1 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:06,480 Speaker 1: Welcome to stuff Mom Never told you from house Supports 2 00:00:06,519 --> 00:00:14,840 Speaker 1: dot com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Christen 3 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:19,000 Speaker 1: and I'm Caroline, and today we're talking about women mechanics 4 00:00:19,120 --> 00:00:22,520 Speaker 1: and to kick things off, we want to talk about 5 00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:29,320 Speaker 1: a woman named Nancy Boyce who is a total badass. Yeah. 6 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:34,240 Speaker 1: We read this article about a Clark College Diesel Technician 7 00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:39,839 Speaker 1: Program graduate and reading the article, you're like, oh, this 8 00:00:39,960 --> 00:00:42,760 Speaker 1: is just gonna be one of those like softball like 9 00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:46,240 Speaker 1: oh ra ra women articles, But no, this this woman, 10 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:51,400 Speaker 1: there's nothing softball about her. Uh. She was Caterpillars or 11 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:56,200 Speaker 1: is Caterpillars first female field mechanic in Alaska, and this 12 00:00:56,360 --> 00:01:01,280 Speaker 1: article touches on all of these incredibly difficult circumstances that 13 00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:06,199 Speaker 1: boys has to deal with being a mechanic in rural Alaska. Yeah. 14 00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:10,679 Speaker 1: And the reason why she picked Juno was because after 15 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:15,440 Speaker 1: she graduated with like a three nine nine from Diesel 16 00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:21,280 Speaker 1: Tech school, she wanted to know what the most lucrative 17 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:27,160 Speaker 1: Caterpillar dealership was and it just happened to be in Alaska, 18 00:01:27,319 --> 00:01:30,920 Speaker 1: probably because of how, you know, the how difficult it 19 00:01:30,959 --> 00:01:34,880 Speaker 1: is to service all of the equipment in the surrounding 20 00:01:34,880 --> 00:01:38,600 Speaker 1: remote areas. So she was like, Okay, I'm going to Alaska. 21 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:40,680 Speaker 1: She gets the job, and I wish we could just 22 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:46,000 Speaker 1: read the article allowed so that we can fully communicate 23 00:01:46,520 --> 00:01:48,880 Speaker 1: all of the lengths that she would have to go 24 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:53,680 Speaker 1: to to fix generators and tug boats and all of 25 00:01:53,720 --> 00:01:59,440 Speaker 1: these crucial pieces of machinery that keep these small communities running. 26 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:03,120 Speaker 1: And of course she does touch on the fact that 27 00:02:03,120 --> 00:02:05,440 Speaker 1: she'll show up to do a job and some guy 28 00:02:05,480 --> 00:02:07,880 Speaker 1: will say, oh great, I'm losing thousands of dollars today, 29 00:02:07,880 --> 00:02:09,919 Speaker 1: and they send me a girl, and of course they 30 00:02:09,919 --> 00:02:12,840 Speaker 1: have to apologize and eat their words after she does 31 00:02:12,919 --> 00:02:16,600 Speaker 1: an incredible job and a professional job at fixing whatever 32 00:02:16,639 --> 00:02:19,160 Speaker 1: the broken machinery is. And of course she also talks 33 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:23,040 Speaker 1: to about how you aren't always working for money when 34 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:25,640 Speaker 1: you go to these smaller towns, that sometimes you work 35 00:02:25,720 --> 00:02:29,680 Speaker 1: for food, um or even blankets in some cases, with 36 00:02:29,760 --> 00:02:33,320 Speaker 1: people leaving handwritten thank you note saying you don't even 37 00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:36,600 Speaker 1: realize that you just saved my family by fixing this generator. Yeah. 38 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:39,720 Speaker 1: I think one of her most prized gifts that she 39 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:44,239 Speaker 1: received in exchange was a seal butter, which is a delicacy. Yeah, 40 00:02:44,480 --> 00:02:47,200 Speaker 1: all right, I'd work for butter. Well, Caroline, if you 41 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:49,200 Speaker 1: find