Creeple

I try not to bring gender to my job, but sometimes it has a way of making itself known.  I do not use my gender at work to get people to do things for me and I do just as much work as the men in my position.

I admit, I enjoy getting my nails done.  Every couple weeks I journey to the salon because it makes me feel good.  My hands are very visible to the public and it’s important to me for them to look nice.  Now, I do kinda take it to the extreme and my nails sometimes are quite long, but it’s ok with my boss because it doesn’t impede my job.

With these nails I can still mount and balance tires faster than most and that’s the benchmark I use for nail length.  Many people comment on my nails.  Some people say they like them, some people ask how I can work in them, and some tell me that it’s pretty but unprofessional.  I poo-poo the haters and go on with my life.

But from there, it gets weirder.  I was working one day and one of out customers was talking to another writer when I passed by them to go into the shop.  A few miniutes later I passed them again, then again on my way back into the shop.  This guy stopped me and in his creepiest voice leaned over and said, “You smell purty.”

Horrified, I thanked him and hid in the shop until he left.  Then, this guy calls and I answer the phone.

Man: “Are you that girl who smells good?”

I quickly put him on hold and got the other writer to take his call.

I’ve had other comments similar to this.

-I could stand here and smell you all day.

-Can you walk by again, you smell so good.

-You smell like my ex.

I appreciate that others can enjoy my perfume, but where I come from it’s taboo to comment on the scent of people you don’t know, especially if you do it in your best stalker voice.

For these reasons, I try not to make myself up for work because I don’t like to draw more attention to my femininity.  But just the other day I was feeling a little down, so I did my hair.  I usually wear it in a bun but I straightened it out and curled the ends, and people couldn’t stop commenting on it.  Not two hours into my shift I answered our ringing phone.

Man: “Shelly?”

Me: “Yes?”

Man: “I was just in there and I had to tell you that you’re gorgeous and I can’t wait to see you again.  That’s all, good-bye!”

-CLICK-

Look, I realize that it’s not very common to see women in the automotive field (although many women are starting to get involved), and we don’t want to be seen as anything other than the role we’re playing at work.  I don’t say creepy things to my waiter or the guy that cleans the carpet because he’s there to do a job.  Just because he works out and takes care of his appearance I’m not going to gawk at him or make annonymous phone calls.  I’ve worked hard to gain the knowledge and respect from my peers.  The very fact that I hold my position with accomplishments and awards means that I’m here with a purpose. 

I feel insulted when someone will question my knowledge of cars then ask me for my phone number. 

One guy came up to me and actually said, “What’s a girl like you doing in a place like this?  You’d make more money dancing.”

“I’ve spent the past 6 years in the automotive industry and although I’m sure my parents would be proud of me no matter what I do, I don’t think I’d be able to deal with all the creeps I’d come across such as yourself,” I replied.

He got mad and told me that I was rude and that he didn’t want to do business with me.  He then told my boss that I was rude to him and it might prevent him from coming back to do business with us.  When asked what I said, he said I called him a creep.  After I chimed in that he said I should be a dancer, he didn’t have to stop doing business with us, he was cut off. 

If you men out there can learn one thing from this I hope it’s that I don’t give a crap about what you think of me.  My looks are none of your concern if you’re trusting me with your $30,000 car.  I can’t do a good job if I constantly have to look out for creepy people (creeple) who want to smell me and make mysterious phone calls.  I want to care for your car with no strings attatched.  I know I’m not crazy because this doesn’t happen to the men I work with, and they notice the attention I get.  I’m sure there are other women out there who are going through the same thing and I know how horrible it is to not be recognized as a professional in this field.  Give us a break, we have plenty of time after work to turn down your lame pick-ups.

Obsessive or Indifferent?

It wass that time of year in Vegas when outside temperatures soar over 100 degrees.  It just so happens that the heat seems to make people quite irritable.  So, when the AC in someone’s car goes out they tend to be difficult to deal with.  I try to understand where these people are coming from, but the way they act is totally unreasonable. 

One lady brought her Expedition in because the air wasn’t blowing out cold enough.  We measured it at 40 degrees.  She said that sure it was cold in the morning, but when she got out of work at four it was hot although eventually it did get cold if she drove long enough.

