Where are All The Female Mechanics?
by Women and Mechanics: The Never Ending Struggle. You would think that by the 21st century, in a progressive, western, free thinking country that women could be treated with a modicum of dignity and respect when dealing with mechanics. Well, I would like to think so. I even go in hopeful, every time I need something fixed on my car. Every time.
Almost every time, I leave angry and disappointed because I wasn’t listened to, someone tried to over charge me (I say tried, because it is hard to over charge an angry bitch), or I was treated like an idiot.
I don’t make my husband deal with car problems or issues. If my car needs fixing in a way that I simply can’t do myself, I talk to the mechanic, not my husband. If my oil needs changed, I change it or take it in. If a filter needs changed I change it or take it in. I change the wiper blades, I top off the fluids, I air up the tires-all the little things that keep a car going. But I can’t fix the car when it breaks. Like most women of my era I didn’t take shop class that involved car mechanics. As a matter of fact my class in high school was the first class of ‘girls’ allowed to take shop at all, and only because we showed a little solidarity and refused to go into home-ec, which was the other choice. When we took shop, they ‘dumbed it down’ for us, and we did nothing with the internal combustion engine. I regret that. A lot.
If I could fix my own car, I would. Part of that is my own issue, as I am unwilling to take the time at this point in my life to learn how the engine or transmission on my car works, more than I do now. I know enough to be bossy about it when the car breaks and that is part of the problem.
When I take my car in to be fixed I generally have an idea what is wrong with it, or at least somewhere in the ball park. If a mechanic suggests something completely different from what I am thinking, my mind immediately says “This guy is trying to take advantage of me.” And it is always a guy. Always. Where are all of the female mechanics? They have to exist somewhere.
I have come to the conclusion that American society isn’t kind to the female mechanic. I remember this movie called ‘My Cousin Vinny’. Great flick with Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei. The Tomei character knew cars, everything about cars, but she ended up having to ‘prove it’ in court, because she couldn’t possibly be an expert as she was a woman. Maybe that’s why I can’t find a female mechanic. She would have to prove it in court and it just isn’t worth it.
I just want a mechanic that I can trust, that won’t immediately see me and start to see dollar signs. I had one years ago in Lincoln, Nebraska. He was honest, and always tried to do his best for a poor college student who had very little money and needed her car for work and school. That was eighteen years ago. He graduated from college and quit being a mechanic. It’s not so much that I need to have a woman mechanic, I just want one who sees me as a person, not as a woman who can’t possibly interested or know anything at all about cars. I know they are out there, but why do they have to be so hard to find?
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Post CommentMr Ghaz
On September 14, 2009 at 3:00 am
Great article and a very enjoyable reading..Very informative too..I LIKED it! Thanks for sharing this magnificent infos..Keep it up ann.
Daisy Peasblossom
On September 14, 2009 at 7:23 am
Excellent article, as always Annie. I agree, one should not get charged for spark plugs when the problem is with the brakes. I tried being my own auto mechanic in my early twenties, and gave it up as a bad job. I did learn enough to describe my wheels ailments and to read the tickets carefully. In my experience, the parts are large and very dirty. Since I am small, that’s two strikes against my being an auto mechanic. Computers are so much more manageable.
Judy Sheldon
On September 14, 2009 at 7:20 pm
When I went to school I fell in love with wood shop class but was only allowed to take one term. We were not even allowed to step foot in the auto mechanics class. We might miss something up or get hurt?
Then one day while I was waiting for my car to be repaired at a shop I happened to be standing unbeknown behind a mechanic as he spoke to another customer. I heard him shake his head towards my vehicle and say “If all my customers were women, I could retire in five years!”
I love your article. Take care & God bless.
Bo Jack
On September 15, 2009 at 1:43 am
Good for you Annie.
auto repair
On September 25, 2009 at 11:22 pm
As a woman I feel like I have an “S” for sucker on my forehead when I go to a mechanic. I finally found a reliable mechanic in the LA area in Torrance who specializes in Honda and Acura’s, who treats me as an equal. He has an online coupon at http://www.localadlink.com/details/14450453/auto-repair-dans-shop.htm
Kerryann Vernon
On September 28, 2009 at 1:26 pm
Hiya…well here i am….the female mechanic your looking for!!! unfortunatly i live in Bedford- England so thats not very helpful for either of us!
I qualified as a level 2 mechanic in college and was one of the only girls there. Once you’ve done your level 2 you want to move onto your level 3 but you have to have a work placement. Guess what…No one would employ me (as i’m female) and i couldn’t continue. It’s heartbreaking.
I still dabble at the weekends and i’m lucky as my partner is now a fully qualified mechanic at vauxhall so he’s trying to teach me more but it’s not the same.