a stick of butter on your desk in the 42 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:52,280 Speaker 1: next few just don't be surprised. Is that my bonus? Well, 43 00:02:52,480 --> 00:02:55,160 Speaker 1: thank you gifts for medio. What would you do if 44 00:02:55,200 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 1: I loved Margarine on your desk? Though, I'd probably like 45 00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:03,040 Speaker 1: that better considering I am super sensitive telactose? Okay, noted, 46 00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:08,440 Speaker 1: there we go. If you're going to leave a fat product, 47 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:11,680 Speaker 1: oh man, what if listeners start sending you Margarine? I 48 00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:17,040 Speaker 1: would think that was hysterical. But back to boys. So 49 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:22,280 Speaker 1: because of though the continual harassment that she would face 50 00:03:22,440 --> 00:03:24,320 Speaker 1: on the job, even though she would, you know, do 51 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:28,080 Speaker 1: her job very well, she got going of down and 52 00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:31,640 Speaker 1: out and ended up leaving Caterpillar and she'd saved up 53 00:03:31,639 --> 00:03:34,000 Speaker 1: a bunch of money because she was making so much money, 54 00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:38,120 Speaker 1: and she just traveled around Alaska as you do, like 55 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:41,840 Speaker 1: you do, and um ended up after she kind of 56 00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:45,840 Speaker 1: recharged from it, ended up starting her own business, Power 57 00:03:45,880 --> 00:03:48,760 Speaker 1: Tech Generation, and is now doing gangbusters and has three 58 00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:51,800 Speaker 1: employees and can barely keep up with all the requests. 59 00:03:51,880 --> 00:03:55,080 Speaker 1: And I feel like she's such a good person to 60 00:03:55,880 --> 00:04:00,280 Speaker 1: kick off this episode about women mechanics with because her 61 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:03,320 Speaker 1: experience touches on so many of the issues we're going 62 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:06,120 Speaker 1: to talk about in terms of how it's the story 63 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 1: came out and she was the first, so that goes 64 00:04:09,320 --> 00:04:13,000 Speaker 1: to show how few women are in this industry. She 65 00:04:13,120 --> 00:04:16,760 Speaker 1: deals with harassment, which is common or at least you know, 66 00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:19,440 Speaker 1: the equips about oh you're a woman, I don't know 67 00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:23,599 Speaker 1: if you can fix things, and in the article noted 68 00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:28,159 Speaker 1: how you know she's she's stereotypically pretty, which comes up 69 00:04:28,200 --> 00:04:31,920 Speaker 1: a lot in these these articles too, of like, don't worry, 70 00:04:32,279 --> 00:04:35,360 Speaker 1: she's still a woman. She still has that blonde hair. Yeah, 71 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:38,400 Speaker 1: oh my god, in her noses pierce like she is nuts. 72 00:04:38,520 --> 00:04:42,599 Speaker 1: Totally crap. And boys was smart to enter this field 73 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:47,280 Speaker 1: because diesel service, text and mechanics make can make a 74 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:51,240 Speaker 1: lot of money. It's a field with a super positive 75 00:04:51,560 --> 00:04:55,279 Speaker 1: job outlook. It's growing even faster than the regular economy. 76 00:04:55,400 --> 00:04:57,000 Speaker 1: You can buy a lot of butter. You can you're 77 00:04:57,040 --> 00:05:01,760 Speaker 1: a diesel mechanic, so much butter replacement product. And we 78 00:05:01,800 --> 00:05:06,039 Speaker 1: should quickly note the various types of mechanics. There's the 79 00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:10,880 Speaker 1: diesel mechanic obviously, like voice. There's also aircraft mechanics, small 80 00:05:10,960 --> 00:05:15,400 Speaker 1: engine mechanics, heavy vehicle mechanics which fixed, uh who fixed 81 00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:19,000 Speaker 1: like farm equipment and things like that, and then auto mechanics, 82 