The Great Vanishing Act: What Happened to Gas Station Squeegees?

Consider this one more thing that has largely vanished from society: the humble gas station self-service squeegee for cleaning off your windshield.

These once ubiquitous bins filled with washer fluid and squeegees are now more often than not empty and dry.

And if you're reading this and just realizing, huh, that's right, you're not alone.

It's been decades since gas stations gave up on full service at the pump unless you live in New Jersey or, until recently, Oregon. In place of an attendant who would give your windshield a quick wipedown the plastic bins appeared for drivers to do their own dirty work.

But at some point in recent years many gas stations appeared to have stopped maintaining the cleaning station, a fact realized by a Reddit user who shared the observation to the Mildly Infuriating subreddit. The reason? Economics and disgust as one commenter shared:

• Thieves steal them
• Vandals break them
• Washer fluid price increases (no free wash)
• 50% or more of people throw garbage into, urinate into, or contaminate them in various ways.

And that's why we can't have nice things.

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Who steals a squeegee? Sadly, beyond basic theft, some gas station attendants claim that the unhoused will take them as use them as weapons for protection.

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As to using the washer fluid reservoir to urinate in, that's grounds for excommunication from civilization.

The "Windshield Phenomenon": Fewer Bugs, Less Need?

Or, perhaps, you aren't finding yourself in need of a windshield wash as often as you once did if you observe fewer dead insects on your car. The so-called windshield phenomenon is a noticeable decrease in the number of accumulating bugs thanks to a global decrease in insect population.

Of course in northern climes, it's not just summer bugs that call for a need to wash windshields. The salt from icy road treatments also call for very regular squeegee treatments.