As a male, I’ve also experience similar many times. But I don’t know anything about cars. I am not interested in anything to do with cars. I have never owned a car of my own. I don’t drive. I’ve even let my license lapse because I don’t care to drive even when given the chance. Still I am usually addressed instead of my (fem) partner if I happen to tag along to some Car Thing.
I’m calling bullshit on this one. For two reasons:
- AFAIK there has never been a female chief mechanic on an F1 team. F1 is so starved of women in leading roles it would probably hit the news.
- F1 cars are so vastly different from Road cars, I doubt it would even be of any help. Marc Priestly, a former McLaren F1 Mechanic, describes in his autobiography how any time a relative asked him to look after his car he would tell them he doesn’t know shit about roadcars and how he has to bring his car to an actual mechanic aswell.
Now it might be that OOP misremembered the actual role of the person or the racing series they worked in, and the person might just have had an interest im roadcars outside of their work.
You mean people would make things up on the internet for clout?! Clutch my pearls!
Yeah, I brought up #1 last time this was posted.
As for #2, mechanics who get into F1 teams get in because they’re elite mechanics. And, you don’t become an elite mechanic without getting your hands dirty on a normal consumer-grade ICE car. Now, it’s true that modern consumer-grade cars have lots of electronic systems that require special diagnostic tools. But it would be ridiculous to suggest that an F1 mechanic couldn’t handle most of the standard maintenance tasks.
Now, what I could imagine is that an F1 mechanic might not want to spend their free time working on his own, or a relative’s car. Part of that is not wanting to do in your free time what you do for work. Part of it is doing work for free. But, I imagine a big part of it is the pain of working on a badly put together piece of crap. A F1 car is a work of art. The engines only last about 8 races, which is less than 24 hours of running. An F1 engine isn’t going to have any real buildup of gunk. Any loose parts will have been loosened from 2 hours of hard racing, not 5 years of sloppy maintenance. There will be massive amounts of documentation on every part in an F1 car, with engineers on call if you ever have questions. Working on a relative’s car is probably like working on an old POS computer with an outdated OS with all kinds of pop-ups, etc.
OTOH, I imagine a lot of the F1 cars are sometimes a pain in the ass to work on. Everything is designed around performance, and nothing is designed around ease of maintenance. There are probably a lot more sharp edges you can cut yourself on, nothing that’s easy to access like a dip stick or a washer fluid port. Plus, every time you’re working on one it’s with a big team in a high-stress environment. So, I would bet that sometimes an F1 mechanic would want to just slowly work on their own car at their own pace while listening to music or an audio book or something, rather than having the chief mechanic demanding updates etc.
So, in the end, I bet most F1 mechanics can fix most of the issues with their own cars or with relative’s cars, but mostly they don’t want to. They probably do fiddle around with their own cars sometimes when it’s fun. But, if it feels too much like work, or it’s frustrating, they’ll just take it to a “normie” mechanic so they can enjoy their time away from the track.
Maybe he just meant mechanic in general? There have been several woman mechanics in F1
- I 100% agree
- yes, F1 cars are vastly different, but the fundamental principals stay the same. Also, someone who works in car racing has likely a high interest in cars and knows a lot about them, even when it’s not directly relevant to the job. Similar to how a software developer likely knows how to set up a printer (or at least more likely than the average Joe) even though it’s absolutely not their job.
Similar to how a software developer likely knows how to set up a printer (or at least more likely than the average Joe) even though it’s absolutely not their job.
We don’t know how to setup a printer. We know how to google how to setup a printer. Big difference.
Being able to look something up is a skill.
There was a very brief window of time where we had very powerful tools that, to some of us, made that task very easy. That time I think is passing.
I mean, googling how to set up a printer is step 1 to setting up a printer.
Compared to 90% of people, you’re ahead of the curve.
Definitely if real bro misremembered. I’m an architectural technologist but people will still often say I’m an architect.
I don’t know why this Marc Priestly fellow would not understand the basics of working on a road car. They’re incredibly uncomplicated and if he couldn’t figure them out I’d be surprised(and maybe a little worried). Most likely is that it’s the same reason a lot of mechanics have shitty cars; they spend all day working vehicles and don’t have the time and energy to work on their own.