00:05:19,040 --> 00:05:24,360 Speaker 1: which we're going to focus on today. That's right. There 83 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:29,480 Speaker 1: were about seven forty thousand automotive service texts and mechanics 84 00:05:29,520 --> 00:05:32,960 Speaker 1: in the country in the United States of America who maintain, 85 00:05:33,080 --> 00:05:38,160 Speaker 1: inspect and repair cars and sometimes frustrate female customers because 86 00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:41,240 Speaker 1: they talked down to them. Well this actually no seriously 87 00:05:41,240 --> 00:05:43,400 Speaker 1: like reading for this episode got me real stressed out 88 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:46,520 Speaker 1: because it's time to take my car in for an inspection. 89 00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:51,039 Speaker 1: And it's not that I expect anything massively wrong to 90 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:57,279 Speaker 1: be a problem, however, I just I just like cringe 91 00:05:57,320 --> 00:05:59,680 Speaker 1: when it's time to go to either the dealership or 92 00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:02,680 Speaker 1: a mechanic, and it because I don't like to be 93 00:06:02,800 --> 00:06:05,479 Speaker 1: talked to like I'm a ten year old girl. I 94 00:06:05,480 --> 00:06:09,560 Speaker 1: feel your pain. I feel your pain indeed. Um, But 95 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:17,479 Speaker 1: these mechanics do for their obviously hashtag not all mechanics, sure, 96 00:06:17,560 --> 00:06:21,080 Speaker 1: of course, But while condescension is sometimes part of the job, 97 00:06:21,080 --> 00:06:25,520 Speaker 1: it seems like they are well compensated. The median salary 98 00:06:25,680 --> 00:06:28,520 Speaker 1: is a little over thirty seven thousand dollars, but they 99 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:32,520 Speaker 1: can earn up to sixty two dollars. But then if 100 00:06:32,560 --> 00:06:36,720 Speaker 1: you're really specialized, you can learn a lot more than that. 101 00:06:36,880 --> 00:06:41,000 Speaker 1: I knew, um Or a friend of mine's brother, I 102 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:45,000 Speaker 1: want to say, he is a Porsche specialist mechanic, and 103 00:06:45,200 --> 00:06:49,840 Speaker 1: that fellow is making in the six figs. He's he's 104 00:06:49,880 --> 00:06:55,200 Speaker 1: earning fig bigs. Oh my god, your and butters. I 105 00:06:55,240 --> 00:06:58,840 Speaker 1: love this economy. I know everyone's so full increasing. So 106 00:06:58,880 --> 00:07:01,400 Speaker 1: you're talking about how we've will haven't totally snapped away 107 00:07:01,400 --> 00:07:05,080 Speaker 1: from the recession, but I believe it's true. Um So 108 00:07:05,120 --> 00:07:08,719 Speaker 1: that's her training. If you want to be an auto mechanic, uh, 109 00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:11,200 Speaker 1: you basically have to have the equivalent of a high 110 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:15,600 Speaker 1: school diploma and go on to enroll in training programs 111 00:07:15,640 --> 00:07:18,800 Speaker 1: at like a vocational school or college. And of course 112 00:07:18,840 --> 00:07:21,800 Speaker 1: you get on the job training and about two to 113 00:07:21,880 --> 00:07:25,200 Speaker 1: five years of hands on experience before you become a 114 00:07:25,280 --> 00:07:28,440 Speaker 1: full fledged technician. But I'm sure you get to wear 115 00:07:28,560 --> 00:07:31,600 Speaker 1: the awesome coveralls the whole time. I know that seems 116 00:07:31,640 --> 00:07:34,679 Speaker 1: like the biggest perk of the job. Not the money, 117 00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:37,040 Speaker 1: not the self respect, not the knowledge that you know 118 00:07:37,080 --> 00:07:40,680 Speaker 1: how to fix something that other people don't. It's the clothes, Caroline. 119 00:07:40,720 --> 00:07:43,600 Speaker 1: You you know firsthand that I can have a difficulty, 120 00:07:43,640 --> 00:07:46,640 Speaker 1: shall we say, putting it outfit together? Oh, you love 121 00:07:46,640 --> 00:07:49,600 Speaker 1: a jumpsuit and coveralls combined it? Yes, my love of 122 00:07:49,680 --> 00:07:54,040 Speaker 1: jumpsuits and the simplicity just one and done. Yeah, that's it, 123 00:07:54,240 --> 00:07:59,080 Speaker 1: like a ghostbuster. Yes. But one aspect of this job 124 00:07:59,120 --> 00:08:02,000 Speaker 1: that I really just hadn't thought about before was that 125 00:08:02,200 --> 00:08:06,120 Speaker 1: it's not just working on traditional mechanical systems like engines 126 00:08:06,200 --> 00:08:09,920 Speaker 1: and transmissions and drive belts and such, but you also 127 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:12,080 Speaker 1: have to learn how to work with all of these 128 00:08:12,080 --> 00:08:16,280 Speaker 1: electronic systems because the newer cars that are coming out 129 00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:20,840 Speaker 1: are essentially just like computers on wheels. Computers on wheels. 