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HeroesSalem, New Hampshire

A car wash attendant's window doodles became the highlight of a boy's week

Ben Pineiro draws Mickey and Minnie on car windows at ScrubaDub in Salem. For five-year-old Liam, who has autism, that made the car wash the family's favorite outing.

Verified · Source: WMUROct 5, 2026 · 1 min read
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A small roadside car wash with a yellow sign reading Cars Wash
Illustrative photo of a car wash. This is not the ScrubaDub in Salem. Juan Emilio Prades Bel / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0

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For five-year-old Liam, who has autism, a trip through the car wash is the main event, WMUR's New Hampshire Chronicle reported on October 5, 2026. His mother, Crystal Albrecht of Pelham, said it is one of the few outings where all of her children have fun, and the family always hopes one employee is working at ScrubaDub in Salem.

That employee is Benjamin Pineiro. He greets customers, hands out treats, and draws characters like Mickey and Minnie Mouse on car windows with a marker. He said he started because some people are scared of the car wash, and he wanted to give them something to look forward to.

In May, Albrecht wrote to the company to say how much those moments meant. Staff said people in the office teared up. Pineiro hadn't known about Liam's autism. The two finally met outside the car, and Liam held his hand. "I think some people underestimate the power of being nice to someone," Pineiro said.

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