Mechanics Appreciation Day

I think car mechanics are the most underpaid workers in society. They don’t make as much as plumbers, electricians, and computer geeks, yet their job requires skills in all those areas. To me it takes supreme intelligence to dope out the mysteries of engine malfunctions and, even with the advent of computer diagnostics, it’s easy to be led astray by the vague and often contradictory readouts from these systems.

Then, when the mechanic finally figures out what the problem may be, he or she must then have the manual dexterity to root about tight and filthy cavities and exert leverage where it’s impossible to find a purchase to extract, replace, and adjust the faulty parts. And they must be able to do this quickly and precisely in order to profit the business.

I gave up working on cars years ago. Usually I was clueless when it came to troubleshooting engine issues and I’m just not that great with tools. A brake job that would take an experienced mechanic two hours would take me two days. And the blood that I shed—I never considered a car job begun until the blood was flowing.

It takes the highest level of experience, judgment, specialized expertise in an endless number of car models, and physical strength to be a good mechanic. Be kind to your auto technician—he practices a difficult art and seldom gets the respect and monetary rewards he deserves.