Window washers a blight on Northland's landscape for tourists and residents alike

Window washers are basically beggars, writes Craig Cooper.

Many Northlanders will be familiar with the sense of "I'm home" when they drive over the Brynderwyn Hills and look down and out to Bream Bay and Whangarei Heads.

Sadly, this summer there was another view that reminded me I was back in unique territory.
And it didn't fill me with a sense of place, or pride.

Driving along Kamo Rd, and at the intersection with State Highway 1, there they were, about 10 window washers begging.

I say "begging" because I still can't think of a better way of describing the demanding of money for such a non-essential service.

After a week out of Whangarei, seeing them again reminded me what a blight they are on Northland.

They serve no practical purpose, and it's a bad look for the region - a sight that every tourist who has driven north this summer will have seen.

Motorists have a right to stop at an intersection and not be hassled.

The reality is that if you don't want to be hassled, you have to take the initiative and observe where the washers are and make sure they see your "no" hand signal.

Because staring straight ahead and ignoring them usually results in one of them swooping in and pouring water on your car.

Enterprising young people who should be admired for having the motivation to get out there and make a few honest few dollars?

There's nothing to be admired about enterprising young people who make throat cutting gestures to people taking their photographs.

Or obscene gestures to motorists who aren't in the camp that admire them for their entrepreneurial spirit.

Hopefully they vanish now that schools go back, and we won't see them again next summer because the New Zealand Transport Agency fills the loophole that allows them to get away with their game.

We need to come up with some means of stopping them, before one of them gets run over.

Accidentally, of course.