Save-A-Trip

One of the creepiest places I’ve been in period. The ceiling tiles are falling in, most of the walls are rotting away, half the dryers don’t work, the prices are much higher here than on Gallatin for some reason. The only plus is that no one is ever in there because it’s so gross. Save yourself a trip by skipping save-​a-​trip for your Eastside laundry needs.

I do my laundry here. I like it because its often completely empty except for me. Its a little cheaper than the place on gallatin by the walmart. However, there are many downsides. No TP in the bathroom. Not real clean. Half the dryers don’t work — only some are actually labelled out of order, so it’s kind of a crapshoot. The guy in the store next door will refund your quarters though. One time another patron was smoking inside the laundromat. Another time I saw a roach in here. Wtf, there’s no food in here? Darn resilient roaches. This place is real poor and real urban, like most laundromats the clientele is pretty working class, and people just wanna do their business and get outta here. In terms of «quality» my expectations are low, and this place meets my expectations. A place like this you definitely closely inspect the washer before using it, and touch the dryer door to make sure its hot. So far, nothing bad has happened to my clothes. Glad it’s quiet. I hate packed laundromats.

This place is not as bad as others think. It is extremely convenient for me and has a decent, fairly priced beer selection. It looks shady but isn’t really. Yes, sometimes it gets a little rowdy, but I’m not in fear here. I do wish I could pay for gas at the pump, though, instead of having to go inside to prepay, even with a credit card. And inside, you have to pay with cash unless it’s at some amount. Ridiculous in 2012.

I certainly don’t make a habit of doling out one-​star reviews. It sends a very strong statement. However, I have taken it upon myself to cover every place of business in East Nashville, especially in the area south of Inglewood nearest my neighborhood. I know there are lots of young 20-​something artists, musicians and full-​time servers in my neck of the woods who want to live cheap and know the best places to buy food, beer and otherwise. Well, my friends, this place is the bottom of the barrel.
On more than one occasion at Save-​A-​Trip, I have been solicited to buy drugs. Not by the employees, mind you, but by regulars hanging around out front or even in the store. I rarely feel comfortable leaving my truck at the gas pump long enough to completely fill the tank, and there are often exceptionally shady dudes hanging around nearby.
Like most little convenience marts in the area, Save-​A-​Trip has the basics: the full gamut of beers (excluding premiums), cigarettes, canned items, sodas, ice cream, chips, snacks, et cetera. The counter guys aren’t mean, but they also seem as though they’ve been robbed on more than one occasion… not exactly joyful men.
One neat thing about the Save-​A-​Trip is the small service road behind the building. If you take that, you can cut from Cahal to Porter without having to go around that drastic turn. I’d have to say that’s what I like most about the place. Look, if you really need to buy convenience store type items quickly, hit the 4-​Way Market or VIP’s place or even the Citgo down Porter. Save-​A-​Trip might… well, save you about a two minute trip. But if you stay away from the place, you just might Save-​Ur-​Self from a bad experience.