Car wash attendant cheers up boy with autism

For most families, a trip to the car wash is just another errand. For 5-year-old Liam, it is the main event.

Liam has autism, and his mother, Crystal Albrecht, co-founder of the Albrecht Foundation, said finding an activity all her children enjoy can be difficult. ScrubaDub in Salem, New Hampshire, has become one of the family’s favorite destinations.

“When we first started doing this, it was just a way to get out of the house,” Albrecht said. “Having a son with autism, it’s really difficult to find a place that we could go where everybody would have fun. This became one of those spots.”

The children pile into the car, Albrecht grabs a coffee, and the family heads to the car wash hoping one employee in particular is working.

His name is Benjamin Pineiro, but the family knows him as Ben.

Pineiro greets customers, hands out treats, and uses a marker to draw characters such as Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse on vehicle windows. The colorful creations give children something to enjoy before entering the car wash.

“While working here, I realized some people are scared of the car wash,” Pineiro said. “I just wanted to give them something to look forward to while they’re here.”

For Liam and his family, Pineiro’s drawings and friendly greetings have become a meaningful part of each visit.

“It truly touches my heart, to the point where I felt so compelled to write something and send something in,” Albrecht said. “It sits with me even after we leave.”

In May, Albrecht wrote to ScrubaDub to explain how much Pineiro’s kindness meant to her family.

“The small gestures may seem minor during the course of a busy workday, but for families like ours, they are not small at all,” she wrote. “They create moments of happiness and connection that stay with us long after we leave.”

Her message had an emotional impact on ScrubaDub’s staff.

“We were tearing up in the office,” said Alex Paisner, the company’s director of people and culture. “We had a couple of people crying.”

Paisner’s grandparents founded ScrubaDub in 1966. He said stories such as Liam and Pineiro’s reflect the kind of customer service the family-owned business strives to provide.

“On the surface level, it’s tough to be passionate about washing cars,” Paisner said. “To be able to change lives by making that positive impact on people is fantastic.”

Pineiro said he did not know about Liam’s autism or understand how much his actions meant to the family until he learned about Albrecht’s message.

“It made me feel really good,” he said.

Until recently, Pineiro and Liam had known each other only through a car window. The two finally met face to face during one of the family’s visits.

“I think you’re my favorite customer I’ve ever had,” Pineiro told Liam.

Pineiro said seeing Liam outside the vehicle was special, particularly when the boy held his hand.

“We don’t share words all the time,” Pineiro said. “I’m glad he feels safe with me here.”

For Pineiro, it takes only two minutes, a marker and a little extra care to turn an ordinary errand into something extraordinary.

“I think some people underestimate the power of being nice to someone,” he said.

Albrecht hopes the story reminds others that even brief moments of kindness can have a lasting effect.

“You never know what’s going on in the car,” she said. “You never know what that smile or that acknowledgment might do for somebody.”

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