Mechanical engineering is still a barren wasteland devoid of females for the most part. True there are a lot more than there used to be (like 1 out 200 when I started) but they generally don’t stay in a strictly engineering geek type job; mostly they get promoted up pretty fast to management in order to give the illusion of diversity in the workforce. Granted many of them are very talented since they have had to learn to compete in a male dominated workplace environment and have been pursued and coveted by males throughout college and on. And the ones who are successful tend to be labels as hard nosed bitches or as having gotten to where they are based upon looks; I can understand why many women shy away from the career path unless they truly have a passion and a talent for it.
My experience differs from yours. While women in engineering were scarce years ago there is a flood of them entering the field today. The ME’s EEs CEs etc I’ve known for the past 30 years were not hard nosed bitches and didn’t have much problem with the good-ol-boy network.
I’m sure there are some, but I’ve never seen a GarbageWoman. Or would you call her a Woman Garbageman? Lady Garbage? 
Garbageperson just won’t work for anybody. At least not to describe their job.
Didn’t they get around that by changing the title to refuse collector?
That’s those who collect refuse, not a summation of my dating history.
Administrative assistants/secretaries?
Anybody ever know a male one?
How many male dental assistants have you interviewed (assuming you hire your own staff)?
I know four mechanical engineers; two men and two women. They’re married to each other (the two men are each married to one of the women, that is). Make of that what you will.
I had one. Guy was good.
He once called me during a blizzard in Denver. I was standing in line to get my boarding pass. My phone rings and he’s on the line telling me that he booked me a room in the nearest motel since the airport was closed. I said, It’s not closed." But before I finished that sentence every flight display in front of me went from active to “cancelled”. How he knew about the closing and managed to score a room before anybody in the airport knew it is beyond my understanding.
Devil pact. When in doubt, it’s always a devil pact.
A dental hygenist will often have her crotch pressed tightly against my knee, I would be very uncomfortable if a male were pressing his crotch against my knee. Other males may feel the same way and possibly female patients are not as sensitive about this.
Against your knee? Where is your species’ mouth located?
Anyway, a dentist or surgeon is likely to have his crotch pressed against you from time to time, too. Are you uncomfortable with male dentists?
Don’t know about surgeons, but my dentist sees me for about a minute per semi-annual visit, with the only contact being a handshake. 
The hygenist does all the work.
Woman framers are unusual but not unheard of. I know of one that works on a family crew, and my son has worked with a couple others. We have a couple women at work that come in as casual labourers. Women are few and far between in the construction trades in general. Engineers, draftpersons and other professionals are often women but few actual tradespeople. Attitudes have changed and I think the modern residential construction site would be quite welcoming to women.
Yes, there is one in my office (math. dept., McGill). Many years earlier the administrative assistant/office manager (female) refused to hire a male secretary because it somehow offended her, but then, maybe 10 years ago, she did. Nowadays, the secretaries do almost no typing, but have various administrative jobs.
:dubious:
I don’t think that is a common experience while getting one’s teeth cleaned. Are you sure she isn’t just into you?
Not so much into me but I have suspected that some of them have found a way to tease themselves, men have a strong tendency not to draw their knee back when something feels good against it. I have often suspected they are getting something out of it.
As much as I try I can’t picture how a hygienist would have her crotch against your knee.
The only male dental hygienist I’ve encountered was in the USAF. This was early 1980s.
I need to go to the Dentist. I’d say “more often”, but I don’t go at all now.
I have two friends who are retired engineers. The woman is an electrical engineer, and the man is a retired systems engineer. The common factor that they share is that they are into a “fact based view of the world”. Both are competent in nearly aspect of living well, and contributing to society.
I especially enjoy them in that I share a history of working on air to air missiles with the lady, and very much find the guy a delight to work with on various projects, as his ideas of how to proceed are very much my own…we can work on 'building things" almost without talking, as we both anticipate each step the same ways.
Interesting folks.
BTW, I am an ex military officer and retired science teacher, so the two occupations seem to span across the gender occupation selection spectrum.
I have never heard of a female executioner.