I can’t really comment on the rest of what you said but calling modern day road cars uncomplicated is kind of ridiculous. The technicians are pretty much electrical engineers at this point. Between software and can bus stuff, cars are ridiculous right now. It’s making it very difficult for independent mechanics to work on vehicles.
That’s just a load of horse-hockey that older mechanics say because they hate modern vehicles. Techs are not electrical engineers just because they understand how a multimeter works and many places will just replace harness and stuff wholesale instead of repairing them, to the point where if I want to make one of my side signals work again I’m going to have to cannabilize a parts car for that section. Even still, it’s just lining up the wires and busting out the solder and heat-shrink.
I have a 2015 BRZ and do the work in my parents’ driveway. I know my car is less complicated than an Audi or VW but from personal experience those cars are garbage designed by engineers of questionable skill but a large budget.
The main reason independent techs have a hard time, I’d imagine, has more to do with how weirdly packaged the wires could be and without manufacturer support(for a warranty job, say) it might get financially difficult. Unplugging harnesses is not that hard otherwise.
I have to take out like 3 parts in my truck to get to the lightbulb to change it. That’s not super approachable. Then don’t even get me started on the electrical systems and what board controls what system. I like working on engines and such, cars are full of so much more now though.
He probably would have been able to figure it out, he just didn’t put in the time. What Inwant to say is if you work on F1 cars doesn’t necessarily mean younknow how to work on road cars.
As someone who works on road cars because mechanics are expensive and I have the tools, I’d still amazed if someone didn’t understand them but did understand F1 cars. Maybe they don’t want to, like I said before, but they’re seriously not complicated for the most part. For a certain list of jobs I’ll take my car to a trusted mechanic but that’s usually because they have the tools and I don’t have the time, otherwise it’s pretty easy to just follow the instructions.
Another consideration is that expertise in a domain highlights ignorance. I’ve known experts who refuse to dabble outside their expertise because they’re keenly aware of how much they don’t know and feel they’d be doing a disservice to the requester if they agreed to help out. Better to leave it to the right experts.
That’s a certain kind of person. I’m not like that. I don’t mind breaking things so long as their mine or it’s agreed to up front. Some people are more anxious about these things though. I’d guess none of us know the fellow, so it’s all speculative anyway, but it’s possible this angle is the source of refusal.
Thank you
That bit about Marc Priestly should be familiar to anyone who has studied or worked in any job remotely related to computer science. “Oh you’re a computer scientist? Can you fix my printer?”
To be fair, printers are a bad example. They’re fundamentally broken and no one can fix them.
At this point, they’re either you plug them in and they work, or you’re in for a fight.
Oh I know all about that. The printer we have at work seems to have a technician coming in to fix it every week!
You’re baiting the mechanic.
If an old guy turns up with middle aged daughter they’ll assume she’s there to help and deal with the daughter. If somebody has gone to the lengths of bringing a friend to the MOT (it’s not somewhere you go for a date after all) it’s probably because they’re wanting help.
If she turned up by herself they would assume a more general knowledge of cars, which is still far below what she has but wouldn’t be dismissive.
I think the bait only works on sexist mechanics who make the assumption. It’s not that hard to just ask who wants the bulk of the information, or to address two people as a small group.
Car haver. Retired from customer service.
I think the ways it’s setup does make it sound baity (“we do it every year”). But it’s not that uncommon to bring a friend or family member to an MOT in Britain. You’ve got to leave your car at the garage, usually for a few hours and sometimes much longer. So, it’s pretty useful to have a friend pick you up or drive you back to collect your car, to save you the hassle of walking or public transport.
If I turned up to collect my car with my same-age friend, and the mechanic spent the whole time describing the problems he’d found to my friend I’d find it pretty weird. But I don’t find it unbelievable that lots of women experience that if they go with a male friend. And I could imagine finding that pretty patronising if I was knowledgeable about cars.
If the mechanic is walking past her and talking to the guy waiting for her in his car outside, then I think you’ve got a point.