130 00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:23,000 Speaker 1: I know, that's exactly what I was going to say, 131 00:08:23,040 --> 00:08:26,240 Speaker 1: a car today. I feel like that it sounds so 132 00:08:26,360 --> 00:08:31,040 Speaker 1: like a car today. Um might have more than twenty 133 00:08:31,080 --> 00:08:35,640 Speaker 1: microprocessors running everything from breaking and transmission to steering an 134 00:08:35,640 --> 00:08:38,680 Speaker 1: accident avoidance systems. Like I know, my mother has a 135 00:08:38,679 --> 00:08:40,679 Speaker 1: super fancy car and it's got all these bells and 136 00:08:40,679 --> 00:08:45,680 Speaker 1: whistles and like fifty computers, and she doesn't understand a 137 00:08:45,760 --> 00:08:49,080 Speaker 1: single part of it. She barely even like she'll get lost. 138 00:08:49,120 --> 00:08:52,360 Speaker 1: And I'm like, you literally have like a cockpit map 139 00:08:52,520 --> 00:08:54,680 Speaker 1: in your car that you could use, and it's just 140 00:08:54,760 --> 00:08:56,880 Speaker 1: it blows your mind she can't do it. And comparatively, 141 00:08:56,920 --> 00:08:58,640 Speaker 1: I feel like my car is just full of old 142 00:08:58,679 --> 00:09:05,760 Speaker 1: typewriters about it. But the computerization of cars is one 143 00:09:05,920 --> 00:09:08,079 Speaker 1: kind of selling point that the industry has been using 144 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:11,520 Speaker 1: to woo women, saying, listen, it's not all of this heavy, 145 00:09:11,559 --> 00:09:15,680 Speaker 1: greasy work. It's a lot of computer programming as well. 146 00:09:15,720 --> 00:09:20,160 Speaker 1: And of course other important skills that tend to be 147 00:09:20,320 --> 00:09:25,240 Speaker 1: characterized as more female friendly traits, such as customer service, 148 00:09:25,520 --> 00:09:30,800 Speaker 1: being detail oriented, organized, and troubleshooting. Yeah, and a lot 149 00:09:30,800 --> 00:09:33,440 Speaker 1: of when you when you read articles about women mechanics, 150 00:09:34,360 --> 00:09:37,200 Speaker 1: there is always that quote about, oh, we love hiring 151 00:09:37,240 --> 00:09:40,200 Speaker 1: women because they are so detail oriented and they take 152 00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:42,800 Speaker 1: their time and make fewer mistakes. And I just wonder 153 00:09:42,840 --> 00:09:45,040 Speaker 1: if that doesn't come out of I'm sure it's true. 154 00:09:45,080 --> 00:09:47,880 Speaker 1: I'm sure people aren't making that up, but um, I 155 00:09:47,920 --> 00:09:51,760 Speaker 1: wonder if that comes out of women who become mechanics 156 00:09:51,760 --> 00:09:54,200 Speaker 1: in this male dominated field feeling like they have to 157 00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:57,640 Speaker 1: work twice as hard. We tend to encounter that, whether 158 00:09:57,679 --> 00:10:00,440 Speaker 1: it's an academic studies or just anecdote or ports from 159 00:10:00,480 --> 00:10:04,240 Speaker 1: women of when you're in one of these male dominated industries, 160 00:10:04,480 --> 00:10:06,760 Speaker 1: you do tend to have to bust your butt to 161 00:10:07,080 --> 00:10:09,600 Speaker 1: prove yourself. Yeah, and on the part of the boss, 162 00:10:09,720 --> 00:10:12,280 Speaker 1: I would bet that there is a little bit of 163 00:10:12,320 --> 00:10:15,200 Speaker 1: an element of surprise. And betted in that quote too, 164 00:10:15,240 --> 00:10:19,280 Speaker 1: of like, I mean, she did and so well, look 165 00:10:19,320 --> 00:10:22,360 Speaker 1: at her didn't even mess up. And these are also 166 00:10:22,480 --> 00:10:27,080 Speaker 1: reasons that are cited when you read about mechanic shortages. 