The Barber Shop from Hell

Recently there was an article up for grabs from the Assignment Desk. I claimed it but didn't keep it for long. Unfortunately, after putting some thought into the topic I had to go back and release the assignment. The topic was 'barbers in your area'. It wasn't so much the fact that I don't go to a barber that I released the article. They wanted the article to be a serious guide to good barbers, not the negative piece that I would write. You will understand why in a moment....

Although my husband does not have as much hair as he did a few years ago, what he does have still needs to be cut (trimmed is more accurate!) periodically. Prior to moving to this area he tried out 3 barbers until he found one that was fairly decent and tended to show up for work on a consistent basis. He developed a rapport with the guy and even began to look forward to getting a haircut and chatting with the gentleman. Then we moved, and he had to start the process all over again.

I checked the phone book and did the usual Google search trying to find him a barber within 5 or 6 miles of this house. Low and behold we spotted a sign on the highway about 3 miles away. The sign indicated the name of the barber shop, the days open, the phone number and the final words, senior haircuts $8. But we didn't see a building, just a storage shed. Not a bad looking storage shed, it had a front porch with a rocker and a cooler chest, but still it was just a storage shed.

My husband avoided the subject of a hair cut for a few weeks. Finally after I nagged him enough he cried uncle and went to the barber operating out of a storage shed. When he came home I was as surprised as he was. He had received a very nice haircut.

Then after complimenting his hair cut he told me what the place looked like inside. Boxes and junk stacked all over, hair all over the floor from what looked like months of haircuts. Spider webs on everything. An awful smell hung in the air. It was about 97 degrees that day and of course there was no air conditioning or even a fan running. There was no sink; therefore, no hand washing went on there. I can only imagine what the combs and brushes must look like; it gives me the willies still when I think about it.

The only saving grace was that he did get a good haircut. One time and one visit only! We do have some standards and we both came to the conclusion that there must be better places to get your hair cut than in a storage shed. Mr. Greenhill has moved on to another actual barber shop. It is owned and operated by a woman, there is no junk lying around and she is friendly, upbeat and clean. She's a little further out in the country, but she's worth the trip. He gets a good haircut and I don't have to bug him (or de-bug him!) as often - which is a bonus for both of us!

It is not uncommon to see John Deere tractors driving down the main roads, nor unusual to see people riding in the back of pick-up trucks. Men in bib overalls don't cause a double take. But If you are ever in Cleveland, TN and need a hair cut, avoid the storage shed barber we refer to as the Barber from Hell!

Source:

Mr. Greenhill