Author Topic: He saw me coming..... (Read 4212 times)

Serenity · « **on:** January 26, 2007, 10:57:31 PM »

sometimes I wonder when I have to go to a mechanics or anything to do with my car or to the puter guy, they take one look and see SUCKER tatooed on my head. Is it because I"m a female or is it just because they see the dollar sign flashing before their eyes at the prospect of ripping another poor misguided fool off?... I go with one thing wrong then suddenely theres 20 things and a huge bill.
Perhaps its handy to know more about things and then you can debate prices ..right?.

turtle · « **Reply #1 on:** January 27, 2007, 12:54:24 AM »

Yes Serenity. The great Australian male seems to be particularly bad at it (better be careful what I say here).

Knowing your stuff is a definite advantage. I walked out of Repco one day because the assistant (middle aged male) asked me what "he" wanted the bottle of coolant for. You start to find your way around and discover female-friendly places.

750goes · « **Reply #2 on:** January 27, 2007, 12:59:18 AM »

Jane,

thems nearly fighting words.....

Charlie says Hi

nickjtc · « **Reply #3 on:** January 27, 2007, 04:30:08 AM »

Quote: Is it because I"m a female or is it just because they see the dollar sign flashing before their eyes at the prospect of ripping another poor misguided fool off?... I go with one thing wrong then suddenely theres 20 things and a huge bill.
Perhaps its handy to know more about things and then you can debate prices ..right?.

Sad to say, but it is true, here in Canada, that gals are more likely to be ripped off in matters mechanical. Yes it is handy to have a working knowledge of the thing that has gone kaput, but failing that either take someone with you (doesn't have to be a male) who does have more knowledge of that particular problem, or get a second opinion from another shop/garage. Without, of course, mentioning what the first place said.

Having said all that, all mechanical things have 'wear cycles' which means that if one thing has worn out or failed there is a good chance that something else will go with it. For example the rubber cv boots on a front wheel drive car have a life expectancy of about 5 years hereabouts; unless you are under the car at the end of their wear life checking them constantly the chances are that the first you will know that they have cracked and dried up is when you hear the grinding of the worn out cv joints underneath. And so it goes.

Quote

tramp · « **Reply #4 on:** January 27, 2007, 05:14:26 AM »

i feel for ya
had a female friend that was very mechanical minded
had dumb stuff tried on her all the time
find a mechanic that treats everyone fairly and stay with him, or her

bill440cars · « **Reply #5 on:** January 27, 2007, 06:33:13 AM »

Some guys definitely have a problem with a female being, or trying to be, mechanically inclined. To me, it is refreshing. Just so you know that there are some of us who don't have a problem with it.

Later on, Bill

Uncle Ernie · « **Reply #6 on:** January 27, 2007, 07:52:32 AM »

As devil's advocate, sometimes it looks like one thing broke, but it's because of the failure of several smaller things.
You begine to realize that when you try to work on a motorcycle, as an example. 10 feet away you see 2 wheels, an engine and maybe a frame. The closer you get, though, the more you see smaller and smaller parts. Some people actually that process. Go figure.

Down in these parts, a lot of mechanics will fall all over themselves to help a woman. Talking to folks will find you someone you can rely on on a regular basis. I think most mechanics would rather make steady money from repeat business, rather than one "kill" who won't come back.

nickjtc · « **Reply #7 on:** January 27, 2007, 08:38:37 AM »

Quote from: Uncle Ernie on January 27, 2007, 07:52:32 AM

I think most mechanics would rather make steady money from repeat business, rather than one "kill" who won't come back.

Good comment. In my experience it's the big franchise outfits here that will gouge for all it's worth because they know that they are not likely to get repeat business. The smaller 'ma and pa' outfits tend to be a bit more honest.

Raul CB750K1 · « **Reply #8 on:** January 27, 2007, 12:36:04 PM »

I don't think it is a matter of being a man or a woman. Dishonest people will try to rip off the unwary, and many garage owners will try to maximize their income abusing the lack of knowledge and faith of the customer. The only thing is that, for some reason, men tend to be more interested in mechanics, so for pure statistic a woman have more chances to be uninformed than a man.

Everytime I go to a garage with my car -and it has been just a few times- I also use the best approach: only ask the questions when you know the answer. If the mechanic is honest, leave the vehicle. If not, look for another one.

turtle · « **Reply #9 on:** January 27, 2007, 01:37:40 PM »

Quote

Jane,

thems nearly fighting words.....

Charlie says Hi

I have found that most bikers fall outside of this category. Hi Charlie.

Serenity · « **Reply #10 on:** January 27, 2007, 01:44:17 PM »

I still think to a degree woman can at times be taken advantage of...I think the best advice is yes shop around...and its true men can also rush to help the fairer sex but I'm sure the motives not as pure as the driven snow either

upperlake04 · « **Reply #11 on:** January 27, 2007, 02:02:32 PM »

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...and its true men can also rush to help the fairer sex but I'm sure the motives not as pure as the driven snow either Shocked

well Serenity, after all the philisophical discussions about 'why are we here, what is the purpose of our lives', I think there is only one reason - to carry on the species. This behavior is just part of doing our job

Serenity · « **Reply #12 on:** January 27, 2007, 02:15:46 PM »

AAAH is that what it is upperlake, well now I know

....lest we forget

Serenity · « **Reply #13 on:** January 27, 2007, 02:17:16 PM »

Raul CB750K1 · « **Reply #14 on:** January 27, 2007, 02:56:39 PM »

Quote from: Serenity on January 27, 2007, 01:44:17 PM

I still think to a degree woman can at times be taken advantage of...I think the best advice is yes shop around...and its true men can also rush to help the fairer sex but I'm sure the motives not as pure as the driven snow either

Well, I can tell you I have only stopped twice to help somebody with a broken-down car, and both of them were women. Neither of them were hot, nor did I want to make a good impression, much less to get a sexual retribution.

