# Women as auto mechanics? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 25, 2016, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-as-auto-mechanics/758317 "2016-06-25T13:09:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2016, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-as-auto-mechanics/758317/1 "2016-06-25T13:09:47Z")
There are more and more women working at the oil change place I take my car to and I found out the owner and manager there are women. Now I know doing oil changes requires much less knowledge and skill than doing full on auto mechanics. But I want to ask, are you all seeing more female auto mechanics? ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2016, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-as-auto-mechanics/758317/2 "2016-06-25T13:20:52Z")
I had a female friend once to whom I described a car problem. She quickly diagnosed it, went to the auro parts store, bought the parts and installed them in my parking lot. There is no natural reason why a woman cannot acquire all the necessary skills to become an auto mechanic, except that most do not associate with those kinds of activities in their formative years. So unless they had had it ingrained in them as children, they would be getting a late start on it as a career choice. How can it be any different from dentistry, and the two best dentists my wife has ever had were both women. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2016, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-as-auto-mechanics/758317/3 "2016-06-25T13:32:18Z")
It shouldn’t be a surprise. The job market is such that no one can really afford to stick to traditional gender roles for employment anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2016, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-as-auto-mechanics/758317/4 "2016-06-25T13:40:47Z")
The owner’s wife of the shop where I take my car is very knowledgeable about cars. However, I don’t believe she’s ever actually worked as a mechanic. She does the admin side of the business. The Grease Monkey where I get my oil changed had a woman for a while, but not lately. I haven’t seen any increase in the number of women anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![MoonMoon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonmoon/32/2959_2.png) [@MoonMoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoonMoon)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2016, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-as-auto-mechanics/758317/5 "2016-06-25T13:42:58Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > Now I know doing oil changes requires much less knowledge and skill than doing full on auto mechanics. Oh come on. This cannot be a serious post. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2016, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-as-auto-mechanics/758317/6 "2016-06-25T13:44:45Z")
There’s a woman-owned and woman-run auto repair (not just an oil change place) around here. Not all of their mechanics are women, but many are. They do excellent work. ---
**Author:** ![JacobSwan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@JacobSwan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JacobSwan)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2016, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-as-auto-mechanics/758317/7 "2016-06-25T13:47:49Z")
Queen Elizabeth served in the army as a truck mechanic. If it’s good enough for her then why not? ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2016, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-as-auto-mechanics/758317/8 "2016-06-25T13:47:57Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > It shouldn’t be a surprise. The job market is such that no one can really afford to stick to traditional gender roles for employment anymore. I’m not sure if that’s really relevant here. A lot of women don’t WANT to be mechanics. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2016, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-as-auto-mechanics/758317/9 "2016-06-25T13:58:16Z")
> [@Flyer](#): > > I’m not sure if that’s really relevant here. A lot of women don’t WANT to be mechanics. A lot of women don’t want to be cashiers at WalMart, either, but guess what? ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2016, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-as-auto-mechanics/758317/10 "2016-06-25T14:01:53Z")
My wife worked as an auto mechanic during our separation and until our first child together was born. She is quite skilled, I believe. There’s nothing about having ovaries and boobs that disqualifies one from being mechanically inclined. ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2016, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-as-auto-mechanics/758317/11 "2016-06-25T14:03:14Z")
> [@MoonMoon](#): > > Oh come on. This cannot be a serious post. That was my reaction, too. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2016, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-as-auto-mechanics/758317/12 "2016-06-25T14:03:33Z")
> [@MoonMoon](#): > > Oh come on. This cannot be a serious post. The bit about oil change techs not needing as much knowledge as full on mechanics is true. My wife worked as an oil change tech before moving up. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2016, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-as-auto-mechanics/758317/13 "2016-06-25T14:12:37Z")
> [@Flyer](#): > > I’m not sure if that’s really relevant here. A lot of women don’t WANT to be mechanics. And a lot of women want employment. Maybe years ago, these women would have done something else with their talents because they didn’t want to catch shit going down an unconventional path. But current economic realities combined with less overt sexism have made it OK for women to pursue all of their interests, not just culturally-defined ones. A lot of men don’t want to be nurses, but alas we are seeing increasingly [more](http://minoritynurse.com/male-nurses-becoming-more-commonplace/) of them. We could throw out a bunch of speculations for this, but I’m guessing the most parsimonious explanation has something to do with males being encouraged to go into traditional female professions plus a job market that calls for open-mindedness with ones skillset. ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2016, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-as-auto-mechanics/758317/14 "2016-06-25T14:27:43Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > And a lot of women want employment. Maybe years ago, these women would have done something else with their talents because they didn’t want to catch shit going down an unconventional path. But current economic realities combined with less overt sexism have made it OK for women to pursue all of their interests, not just culturally-defined ones. > > A lot of men don’t want to be nurses, but alas we are seeing increasingly [more](http://minoritynurse.com/male-nurses-becoming-more-commonplace/) of them. We could throw out a bunch of speculations for this, but I’m guessing the most parsimonious explanation has something to do with males being encouraged to go into traditional female professions plus a job market that calls for open-mindedness with ones skillset. Alas? as is, an expression of grief or concern over the situation? I took two years of auto shop in college, mostly to work on my own old POS car. I enjoyed it. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2016, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-as-auto-mechanics/758317/15 "2016-06-25T14:51:03Z")
My sister-in-law (my sister’s wife) is an auto mechanic, specializing in foreign cars. Damn fine one, too. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2016, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-as-auto-mechanics/758317/16 "2016-06-25T14:57:06Z")
I ran a truck shop for a lrge truck leasing company. I had one female mechanic under me and she was just as good as the average men we had working. Her strength was a little bit of an issue at times mainly because she would not accept help. I had to point out to her that the male mechanics also had to have help with certain things. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2016, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-as-auto-mechanics/758317/17 "2016-06-25T15:38:39Z")
My girl friend has a CDL and drives 18-wheelers over the road. She can do whatever any trucker can do to meet routine road safety checks. She worked several years as a deckhand on a shrimp boat. She can also play the piano. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2016, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-as-auto-mechanics/758317/18 "2016-06-25T15:41:14Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > My girl friend has a CDL and drives 18-wheelers over the road. She can do whatever any trucker can do to meet routine road safety checks. She worked several years as a deckhand on a shrimp boat. She can also play the piano. Audio of your girlfriend playing “Summer Time” or it didn’t happen. I mean, please. Everybody kncws that chicks are too short to play the piano! ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2016, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-as-auto-mechanics/758317/19 "2016-06-25T16:16:38Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > How can it be any different from dentistry, and the two best dentists my wife has ever had were both women. I will only get dentistry done by a woman, because I _expect_ pain from women. Well, and having my head cradled against the breasts, there’s that. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2016, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-as-auto-mechanics/758317/20 "2016-06-25T16:19:10Z")
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