What happens if, as a result of this no-strings-attached sex, she ends up pregnant? The possibility must at least be considered.
I gather the qualifiers in the OP are up there to garner sympathy from the more conservative types. But your qualifiers also do another thing. They imply said woman isn’t exactly happy with this barter. I mention this because a few people up thread said “as long as both parties are happy.”
Do the opinions change if it is known that she really isn’t happy with said barter but doing it because she feels it was the only was out of her quagmire?
Ans is it still ethical if the mechanic knows this?
Sans the qualifiers in the OP, I’d say it’s ethical. Otherwise I’m a little wary.
It’s all well and good until the women suddenly find that the purchasing power of their money is dramatically deflated because all the mechanics found a very compelling reason to quote $1,200 for an oil change. If it’s between two consenting adults, fine, but economic transactions seldom can be relied upon to have such isolated effects.
Let’s forget about ethics for a moment, which doesn’t come into this at all anyway, in my opinion, unless the woman is coerced.
Is a transaction of this nature really illegal? I am not a lawyer. My question is sincere. Isn’t it simply a barter of services?
I don’t believe prostitution should be illegal, but isn’t the transfer of cash what makes it illegal?
I’m pretty sure a transaction of this sort would be illegal at least in the sense that you can’t make it an enforceable contract.
I’m not sure why it’s “interesting”. It’s just reality that (overall) younger women are usually perceived as more sexually attractive than older women. A younger woman’s sexual services are generally considerably more marketable than an older woman’s sexual services. If she is able to make the bargain of sex for repairs I think there has to be a common sense assumption that she has some reasonable baseline level of attractiveness.
Women are varied in age, size, appearance, and attractiveness. There isn’t really a standard.
IOW, you gots your “Ones” and you gots your “Tens”.
Like George Carlin once said: "I’ve never fucked a “10”, but I’ve fucked 5 “2s” in one night!
I’ll definitely change a tire or or do an oil change for a “10”, but maybe not a “2”. 
I currently live with a “10”, so maybe I’m just picky. 
IANAL, but I believe most prostitution statutes specify money “or other things of equivalent value”, or similar verbiage. They wouldn’t want to leave a loophole for, say, an exchange of sex for drugs.
Don’t ask. Even law makers aren’t sure anymore.
I meant to the ethics of the offer, not the efficacy of the offer.
Ever had one seriously over estimate what they expected in return?
I suppose after they do you, you could offer them the frequent visitor 10% discount.
In response to the OP, I have no moral issue with the transaction, I see it as just a form of bartering for goods or services provided there’s no power imbalance or coercion.
In response to the OP, I believe that it’s unethical for the man to accept the offer. He should instead point the woman towards some social services or charity organization that could financially assist her.
Is this, for example, a buddy of hers who is happy to do her a favor and she’s happy to do one for him back? Or is this some woman who is about to get fired if she misses another day of work and is going to hate herself for doing this, and she’s clearly distraught as she tries to negotiate a payment plan, but he decides to take advantage of her desperate predicament instead?
First one, cool. Second one, he’s unethical and sleazy. Something in the middle, I don’t know, life is full of grey areas.
So let’s see if I’ve got this straight. Sex is normally something that happens between two people because they both want it to happen and they each enjoy it, but I’m so desperately unattractive that you can’t see yourself ever wanting to do it with me as between equals. What you want instead is four, five, maybe six hours of my expensively-acquired skills (and I’m guessing you’ll expect any necessary parts thrown in) and in exchange for this you’re prepared to offer sex. Which, because you’re so far out of my league, you consider a more than reasonable payment, even an overly-generous one on your part.
Since you’re not attracted to me I’m further supposing that you’ll consider the deal upheld as long as I get off, or after you’ve given me what you figure a reasonable time to, and I’ve no reason to expect you to care about my enjoyment or doing what you can to ensure it, the way you might if you were doing it for pleasure. Finally, if you get knocked up then it’s your choice as to what to do about it (as it’s your body) and if a baby results then I’m on the hook for it (because we have to consider the child’s rights).
And because we’re not done insulting and patronising me, we want to ask if I’m a sleazeball for going along with this suggestion? :dubious:
But what if she had really nice boobs? And you like nice boobs?
Just sayin’…
As long as both agree to the activity and the price, it’s as ethical as any other transaction.
Hehe you said “under the counter”.
Seriously, though - I think it is unethical if he asks her, but if she’s offering, provided it’s not because she’s completely desperate and normally wouldn’t touch him with a ten-foot pole, I have a hard time not seeing it as a gray area.
Malacandra women don’t just not sleep with men because they are not attracted to them. We also don’t just sleep with men because we are attracted to them. Many, many complicating factors.
I think it’s ethical so long as neither of them enjoys it.
Unethical? I don’t know. Prostitution? Certainly.
I have some ethical concerns but they don’t involve a concern about the woman’s ethics in the scenario posited in the OP.