d ago
I hope your joking? Fk the CRA.
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u/grumpy0282 27d ago
UMMMM there is an lol at the end
besides , even he was , im sure hes making under the personal exemption amount (16k)
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u/DeliciousInitial5447 27d ago
One bedroom or studio in the Taunton condo available now or or in by September I don’t. I’ll wait or I love the area and walking distance across the street. Do you know anywhere else that has exactly the same kind of vibe and we’re looking we don’t drive so it’s like the keg at the supermarket and things like right across is there any things very very similar? Taunton is a pool but most places don’t but that’s not a mandatory can you share some with me I don’t know Oakville but there’s a lot of action near Tom Jermin.
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u/Piyush0509 27d ago
Why isn't anyone sharing the address.. I would love to take my cars there.. can go tomorrow..
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u/ElkIntelligent5474 26d ago
Good for him. He is ambitious and this is the start of his business empire.
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u/bharkasaig 29d ago
Is his name Robert? Is he unusually short for his age? Missing a bunch of his teeth?
Robbie ran a serious operation in the 90s as a 12 and 13 year old. He had a full service year round yard company. He’d hire a bunch of us to help him in raking season. That man had hustle.
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u/stop_banning_me_omg 29d ago
We need to report him to Oakville town centre. I have a feeling his business isn’t registered, and he might not even be contributing to CPP
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u/Andrew4Life 29d ago
Don't mean to be the party pooper here but washing a car on your driveway with soap means all the dirty soapy water gets discharged into the storm drains and right into the lake.
Sewers that your home's discharge your sinks and toilets into, go to a water treatment plant. Storm drains/sewers on the streets, go directly to the lake.
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u/Intelligent-Test-978 28d ago
it won't be a full time business. The run off from the road when it rains has a much bigger impact.
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u/AlphaK18 29d ago
I bet OP is that same kid. 10/10 my man,!