167 00:10:27,600 --> 00:10:29,640 Speaker 1: There was this USA Today article from a couple of 168 00:10:29,679 --> 00:10:32,160 Speaker 1: years ago, but this is definitely not something that's gone away. 169 00:10:32,200 --> 00:10:37,439 Speaker 1: That was about auto dealers and auto tech educators who 170 00:10:37,440 --> 00:10:42,000 Speaker 1: are really worried about a shortfall of mechanics, saying that 171 00:10:42,080 --> 00:10:46,439 Speaker 1: it's really hard to attract and retain younger folks. Because 172 00:10:46,559 --> 00:10:49,200 Speaker 1: I just heard a thing on NPR the other day 173 00:10:49,200 --> 00:10:51,680 Speaker 1: talking about how maybe it was this morning. It was 174 00:10:51,720 --> 00:10:54,080 Speaker 1: this morning, I know the story you're talking about. Okay, Yeah, 175 00:10:54,080 --> 00:10:56,559 Speaker 1: it feels like it was already three years ago, um, 176 00:10:56,600 --> 00:10:58,800 Speaker 1: from when I just rolled out of bed. But they 177 00:10:58,840 --> 00:11:02,000 Speaker 1: were talking about how not only younger people, but now 178 00:11:02,040 --> 00:11:04,480 Speaker 1: it's a trend among older folks as well to let 179 00:11:04,520 --> 00:11:08,160 Speaker 1: their driver's licenses lap, especially with so many people moving 180 00:11:08,200 --> 00:11:11,360 Speaker 1: back to urban city centers. People are like, well, I 181 00:11:11,440 --> 00:11:14,440 Speaker 1: don't want the expense of a car. And so if 182 00:11:14,520 --> 00:11:17,800 Speaker 1: you have this generation that's giving up driver's licenses, they're 183 00:11:17,800 --> 00:11:20,120 Speaker 1: not as pumped about getting the license and driving and 184 00:11:20,200 --> 00:11:23,240 Speaker 1: learning how to take care of the car. They haven't 185 00:11:23,360 --> 00:11:26,800 Speaker 1: taken auto repair or shop classes in high school if 186 00:11:26,840 --> 00:11:30,319 Speaker 1: their schools even offer it, right, and maybe they haven't 187 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:32,800 Speaker 1: taken the higher level math and science that's required for 188 00:11:32,880 --> 00:11:35,360 Speaker 1: jobs like this. So you can imagine that it's hard 189 00:11:35,440 --> 00:11:39,240 Speaker 1: to sort of wu as you said, anyone, let alone 190 00:11:39,360 --> 00:11:45,000 Speaker 1: women to this job. But as Nancy Boys wisely assumed, 191 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:48,440 Speaker 1: I mean, there's there's great job security. If you study 192 00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:51,960 Speaker 1: to become an auto tech, chances are you will definitely 193 00:11:52,200 --> 00:11:54,520 Speaker 1: get a job, and you'll be able to keep that job. Yeah, 194 00:11:54,520 --> 00:11:57,000 Speaker 1: I mean it's you know, your local mechanic is not 195 00:11:57,120 --> 00:11:59,640 Speaker 1: going to be outsourced. That job is not going to 196 00:11:59,679 --> 00:12:01,839 Speaker 1: go way. And a lot of people that were quoted 197 00:12:01,840 --> 00:12:04,360 Speaker 1: in articles that we read talk about the joy of 198 00:12:04,400 --> 00:12:09,640 Speaker 1: getting to solve challenges and problems that not everybody can um. 199 00:12:09,679 --> 00:12:13,120 Speaker 1: And there's also a really large need for master technicians, 200 00:12:13,120 --> 00:12:15,040 Speaker 1: and these people are being asked to do jobs that 201 00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:18,960 Speaker 1: a couple of years ago would have required an engineering degree, 202 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:21,880 Speaker 1: so there's a lot of responsibility. Of course, the flip 203 00:12:21,920 --> 00:12:24,480 Speaker 1: side of that is like, maybe you should be raising 204 00:12:24,600 --> 00:12:28,960 Speaker 1: pay if you want to attract more people to this job. Well, 205 00:12:29,160 --> 00:12:33,240 Speaker 1: let's talk then about women, because you know, the industry 206 00:12:33,440 --> 00:12:38,400 Speaker 1: is slowly courting more women because I mean, there are 207 00:12:38,440 --> 00:12:41,880 Speaker 1: not many of us in that labor force. I mean, overall, 208 00:12:41,920 --> 00:12:45,400 Speaker 1: if we look at all of the workers in the US, 209 00:12:45,520 --> 00:12:47,880 Speaker 1: we make up about forty percent of those. But if 210 00:12:47,880 --> 00:12:51,360 Speaker 1: you look just at the automotive workforce, we make up 211 00:12:52,640 --> 00:12:57,480 Speaker 1: But then if we narrow it down to automotive service 212 00:12:57,520 --> 00:13:04,480 Speaker 1: technicians and mechanics, as women made up just one eight percent. Yeah, 213 00:13:04,520 --> 00:13:08,040 Speaker 1: and going back to Nancy boys, women make up just 214 00:13:08,360 --> 00:13:13,680 Speaker 1: point five percent of diesel engine specialists. This is I 215 00:13:13,720 --> 00:13:16,600 Speaker 1: feel like this is more than male dominated, Like what's 216 00:13:16,800 --> 00:13:19,120 Speaker 1: what's the word for, like a step above male dominated? 