She has a black truck, parked outside in the sun for eight hours in 110 degree heat and has no tint on her windows.  REALLY?!  It’s hot outside!  That means it can be over 130 degrees in your car.  The air is going to blow out hot.  My mom has a spankin new car and after sitting in the sun all day it blows out hot air.  It sometimes takes a few minutes for the air to get chilly. 

She was still unhappy with how her AC worked.  She brought it back and we measured the air at the vent at 42 degrees.  Now it’s a week later, five degrees hotter outside, and this woman is distressed about how long it takes for her air to get cold.

She said it doesn’t get cold by the time she gets home from work now.  I asked how far her house was from her job. 5 miles.  We let it sit in the sun for a few hours and still got the same result after about 6 minutes at idle outside of the shop. 

She picked it up the next day and I can’t say I was sad to see her go.  Here’s a person who doesn’t even have a problem and is upset about something outside of the control of man. 

I understand that anytime someone comes into the shop to get repairs they feel they have a valid problem.  Again if we compare this to the medical field, there is a phrase they use for such people…”hypochondriac”.  I propose we call this brand of people who have this problem with cars “hypocardriacs”. 

There is also a brand of people who are on the opposite end of the spectrum.  A man came in with an ‘89 Olds Cutlass.  Says he can start the car, but the key won’t move back into the off position to turn it off, and now when it does run, it won’t idle for more than a few seconds befor it cuts out.

I asked him what he’s been doing to shut the car off.

Man: “Wel, I tried umplugging the battery, but the thing still ran.  So I pulled off the first spark plug wire on the passenger side, then the first on on the driver side.  Finally, I grabbed one of the wires that went to the rear of the engine and it cut off.”

Me: “You know you could just unplug the alternator right?”

Man: “I figure that the plugs would do the same thing.”

Me: “Well, it probably idles poorly not because even though you disconnect the plug, fuel is still being delivered to the cylinder, so it just builds up, fouls out the plug and keeps the car from running properly.”

He left his car, we changed the lock cylinder and the plugs and we blew the engine out.  Still we had fluctuation in the RPMs and it would hesitate and dies sometimes.

I called this guy back to let him know what was up and see if he wanted to look into it further.

Man: “No, that’s always how it acts.  I can deal with it stalling as long as it restarts.  I’ll be there to pick it up in an hour.

Now for him, malfunction is the norm.  Nothing will change that.  There can be a million things wrong with the car, but he swears that makes the car even better.

Both of these people are extreme.  Your car should work properly and you’re an ass if you expect better than what the manufacturer provides and an idiot if you settle for less.

Unrelated

Have you ever gone to the eye doctor and gotten glasses only to be struck the next day with a bum knee?  Did you go back to the optometrist and demand that he also fix your knee since it happened right after you left his office?

This happens more than you might think in the shop.  I had a customer come in with an ‘05 Altima a few nights ago to get a headlight replaced.  She came in at 2pm the next day complaining that we broke her car alarm. 

Lady: “Ever since you replaced the bulb, the alarm isn’t working at all.  The doors still unlock, but the horn doesn’t sound and the lights don’t flash.”

Me: “Well, I can’t see how the light would affect the security system, but we’ll check it out.”

So, I go out to the car with her and I use the remote to lock and unlock the door…multiple times.  I asked her to explain the problem again.

Lady: “It wasn’t working at all.  I don’t know why it worked for you.”

Me: “Well, it’s long been theorized that vehicle will exhibit problems until they are in the care of someone who can fix them.  Tragically, your car is doing this very thing because the alarm is working.  But, if you do have any more problems, please let me know and I’ll straighten it out for you.”

So she leaves, only to come back a few hours later to tell me that the headlight we installed went out.  I replaced the bulb at no charge to her and told her to keep an eye on it because she may have some other issue going on.

We had a lady (using the term loosely with an ‘07 Edge come in to get an oil change and a tire rotation.  She came back a week later on my shift telling me how her tire pressure light was on.

“Lady” : “I got my oil changed and my tires done and my tire pressure light came on.  You guys were supposed to fix the car and now this light is on.  You better fix it because that’s what I paid for.”

Me: “Did we put new tires on it?”

“Lady”: “No, they did something to them.  How am I supposed to know, ya’ll are the mechanics.”

