Difficulties that result when
large numbers of people who do their
laundry very rarely have to compete for a small number of
washers and dryers, half of which are non-functional at any given time. Sometimes, the heat of
battle is increased by the presence of the '
free dryer.' In common practice, laundry wars involve nothing more than trying to find a
machine (of either sort). When all the machines are full, some people will take
dry clothes out of a
dryer that has stopped, or put
clean clothes from a
washing machine into an empty dryer.
Past this point, it gets
dirty..
Escalation 1: Taking newly-washed clothes out and putting them somewhere other than a dryer.
Escalation 2: Removing clothes from either a washer or dryer before the
cycle has finished, in order to a) gain a machine or b) gain a machine and the majority of a cycle,
free.
Escalation 3:
Stalking. Waiting in the
laundry room for someone to put a load in and leave
specifically in order to
steal their machine and the washing/drying
time they
paid for.
Additional tactics: Stealing
soap,
stealing clothes, sitting on top of a dryer that is not in use waiting for your clothes to finish
washing and
glaring menacingly at anyone who attempts to make use of the dryer beneath you. (Most people won't even try it. Especially if your legs are dangling down.)
I have never participated in the laundry wars, for I am a
pacifist.