217 00:13:19,160 --> 00:13:23,440 Speaker 1: It's dudely, it's super deeply. And I'm sure that we 218 00:13:23,480 --> 00:13:26,680 Speaker 1: have lady mechanics out there who were just like, oh 219 00:13:26,720 --> 00:13:30,120 Speaker 1: my god, I can't believe you just said that. Yeah, 220 00:13:30,120 --> 00:13:32,600 Speaker 1: that it's like a super dudly professional. Although how could 221 00:13:32,600 --> 00:13:35,520 Speaker 1: you deny it? I mean it's mostly men. Yeah, the 222 00:13:35,559 --> 00:13:40,960 Speaker 1: stats kind of speak for themselves. UM and Deloitte released 223 00:13:40,960 --> 00:13:45,440 Speaker 1: their Women at the Wheel Auto Industry Report, and it's great. 224 00:13:45,960 --> 00:13:48,040 Speaker 1: We're gonna have a link to it over at stuff 225 00:13:48,080 --> 00:13:50,199 Speaker 1: I've Never told you dot Com in the source post 226 00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:52,280 Speaker 1: for this episode. I highly recommend you look at it 227 00:13:52,320 --> 00:13:56,120 Speaker 1: because it's basically one giant infographic. I don't know if 228 00:13:56,120 --> 00:13:58,440 Speaker 1: that's as big a draw for everyone as it is 229 00:13:58,480 --> 00:14:00,800 Speaker 1: for me, but I'm like, oh my, they just look 230 00:14:00,800 --> 00:14:03,440 Speaker 1: at all of the great graphics and little stick figures 231 00:14:03,440 --> 00:14:07,840 Speaker 1: they use. But okay, So anyway, Deloitte talked to a 232 00:14:07,880 --> 00:14:10,600 Speaker 1: ton of women in the auto industry, not just mechanics 233 00:14:10,640 --> 00:14:13,160 Speaker 1: but kind of women overall, and they asked them how 234 00:14:13,200 --> 00:14:17,800 Speaker 1: to fix this problem. There's so few women mechanics, so 235 00:14:18,240 --> 00:14:21,480 Speaker 1: number one. The biggest thing I felt like was cited 236 00:14:21,640 --> 00:14:24,600 Speaker 1: was creating a more flexible work schedule and environment. This 237 00:14:24,720 --> 00:14:28,880 Speaker 1: was a huge factor for the women interviewed. They also 238 00:14:28,920 --> 00:14:31,920 Speaker 1: talked about how important it is to develop the workforce early. 239 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:34,360 Speaker 1: I mean, Kristen and I talked about this in every 240 00:14:34,360 --> 00:14:38,920 Speaker 1: STEM conversation we have, about the importance of inspiring and 241 00:14:38,960 --> 00:14:42,920 Speaker 1: attracting people early in their lives, kids who might not 242 00:14:43,120 --> 00:14:46,000 Speaker 1: know that a job is available to them. Um, because 243 00:14:46,080 --> 00:14:48,640 Speaker 1: most of the respondents in this Deloit survey said that 244 00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:51,800 Speaker 1: schools are not doing enough to encourage girls to pursue 245 00:14:51,840 --> 00:14:54,680 Speaker 1: automotive careers and have a feeling too. For kids growing up, 246 00:14:54,720 --> 00:14:59,440 Speaker 1: there's a socialization factor where Dad might take little Jimmy 247 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:02,440 Speaker 1: out and show him the ropes with a with a 248 00:15:02,480 --> 00:15:06,320 Speaker 1: family car, whereas little Susie might just be left inside. 249 00:15:06,480 --> 00:15:09,520 Speaker 1: Little Susie never gets to go to the dealership. She doesn't. 250 00:15:09,680 --> 00:15:14,040 Speaker 1: But of course, another way to introduce a huge influx 251 00:15:14,040 --> 00:15:17,360 Speaker 1: of women into the automotive industry would be to start 252 00:15:17,480 --> 00:15:21,640 Speaker 1: World War three. Oh lord, oh goodness. No, no, I'm not. 253 00:15:21,720 --> 00:15:24,520 Speaker 1: I'm not advocating for that. No, well, we don't need 254 00:15:24,560 --> 00:15:29,720 Speaker 1: a World War Caroline, because even before World War One, 255 00:15:30,480 --> 00:15:35,240 Speaker 1: automotive schools for women existed, and they denied that learning 256 00:15:35,280 --> 00:15:39,080 Speaker 1: about auto mechanics conflicted with femininity. We have this this 257 00:15:39,160 --> 00:15:43,880 Speaker 1: whole like thing like throughout the history of this profession 258 00:15:43,880 --> 00:15:46,400 Speaker 1: where it's like, seriously, ladies, it's okay, you can do 259 00:15:46,440 --> 00:15:50,400 Speaker 1: this kind of work and still still be pretty Yeah, 260 00:15:50,680 --> 00:15:54,640 Speaker 1: with your tiny hands and you're your caring nature. It 261 00:15:54,680 --> 00:15:58,080 Speaker 1: can apply just as much to an engine as as 262 00:15:58,160 --> 00:16:01,000 Speaker 1: to your family members. And that was something that writer 263 00:16:01,200 --> 00:16:05,440 Speaker 1: Hamblin Rossiter wrote about. He compared the job of fixing 264 00:16:05,480 --> 00:16:08,520 Speaker 1: an engine to caring where a big family member like 265 00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:11,880 Speaker 1: you said and assured readers that quote, a woman does 266 00:16:11,920 --> 00:16:15,960 Speaker 1: not spoil her hands or even roughen them slightly handling 267 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:18,720 Speaker 1: machinery if she takes care of them. Yes, to put 268 00:16:18,720 --> 00:16:22,000 Speaker 1: on that lish and where the gloves. Where the gloves. 