I’ve done what you’re describing for a bunch of female friends / partners. A lift back from the MOT means arriving in a different car. Even if I do get out of the car (which I probably wouldn’t) I’m not even engaging in the conversation because it’s nothing to do with me.
Now…buying cars with a friend. There’s a situation which can go very wrong!
Can you see how that might be fun, though?
Yes. It feels fun to make other people look stupid because you’ve misled them.
It’s not very nice though.
There’s a Formula One racing team that had a woman for a chief mechanic? I don’t really follow F1, but I feel like I’d have heard about this.
Maybe he means Hannah Schmitz who has been Principal Strategy Engineer for Red Bull since 2021 (and was Senior Strategy Engineer for ten years before that).
If my friend told me the were senior strategy engineer I could well imagine remembering that as ‘chief engineer’ or ‘senior mechanic’. Also, she’s British, which would fit with MOT.
I got a chance to meet her at Zandvoort right before the 2022 GP (and the ensuing mess that happened if F1 fans remember). She is such a cool lady, and was very easy to talk to regarding the nitty gritty of F1 strat and behind-the-scenes stuff.
haha, that would be hilarious! If that is true and you could actually identify here by the mere fact that there is only one possible woman - that would be so amazing (and of course bleak, but also fun!)
What is MOT’d
Ministry of Transport (inspection) 'd.
I’m guessing this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOT_test
Oh yep, in Australia we colloquially call it “the pits” as in “Gotta take the car to the pits” but I’d say the more universal term would be checking the vehicle’s roadworthiness, or taking it for a roadworthy.
Pink slip in NSW
In New Zealand, it’s a WOF (warrant of fitness)
We call it getting it “smogged” in Los Angeles as the concern is cutting emissions to reduce smog; though many of the requirements are naturally related to road worthiness too.
I own a skoolie (used school bus converted to a motorhome) and it’s hilarious how much of the community likes to rant about Cali’s strict emissions policies being the result of liberal woke culture. No, you dumbfucks, it’s because they’re sandwiched between prevailing westerly winds and a fucking mountain range. You either restrict vehicle emissions or you live in a cloud of smog.
Here in PA, the roadworthiness inspection is separate from the emissions inspection (although both are usually done at the same time).
Here in my state, there’s no inspections. You can drive your car with the frame cracked in half. As long as the plate has up-to-date stickers, you’re good fam.
Fun fact, California doesn’t mandate safety or roadworthiness inspections for personal vehicles at all - only emissions.
This was a bit of a surprise to me when I moved here, given CAs reputation.
I guess vehicles don’t have to be all that safe when they’re just sitting in traffic.
Bunch of states have the same as MOT, called “inspection”.
Yep of course! I’m just not familiar with other states’ terminology.
This sounds more like your car is end-of-life and gets thrown into a big hole in the ground filled with lava. “We got to make a sacrifice to please the car god!”
No. Car god gets tiny mangled bodies. It’s very well fed.
Message Of The’Day
Nah, it’s a vehicle safety inspection all cars over a certain age must go through in the UK before they’re legally allowed to be on the road.
Any former chief mechanic of a formula one racing team want to try this with me? Sounds fun. Must be female-presenting.
I recently swapped out the starter solenoid on an old Ford truck (and it eventually worked)! And I feel I’d probably rock a dress if I tried. We can give it a shot, but no promises it goes like you imagine.
I’ve restored a few classics and like to think I know what I’m doing. I’ll put on a dress for you, but I’m not shaving my beard
I’ve replaced a headlight bulb once and otherwise always take the car to the shop for literally everything else. But I will put on a dress for you and shave my beard!
Likewise, the beard is non-negotiable.
I love this movie! Here’s the scene:
https://youtu.be/3nGQLQF1b6I
Seen this before, but I really hope they tried to upsell all sorts of crap. And then got educated on cars.
I don’t think you can really upsell anything at an MOT place, they just have to tell you what you need to fix and you do it on your own time. At least that’s how it is with TÜV in my country, which is the equivalent
I think in the UK the mechanic usually does the testing and the fixing.
That’s often the case, or for a smaller garage they will do (if you ask for it) a pre-inspection/service & then take it somewhere else to be tested. AFAIK It’s allowed to be driven on the road without a valid MOT if it’s on the way to or from an appointment at a testing centre, and a retest is free.