So, I took her keys and gave them to a tech to check the pressure and reset the TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system).  While he pulling the car around to the shop, I noticed this “lady” reading to her daughter in the waiting room (surely reading her a pamphlet on how to be rude AND ignorant while still looking like a contributing member of society). 

Now, three of her tires were low on air.  When I suggested that she get a tire pressure gauge, she looked at me like I had three eyes.  I was only trying to tell her that these systems are sensitive usually to with 2-3 psi, and that keeping the proper pressure will prevent that light from coming on.

“Lady”: “Well, if it comes on again then you’ll have to fix it again.  It’s not MY job to do that.”

Me: “Well, if it comes on again, you’ll have to take it to the dealer because it may mean you have a problem.  Have a nice day.”

I left it at that…

Then, we had a lady come in today with a RAV4.  She got tires put on, only to return a few hours later with an unidentified liquid coming from the vehicle.

We look at the car, walk around it, scratch our chins, and finally one of us bends down and touches the liquid.

It was water.

Me: “Ma’am, you have condensation from the AC system dripping onto the ground.  Its just water.”

Lady: “You broke my AC?!  But it’s working right now.”

Me: “No, it’s a natural occurance since the temperature outside and that of the system are so different.  Just like when you have a glass of icewater outside on a hot day, sweat forms on the glass due to the difference between the liquid in the glass and the ambient temperature.”

Lady: “Well, I’ve had this car for several years and I’ve never seen such a thing.”

Me: “Well, if you drive a band new car off the lot and run the AC, the same thing will happen.  On older cars it does the same thing.  I’m sure you have’t noticed it because a lot of the moisture drips onto the road while you’re driving and when you stop the vehicle to go to work or to the store, by the time you return the water has evaporated because of our dry climate.  Sadly, as lng as you run the AC you will experience the condensation drips from the system…but that also means it’s doin it’s job.”

Still suspicious of me, she claims that this only started happening after we did her tires and if it keeps up, she’s going to have to get it fixed.

Shaaaa…..

Last week, this guy came in with a ‘99 Deville.  He complained that it wouldn’t start and he wanted to replace the starter.  Now, we’ve seen this problem before with this model car, so I suggested a diag.

Man: “I know my car.  If it won’t start then you know it’s the starter.”

Clearly he knew more than I did and he declined the diag.  So, I got a starter, priced the labor and got it put in.

When the work was all done I called him.

Me: “Sir, I have some good news and some bad news.  The good news is that the started is installed and tested.”

Man: “So what’s the bad news?”

Me: “We’re gonna have to push it out of the shop because it doesn’t start.  My mechanic says it probably has something to do with the ignition wires.  They tend to get crushed by the steering wheels when they tilt.  It’s a design flaw.  He’s recommended replacing the lock cylinder.”

Man: “Well, I’m gonna pick up they key and take it to the dealer to get it checked.”

Me: “OK.”

He picks up the key and calls me while he’s at the dealer.

Man: “They said the key is ok, but that the ignition wires were probably crushed.  That might be what’s causing the car to not start.”

DUH!

Me: “Well, I talked to our locksmith and he said it will be about $450 to replace the cylinder and reprogram the pass-key system.  Let me know.”

Men: “I’ll be right up there with the key.”

He never showed up that night, and the next day a lady came in to pay for the vehicle.  She explaine to me that they lost the ONLY key somewhere between the dealer and home and that they had already called another locksmith to get them going.

So, five hundred dollars and half an hour later, the locksmith shows up.  We jacked up the front end and rolled it out of the shop for them. 

They sat in our parking lot for FOUR HOURS while thier car was re-keyed.  I asked the locksmith how much he was charging them, over $600!  That’s over $1100 in one day for this car that had he just let us diag it, he would have saved a few hundred.

OH WELL!

I can’t save the world, or even convince it to save itself.  But I can say that it wouldn’t be so bad if people used common sense.

Chances are if you get a break job, it’s not going to affect your fuel pressure, if you get wipers, it’s not going to make your brakes go out and if you put on a new set of tires, you aren’t going to fail smog.  I know that many people don’t know much about cars, but remember this, just as your eyes work independantly of your knees (and in some cases of each other) your car can have multiple prblems and chances are, it’s just a coincidence.