269 00:16:22,080 --> 00:16:24,440 Speaker 1: Make sure when you're washing those dishes, ladies, you use 270 00:16:24,520 --> 00:16:27,680 Speaker 1: that dish detergent that doesn't it's got lotion in it 271 00:16:27,800 --> 00:16:30,560 Speaker 1: or whatever. And sleep with those lotion gloves on to 272 00:16:30,640 --> 00:16:34,200 Speaker 1: keep your hands extra to your body and vaselines. And 273 00:16:34,240 --> 00:16:38,840 Speaker 1: then get under the hood. Um, but if we do 274 00:16:39,240 --> 00:16:41,960 Speaker 1: drive up to World War One, sorry I had to 275 00:16:41,960 --> 00:16:45,120 Speaker 1: get a mechanic pun in there at some point it. Um, 276 00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:49,720 Speaker 1: they're already women showing interest in cars, not surprisingly. I 277 00:16:49,720 --> 00:16:53,120 Speaker 1: mean we establish it there these mechanics schools, but we 278 00:16:53,160 --> 00:16:59,280 Speaker 1: also have women like Wilma Russi. Yeah, n Rusty was 279 00:16:59,320 --> 00:17:03,560 Speaker 1: already own as an expert garage mechanic. And she actually 280 00:17:03,560 --> 00:17:05,720 Speaker 1: became the first woman to work as a taxi driver 281 00:17:05,840 --> 00:17:07,560 Speaker 1: in New York. And I love it because anything you 282 00:17:07,560 --> 00:17:11,200 Speaker 1: read about her It's like it goes into detail about 283 00:17:11,240 --> 00:17:14,440 Speaker 1: how she would drive around the town in these dresses 284 00:17:14,560 --> 00:17:18,600 Speaker 1: with the leopard print hat and the leopard print scarf 285 00:17:18,640 --> 00:17:20,679 Speaker 1: and cuffs on all of this stuff. She was no 286 00:17:20,800 --> 00:17:23,360 Speaker 1: slouch when it came to fashion. But what I think 287 00:17:23,440 --> 00:17:27,400 Speaker 1: is important to mention about that is Russy was one 288 00:17:27,440 --> 00:17:31,640 Speaker 1: of many wealthy upper class women who took to driving 289 00:17:32,320 --> 00:17:36,119 Speaker 1: and therefore mechanics, which is something you had to know 290 00:17:36,160 --> 00:17:37,520 Speaker 1: how to do if you were going to drive a car, 291 00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:40,119 Speaker 1: because you know, cars in nine fifteen, you had to 292 00:17:40,119 --> 00:17:41,919 Speaker 1: know how to take care of them when it inevitably 293 00:17:42,000 --> 00:17:44,560 Speaker 1: like crapped out on you on the road. Um. But 294 00:17:44,600 --> 00:17:48,960 Speaker 1: it was driving and touring and motoring were huge among 295 00:17:49,040 --> 00:17:52,119 Speaker 1: upper class women because I mean, it got you out 296 00:17:52,160 --> 00:17:54,919 Speaker 1: of the house, It got you to see the world 297 00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:57,320 Speaker 1: kind of. I mean the context of this is around 298 00:17:57,400 --> 00:17:59,919 Speaker 1: this time, you have all of these women hopping in 299 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:02,520 Speaker 1: of cars, whether it was for like promotional things for 300 00:18:02,560 --> 00:18:04,959 Speaker 1: companies or just to show that women could do it, 301 00:18:05,400 --> 00:18:07,600 Speaker 1: hopping into cars and driving a cross country or making 302 00:18:07,640 --> 00:18:09,960 Speaker 1: these long drives just to show like, yeah, ladies can 303 00:18:10,000 --> 00:18:13,439 Speaker 1: do it. But those women were largely, as you might imagine, 304 00:18:13,480 --> 00:18:16,440 Speaker 1: the upper class who had the time and money to spare. Yeah. 305 00:18:16,520 --> 00:18:19,040 Speaker 1: In nineteen o nine, just a hot back. A few 306 00:18:19,119 --> 00:18:23,359 Speaker 1: years Alice Hewler Ramsey became the first woman to drive 307 00:18:23,400 --> 00:18:26,399 Speaker 1: across the country, and she was also a woman of means. 