NASSAU, BAHAMAS – After building a loyal clientele in the Mackey Street area for more than 40 years, the Valley Boys Car Wash has been slapped with an eviction notice and were recently warned to vacate the area that is not only a business but is also considered to be a ‘home away from home’ for those who assemble there.
Roderick Moxey, one of several persons in charge of the Valley Boys Car Wash, said he has hired scores of young men from the Mackey Street community throughout the years and the eviction notice has left many without a clue of their next step.
According to Moxey, the car wash used to sit on the grounds of the Free National Movement’s headquarters on Mackey Street, but since the party has been in office, they were allegedly pushed to sit on the outskirts of the headquarters’ gates, leaving them to wash only 2-3 cars at a time or use a vacant lot across the street.
“Let’s bring this [eviction] to a stop now so we can help others because when we leave here we leave with nothing,” Moxey said.
“Look around you, we have guys with broken legs who are washing cars here. Not everyone is book smart or went to college, but this what many of us love to do. These guys come to work and they need to carry home an extra $30 or $50 to their family,”
Moxey said there was a time when they could wash more than 10-13 cars at a time, but since being relocated, they have lost more than 85 per cent of their clientele.
“Now the [FNM] headquarters has put up four bulletins that read, ‘private property, no car washing,’” Moxey said.
One of Moxey’s clients, who did not want to be identified, explained that moving to another location would not serve the same purpose.
“This car wash has been a staple for the neighbourhood,” the client said. “This is convenient for persons who have been coming here all these years. These guys were around from my mom’s time, and she’s now 80, they’re not causing any havoc so just leave them alone.”
And while Moxey admits that they have no reason to be morally upset, considering it is not their property, he admitted that he wished that the FNM would have assisted them, rather than push them aside.
Vincent Williams, another owner of the car wash, expressed that their clients are from all walks of life and the car wash offers a place of comradery.
Meanwhile Eyewitness News Online contacted Free National Movement chairman Carl Culmer yesterday, but he declined to comment.