Ah, seems you’re right, turns out in the UK most garages do MOTs. Where I come from, that would mean every car could be passed without being roadworthy, as no garage would voluntarily declare a car they’ve been maintaining as unroadworthy, plus you could just throw your mate a 50 euro note. So instead, we have certifications and licenses for TÜV inspectors and they get taken away if you get caught. There have to be cameras for investigators to see what was checked on any particular car and what was not. They can catch you if you pass a car with something like a malfunctioning light bulb. There’s spot checks (rare tbh) and of course if a particular garage or inspector is being suspected, they’ll be under extra surveillance. Plus you need equipment like the suspension and brake testers, so it doesn’t make sense for every single garage to join the org (paid membership), invest thousands if not tens of thousands in equipment plus all the mechanics to get tested, as there just wouldn’t be enough demand.
Northern Ireland being the exception in the UK, we have government run test centres with dedicated inspectors. You the car there, you get it inspected and if it fails you take it to your mechanic. Honestly a much better system IMO, mechanics were always finding something that needed fixed when I was in England and that disappeared miraculously in NI.
I believe in Australia they have to meet a certain fail quota or the government gets suss.
Where I come from, that would mean every car could be passed without being roadworthy, as no garage would voluntarily declare a car they’ve been maintaining as unroadworthy, plus you could just throw your mate a 50 euro note
Here in the Netherlands you can get your car MOT’d (APK in Dutch) at most garages. The person doing the inspection has to be licensed though and they can lose their license if found to be passing cars they shouldn’t.
After they enter a car into the system as passed they can get a random inspection by someone from the RDW (government service for road traffic) who will double-check their work.
Jesus. Yeah, here, I’d just throw a guy $50.
This was a huge problem here, to the point that people have died from cars simply not having any brakes and nobody giving a fuck because you could just give the inspection guy some money, so why bother fixing.
I used to live in Albuquerque NM which was one of the first places to impose emissions restrictions on cars. I took my '76 VW Rabbit in to be emissions-tested, and the mechanic spent half an hour trying to get the thing to pass. Finally he just stuck the sensor up the tailpipe of his own car and issued me my sticker. Lest any Albuquerquians get angry at me, I moved to Denver a week later.
This was common here in Estonia till they mandated the cameras. I’ve heard a story of one guy lighting matches to get some CO2 reading out of a completely perforated exhaust - though not sure if it’s true. My coursemate said that in his family, for about a decade, only the car’s registration papers visited the inspector, they didn’t bother driving there.
Serious question: why do a lot of people lose their shit when someone uses the word “female” and sometimes it’s okay?
Adjective ✅
Noun ❌
Verb?
Let’s female this.
One of my favorite features of English is the possibility of verbing any word.
You possibilised verbing!
Mooooooom they’re turning the word “verb” into a verb
Stop Englishing me!
Imma female all over their face!
Usually you gotta add an ing to verbify it, but I think it works just fine on its own.
Femaling, amirite? 🙄
Adverb : Let’s verb it femalely
Ferengi ❎
Honestly very helpful
What are you, some kind of female lover?
Ever since that meme I’m stuck reading Female pronounced like Tamale and it’s the best thing ever
I need a video of this tbh
Wow, people see that things happen a certain way 99 times out of 100 and adjust behavior accordingly. How terrible
Got 99 problems but none of them are the 99 sexist mechanics burried on the front 40.
Well, typically you should at least initially address the actual owner of the vehicle.
It isn’t terribly hard to just address both and see who answers.
Also the same logic would apply to racial profiling so while I’d agree that which person is addressed first is a pretty minor issue, it’s important to also consider the impact on the people involved.
Oh no, the shop guy made an assumption based on the prevailing and mostly accurate generalization that men are more likely to like cars. THE HORROR!
It’s not accurate though?*
So it sounds REALLY stupid and super mean-spirited.
- At least not since some decades afrer women could have credit without a certifiedpenishaver to cosign, iow, the legalization of women’s free access to cars.
Yes. Stop assuming things and making an ass of yourself.
Nah. Y’all are annoying everyone into fascism.
