There's a Fish in Your Bill: SPU Sends Coupons, Has an Awesome Mascot
This is Bert, on his coupon. Courtesy of SPU.
When your car becomes grimy beyond all reason, there are a few choices for how to deal with it: do it yourself in your driveway or on your street, drive through somewhere and enjoy the thrill of soapy water cascading over your windshield or find a group of high school cheerleaders/gymnasts/future podiatrists raising money in a parking lot and let them wash it (poorly) for you. But two out of three of these options, Seattle Public Utilities says, contaminate the water supply, by allowing waxes, soaps and other chemicals straight into the storm drain.
Unfortunately, SPU doesn't have 17 year olds in Soffe shorts to lure prospective drivers in, so they've gone with the next best thing: a salmon in a letterman jacket, on a coupon, slipped in with your bill.
Bert the Salmon, who looks like a hook-nosed Marty McFly, is apparently the mascot for Seattle Public Utilities' Saving Water Partnership. And his friendly (?) face is now gracing coupons for half off any Puget Sound Car Wash Association location, subtly nestled next to your most recent SPU bill.
Of course, driving your car to get it washed environmentally does feel like lipstick on a salmon. But, if you're going to wash your car and drive it, too, you may as well do right by the Earth on one of those fronts. And if you don't drive, you can just enjoy the delight that Bert the Salmon brings to your bill (and warm feeling of knowing that you're not polluting, anyway.)
