Damage on vehicle by window washer costs R5 000

Motorist Melvyn Greenberg said, “The window washer kicked in the side door of my Prado at the corner of Katherine Street and Marlboro Drive in Sandton when I asked him to stop washing my window.”

Greenberg said the quote for the damage would have cost him R5 000, but fortunately insurance paid out the full amount.

“The damage has affected the movement of the wipers, and the opening mechanism of the door and there is an obvious dent,” explained Greenberg.

Another motorist, Nicolette Holshausen had a similar incident but with a street beggar at the intersection of South Road and Edison Street in Sandton.

She was approached by a man begging for money. “I told him that I was unable to help, then he got extremely aggressive and he hit the side of my car with his hand on the driver’s side and dragged his hand to the back of my car,” explained Holshausen.

She only realised the next morning that the beggar had actually scratched her car from the front door all the way to the back. “He was obviously holding something sharp when he hit my car,” she added.

“Soon motorists are going to retaliate and one of these youngsters are going to be run over or killed,” added Greenberg. He complained that when vendors wanted to earn an honest living on the side of the roads the Metro police confiscated their livelihood. “But these youngsters are criminals and they are dishonest and nothing is being done about them,” said Greenberg referring to the window washers.

Metro police spokesperson Wayne Minnaar said when there were incidents such as these, the complainant must go and open a criminal case with the police.

“Motorists need to stop giving beggars and window washers money,” added Minnaar. “If people stop giving them money, they will stop being there.”

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