When I see a man with a flat tire or a broken down car, I think to myself: "next time don't be so lazy and learn how to keep your car fit, or pay for roadside assistance"

When I see a real good-looking woman on the roadside I think to myself : "OK, this is one of those hooks that makes you stop so her fellow will come from behind the bushes and steal your car"

But when I saw that woman I thought " Hell, she may has never changed a tire in her life" She was struggling with a tiny socket wrench to remove the wheel bolts. A quick turn of the wrench and the bolts came loose. Two minutes later her husband arrived -she had called him before-, so I left the dirty hands to him and continued my way to the office.

The other time I was jogging and see that car in an awkward position. The woman parked outside of the rod to take a stroll, and she didn't notice a big hole, so one of the front wheels came into the hole and the opposite came airborne, so the car had no traction. There was no loose gravel to fill the hole, and the woman didn't know what to do. I just improvised a quick solution: lift the car with the jack, and introduce the spare wheel in the hole so the wheel can find a firm surface. Once this done the car was out in a minute.

Why did I help those two women? She could have been either my mom or my wife, and i would have appreciated if somebody helps them if they are in need. Furthermore, a flat tire or the wheel in the hole is something you can't predict or control; it has nothing to do with car maintenance. Nevertheless, in all my cars I have always "rehearsed" how to change tires or put the snow chains in controlled conditions, so I can do it safely in case I need to. No matter how much I have insisted my wife to do the same, she doesn't seem to be interested. She say she will call roadside assistance provided we pay for it....

Serenity · « **Reply #15 on:** January 27, 2007, 05:22:09 PM »

;DOK, this is one of those hooks that makes you stop so her fellow will come from behind the bushes and steal your car"

to funny Raul.....like in the movies

yes there are certainly some gentleman around

mrbreeze · « **Reply #16 on:** January 27, 2007, 05:57:15 PM »

Serenity,You haven't said how you were taken advantage of. What did this shop do to rip you off???

Uncle Ernie · « **Reply #17 on:** January 27, 2007, 06:33:35 PM »

Well, this may irk you, BUT- many women have either been taught, or somehow learned, to NOT ask questions and NOT move on. Women have great intuition and they choose to ignore it by the time they are grown. They are afraid to insult a mugger for cryin out loud. A past girlfriend was mugged even though she saw the guy coming and was afraid before anything happened. Too many women don't want to be confrontational. What is it? They don't want to be yelled at? They need for everyone to like them?
I'm not saying you're this way- but why aren't you at the service station asking for an explanation? If you think you got ripped off, why aren't you asking the owner WTF is up?

Serenity · « **Reply #18 on:** January 27, 2007, 07:12:54 PM »

oh trust me I did

....Im certainly not shy in coming forward having only grown up with 6 brothers and no sisters ....its a long long story, but one question......here in aussie u need to get a safety certificate to get your car reregistered.....2,000 dollars later the cars ready to go for a certificate...they give a list of things wrong still....one of the items was the motor needs degreasing....now where in the world does that in any shape or form play a safety factor? am i missing something here?

seaweb11 · « **Reply #19 on:** January 27, 2007, 07:33:19 PM »

But an aerosol can of degreaser , hose it off.....and have at er. Defiantly don't pay for that!

Uncle Ernie · « **Reply #20 on:** January 27, 2007, 08:10:28 PM »

A glob could fall off in the crosswalk, a mother of 6 slips and hits her head, the father goes into bankruptcy because he has no insurance, and everyone ends up looking for an appliance box to sleep in. It gets ugly out there, and it could be your fault for driving with a greasy engine.
Aren't you ashamed of yourself...!

Serenity · « **Reply #21 on:** January 27, 2007, 08:23:21 PM »

Ernie

mrbreeze · « **Reply #22 on:** January 27, 2007, 09:37:13 PM »

Still doesn't tell tell who or how you got ripped.........if you don't care....why did you post?

DarkRider · « **Reply #23 on:** January 27, 2007, 09:39:37 PM »

she just explained that she got ripped off on a safety inspection. from the sounds of it they proceeded to just do the repairs without asking her...then went on to list off several more things that need to be done.

Serenity · « **Reply #24 on:** January 27, 2007, 09:59:38 PM »

thats true ty outlaw but originally i asked at the start of this post ....Perhaps its handy to know more about things and then you can debate prices ..right?. Is it only females ripped off.

Perhaps mr breeze yes maybe i shouldnt of posted.

News:

Author Topic: He saw me coming..... (Read 4212 times)

Serenity

Serenity

upperlake04

Serenity

Serenity

Serenity

Serenity

Serenity

Serenity