# Female Mechanics **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 18, 2022, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-mechanics/968163 "2022-07-18T19:38:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2022, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-mechanics/968163/41 "2022-07-19T22:49:21Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > One of my sisters is a former stablehand; she built up a lot of strength from shoveling manure all day. I had an aunt go into politics. Same deal. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2022, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-mechanics/968163/42 "2022-07-19T23:21:07Z")
Am I the only one who came here looking for the definitive analysis of the “throws like a girl” phenomenon? ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2022, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-mechanics/968163/43 "2022-07-19T23:29:08Z")
Not a car mechanic, but a bicycle one: when I used to take my bike to REI in San Diego, the best mechanic in the shop was a woman. She really knew her stuff and went out of her way to find Campy parts for me. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2022, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-mechanics/968163/44 "2022-07-19T23:32:30Z")
Yes, the classic gender and sex-based discrimination. But by announcing to her face that that is the reason she was not hired, like they would do back in the '60s, is the employer not opening themselves up to bad publicity, discrimination lawsuits, etc.? ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2022, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-mechanics/968163/45 "2022-07-20T00:07:59Z")
Sure. “Throwing like a girl” has three components. The first is generally being patronizing by minimizing the actions of someone else - lots of people throw poorly. The second is that any activity improves with practice. The third is that females are often socially skilled and might see value in acting more helpless than is the case. I would guess any woman who wanted to dirty her hands, put up with comments from men and other women and stick with it has a lot of passion, and likely at least average ability. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2022, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-mechanics/968163/46 "2022-07-20T00:14:20Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > Yes, the classic gender and sex-based discrimination. But by announcing to her face that that is the reason she was not hired, like they would do back in the '60s, is the employer not opening themselves up to bad publicity, discrimination lawsuits, etc.? Her title doesn’t say who told her the company wouldn’t hire a woman only that she was told. And if a business has fewer than 15 employees, then Title VII of the Civil Rights Act making it illegal for employers to discriminate on the basis of sex, color, national origin, race, or religion does not apply. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2022, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-mechanics/968163/47 "2022-07-20T01:07:34Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > “Throwing like a girl” has three components. Apologies for prolonging the hijack, but [Mythbusters tested this and found that males and females do about equally poorly at throwing with their unaccustomed non-dominant hand.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LD5Xm5u7UDM) So it seems to be mostly the “practice” thing: boys tend to have better throwing form because boys get more throwing practice and training. Male and female trained throwers have similar form and accuracy (although post-puberty the male throwers on average are, unsurprisingly, stronger and faster). ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2022, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-mechanics/968163/48 "2022-07-20T01:22:31Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Apologies for prolonging the hijack, I’m so sorry. I intended it to be a throwaway, sarcastic line. For the record I am 100% behind girls in sports and STEM, and have been fighting for equal treatment of my daughter in these areas, from the Museum of Science, to Robotics Team to Golf lessons for most of her life. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2022, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-mechanics/968163/49 "2022-07-20T01:24:27Z")
> [@Mighty\_Mouse](#): > > I’m so sorry. I intended it to be a throwaway, sarcastic line. Oh no worries, I wasn’t trying to pick on you for your post (and ftr, I laughed). I just didn’t want to appear to be obliviously trying to drag the thread off in a whole different direction in response to your post. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2022, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-mechanics/968163/50 "2022-07-20T07:30:01Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Male and female trained throwers have similar form and accuracy Famously, in _It’s a Wonderful Life_ when it was time for Mary Hatch to throw a rock through the one intact pane of glass in the old Granville house, Frank Capra hired a marksman to shoot it out on cue. Donna Reed pegged it on the first try – she’d pitched softball in high school. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-mechanics/968163.md?page=2)