SF Bay Area/northern Calif: wash your cars!

[Scott Fisher <sefisher@domain.elided>]

Those of us who had the misfortune to be parked outdoors during
Wednesday's downpour here in the Bay Area were all, I'm sure, appalled
by the big splashes of what looked like diluted India ink left on our
cars after the sudden thundershower.

In the event that you haven't heard yet: the black rain was the result
of a tire fire in the town of Westley, in the central Valley. 
Apparently, the state's largest tire trash heap ("ooooh, Marge, let's go
see that after we see the world's largest snot ball in Coalinga!")
caught fire Wednesday after a lightning strike.  Gonna burn for a year,
they say.  

There's some concern that the rubber smoke and water can form a caustic
compound that will quickly deteriorate the paint finish on your cars. 
If you haven't yet done so, wash your Alfa now.  Get rid of the gunk
before it ruins the paint.  It does wash off -- I ran my Spider through
the drive-through car wash on the way to work this morning, toweled it
dry afterwards, and the splotches came off (I'll atone for this
slap-dash approach by doing a full polish before the All Italian Day). 
I don't know what effect it may have on the fabric of the top, I suppose
that'll only show up over time.

Oh, and the smoke is apparently toxic too.  Whee.

- --Scott Fisher
  Sunnyvale, California

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