I’m now stuck doing a job that i don’t want to do (receptionist) and it’s crazy because i know i can be a good mechanic. I’ve been trying to get a job for nearly 4 years now and have finally realised that the only way i’m gonna get there is to open my own business…how hard is that going to be when i don’t have enough practical experience? And we’ve got a mortgage so i can’t survive on the odd job here and there!
Any suggestions?
Annie Hintsala
On September 28, 2009 at 3:05 pm
Kerryann, that sucks! My only suggestion is to keep plugging away on trying to get a job doing what you love. It constantly amazes me that in the 21st century in a country that touts its own progressive nature we are still having to fight for our rights! Crazy.
Lee Ness
On October 6, 2009 at 1:47 pm
Hi,
I adore this article. I am Mechanical Designer for a Pharmacutical company making capping machines using Solidworks 3D computer aid design software. Yes, there needs more women in the car shops and building and construction and engineering.
Lovely Lee Ness
Peter Cimino
On October 7, 2009 at 10:46 am
Nicely done. You may inspire a few women to go in this direction! Good for you for dealing with your car and knowing so much. That’s awesome
Trish
On November 26, 2009 at 4:49 am
As a woman going into mechanics I just want to say that it is going to be hard for us to find jobs but when we do the industry will change for the better!
Mobile Auto Repair
On December 15, 2009 at 1:27 am
Agreed. I think woman would feel more comfortable taking their car to a female mechanic. It used to be most doctors where men. Now that’s absolutely not the case. The same can happen in the auto repair industry.
Melinda
On January 23, 2010 at 12:54 pm
Well, technically I’m not a mechanic yet, but I’m working on it. My name is Melinda and I’m currently attending Universal Technical Institute, one of the most respected automotive schools in the US. And I can tell you all right now that there ARE other girls out there who are interested in this field. Not many though. I’m probably one of about a dozen girls in my entire school.
I struggle every day at school, but I’m beginning to discover that it’s not so much the recent generation of males that think women are incapable, it’s the old men who’ve been doing it all their lives. And I have to say, I think the main problem is that women generally come off as stupid about vehicles because, well….they are. When you don’t make it a point to know the inner workings of something you use on a daily basis you run the risk of looking ignorant. In my personal opinion, everybody–woman or not–should know how to do basic maintenance on their own vehicle.
I decided to become a mechanic after a particular incident where me, my mother, and my two sisters were stuck at a fast food restaurant with an overheating mazda. The sight of four women standing around a steaming engine must have brought about three different men over, and I highly doubt they knew anymore about engines than we did.
The only way we’re going to see more women in the automotive field, is if more girls give it a chance. Oftentimes, it is too quickly dismissed by females who haven’t even considered how interesting and truly amazing their car is. So, in the end, it’s not just the fault of chauvinistic men, but the short-sightedness of many women.
Stephanie
On April 8, 2010 at 2:51 am
Same here, I’m a graduate from Uti, I have an associates degree in automotive, I’m also a certified ford technician. I don’t have that much experience and everytime I apply somewhere they don’t consider me because I don’t have experience. How do they expect women like us to get experience if they don’t give us a chance. I’m just asking for one chance. I love cars, it’s unfair that just because we’re females we can’t be part of the automotive/repair industry.
Bogi Lateiner
On June 5, 2010 at 6:47 pm
Hi!
My name is Bogi and I am a female mechanic in Phoenix, Arizona.
I have been a mechanic for ten years full time and now own my own auto repair shop that employees mostly women.
I got into auto repair becuase I didn’t want to get taken advantage of… and than I fell in love with it and attended UTI and have not looked back since.
There is an increasing number of female mecanic, and female owned shops across the country – but we are by far still the minority.
I am right now looking for another female mechanic to hire, I’d prefer experience but I do have a position for an inexperienced entry level tech that I keep open for female students or recent tech school grads – it is filled at the moment however she will be graduating school soon and leaving the area.
If you are female mechanic and have interest in working for a female owned and operated shop – please contact me! And even if you’re not looking for a job, I’m always happy to talk to other female mechanics and swap stories, or be able to give an encouraging word to somene just starting out.
I’d love to hear from you!
Bogi Lateiner
180 Degrees Automotive
bogi@180auto.com
T.louise.E
On December 2, 2011 at 2:24 pm
heyya im a 14 year old spanish english and welsh speaking, straight Astar female student who wants to become a car mechanic, every 1 tells me i will never make it because i am to smart. However i am not going to give up i will become a car mechanic. My life plan is to finish school, go to collage and university, go to the army for a maximum of 10 years then move to spain to own and run my very own garage. Personaly i think we are in desperate need of more female machanics i totally agree !!! x