Those photos showing how low the water level is at Falls Lake are pretty convincing -- there's a water shortage. If you tell me we need to conserve water, I'm down with the program.

But there's one part of the new restrictions that bugs me: The part that says, "Vehicles may be washed only at professional vehicle washing establishments."

In other words, I can't wash my car in my driveway -- something I do to save money.

OK, I'll be honest; Every weekend I say I'm going to wash my car and I never get around to it. I usually end up taking it to one of those "professional vehicle washing establishments."

But that should be my choice. I have the right to procrastinate for four weekends in a row before finally taking my car to a professional car wash.

I asked Dale Crisp, director of the city's Public Utilities Department, whether the added cost of washing one's car in a professional establishment had been considered when the regulations were drawn up. He did not recall that point being debated.

Crisp allowed that I might have an argument but pointed out that the cost of water is not free to homeowners, and that when you take your vehicle to a car wash you do save on the cost of the water you would use at home.

I asked if I could at least go to the cheap car washes -- the kind where you stick quarters in a slot -- and he said I could. But he said that in the second phase of the restrictions, only certain car washing businesses that are certified by the city for using a lot of recycled water would be allowed.

"We're trying to conserve water," Crisp said in a tone of voice that seemed to plead for understanding. Washing cars with hoses, the way the average person does it, is "the worst case scenario" in terms of water waste, he said.

Man, if these restrictions didn't give me an excuse to be lazy, I'd be pretty upset.