re: GMT Happy Saturday

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FORT LAUDERDALE — At the Hands On carwash, the all-female staff removes more than tar spots and bug stains. For $20, the young ladies will drop their bikini tops and lather your Lincoln, or whatever vehicle you happen to drive. ''We did 20-something cars the other day. And it was raining,'' said owner David Souza. Sunny days bring in as many as 50 cars, he said. Hands On is the latest landmark in Broward County's ever-changing topless topography, which has featured nude nightclubs, a topless doughnut shop, topless check-cashing service and a hair salon where the stylists work in lingerie. Souza, 36, opened his car wash in January. He banked on an all-female staff of bikini-clad sponge-pushers to drum up business. The exposure brought him exposure - newspaper and TV crews. But the novelty soon sagged. ''Things started to get slow, so I decided to go topless to pump things up,'' he said. Business was bumper-to-bumper when Hands On went topless two weeks ago. And the news crews came back for updates. The topless scrubbing and buffing is done behind tarpaulins to block the view from the street and ensure compliance with city ordinances banning public nudity. Customers are expected to keep an eye on the employees, but at Hands On, it's strictly hands off. Drivers must be 18 and remain in their vehicle during the topless treatment. And a minimum $5 tip is required. Debbi Tripp has no designs on becoming a centerfold, but she said she prefers working as a topless car washer to her prior career as a cocktail waitress. ''Usually we have a dynamite clientele,'' she bubbled. ''Being downtown, we get a lot of professional people, judges, lawyers and doctors.'' Between wash jobs, the 20-women staff works on its collective tan, lounging in beach chairs and even spreading towels on the pavement.

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