In recent months, Denver drivers have increasingly noticed window washers at busy intersections throughout the city. Groups of men with squeegees and water bottles approach cars waiting at stoplights, offering to clean windshields.
The Denver Police Department (DPD) has stated that this practice is illegal. To address the issue, DPD began distributing flyers a few months ago to educate those engaging in window washing. The flyers, written in Spanish, highlight the dangers and illegality of the activity with headlines that read: “The Risks of Cleaning Windshields: It is dangerous, it is illegal.”
Despite the flyers, some drivers, like Carol Rykiel, report continued encounters with aggressive window washers. Rykiel recounted a recent experience at the intersection of Alameda and Santa Fe, where she was approached by an insistent washer. When she politely declined in Spanish, the washer became angry and slammed his squeegee and water bottle against her windshield, causing her to feel unsafe for the first time in such an encounter.
Rykiel expressed support for the entrepreneurial spirit of these individuals but voiced concerns about the safety of both drivers and window washers. She advises other drivers to turn on their windshield wipers as a non-confrontational way to indicate that they do not want their windshields cleaned.
The DPD is aware that window washing continues and is investigating any complaints. The department emphasizes the risks involved and continues efforts to curb the practice for the safety of all parties involved.