308 00:18:26,440 --> 00:18:29,399 Speaker 1: Her husband bought her a car the year before, and 309 00:18:29,640 --> 00:18:34,440 Speaker 1: the trip was a promotional campaign for I think it 310 00:18:34,520 --> 00:18:38,200 Speaker 1: was called the Maxwell Car Company, and I really love that. 311 00:18:38,359 --> 00:18:43,600 Speaker 1: For propriety's sake, she brought along her two conservative sisters 312 00:18:43,600 --> 00:18:47,320 Speaker 1: in law, Neddie and Margaret, as well as a sixteen 313 00:18:47,400 --> 00:18:50,520 Speaker 1: year old friend to keep things lively. But I mean 314 00:18:50,560 --> 00:18:54,479 Speaker 1: because the I mean, first of all, the interstate system 315 00:18:54,560 --> 00:18:57,719 Speaker 1: was pretty much non existent. They would have to follow 316 00:18:57,760 --> 00:19:00,800 Speaker 1: sometimes like telegraph lines just to where they needed to go. 317 00:19:01,440 --> 00:19:05,720 Speaker 1: But throughout their trip they had to fix radiators that 318 00:19:05,800 --> 00:19:09,880 Speaker 1: had overheated blown tires. At one point, uh, Ramsey talks 319 00:19:09,880 --> 00:19:12,919 Speaker 1: about how they got stuck in an irrigation ditch in 320 00:19:13,040 --> 00:19:15,400 Speaker 1: Wyoming and she was like, Oh, it was no big deal. 321 00:19:15,480 --> 00:19:17,960 Speaker 1: We just took out the block and tackle, hooked it 322 00:19:18,040 --> 00:19:22,360 Speaker 1: up to a stump and pulled the car ride out. Yeah. 323 00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:24,439 Speaker 1: And she would end up though, Ramsey would end up 324 00:19:24,920 --> 00:19:28,280 Speaker 1: making that drive I think thirty times, and she was 325 00:19:28,320 --> 00:19:32,119 Speaker 1: eventually named woman Motorists of the Century and so also 326 00:19:32,160 --> 00:19:36,680 Speaker 1: though around the same time that Wilma Rssi was mechanick 327 00:19:36,800 --> 00:19:40,520 Speaker 1: ng all over New York City. In nineteen sixteen, the 328 00:19:40,560 --> 00:19:44,480 Speaker 1: Girl Scouts of America initiated an automobiling badge, and to 329 00:19:44,560 --> 00:19:47,520 Speaker 1: earn it you had to demonstrate not only that you 330 00:19:47,560 --> 00:19:51,920 Speaker 1: had driving skills, but that you had mechanics talent and 331 00:19:52,040 --> 00:19:54,639 Speaker 1: first aid skills. Basically like, are you going to be 332 00:19:54,720 --> 00:19:57,200 Speaker 1: able to put out an engine fire when you're driving 333 00:19:57,200 --> 00:20:02,920 Speaker 1: this automobile? Well? And as Ramsey had to do, and 334 00:20:03,359 --> 00:20:07,800 Speaker 1: every successive like female driver after that. In nineteen six 335 00:20:08,600 --> 00:20:11,560 Speaker 1: an automotive instructor asserted that there was no reason to 336 00:20:11,640 --> 00:20:19,000 Speaker 1: assume men were better mechanics than women, but the introduction 337 00:20:19,040 --> 00:20:23,439 Speaker 1: to one of his diagnostic exercises included the scene setting 338 00:20:23,520 --> 00:20:27,800 Speaker 1: of quote, you will kindly imagine yourself twenty miles from 339 00:20:27,800 --> 00:20:32,080 Speaker 1: home and dinners getting cold in the same way as 340 00:20:32,520 --> 00:20:36,240 Speaker 1: who was it Hamblin Rossiter comparing with the engine to 341 00:20:36,320 --> 00:20:39,359 Speaker 1: a sick family member, Hamblin Rossiter, whose name sounds like 342 00:20:39,400 --> 00:20:42,760 Speaker 1: an anagram, right like that doesn't that's not a name? 343 00:20:42,840 --> 00:20:48,320 Speaker 1: Hamblin Camblin Rosster also sounds like some Silicon Valley mogul 344 00:20:48,440 --> 00:20:51,800 Speaker 1: who invented an app that we all used. You're right, 345 00:20:51,960 --> 00:20:54,679 Speaker 1: You're you're actually right. I agree with you now, But 346 00:20:54,760 --> 00:20:58,280 Speaker 1: I just loved that that sexist scene setting for his 347 00:20:58,359 --> 00:21:01,720 Speaker 1: manual is paired with his assertion that like, yeah, ladies 348 00:21:01,720 --> 00:21:04,800 Speaker 1: can totally do this. It's fine, Like, ladies, come on, 349 00:21:04,880 --> 00:21:07,359 Speaker 1: do this job. You can totally. You're totally qualified and 350 00:21:07,400 --> 00:21:11,280 Speaker 1: smart enough. It's not a man's job. But when I'm 351 00:21:11,320 --> 00:21:13,399 Speaker 1: teaching you, I need to put it in terms you 352 00:21:13,440 --> 00:21:17,240 Speaker 1: can understand, like dinner. And a lot of times these 353 00:21:17,359 --> 00:21:22,320 Speaker 1: kinds of promotional events, like women driving cars across the 354 00:21:22,359 --> 00:21:25,960 Speaker 1: country were of the angle of well, if a lady 355 00:21:25,960 --> 00:21:28,800 Speaker 1: can do it, anyone care and so yeah, I mean, 356 00:21:28,800 --> 00:21:32,720 Speaker 1: of course there's like some sexism rippling throughout it. Yeah, 357 00:21:32,760 --> 00:21:35,000 Speaker 1: And but at this time it is getting more and 358 00:21:35,040 --> 00:21:38,359 Speaker 1: more common to see stories in the popular press about 359 00:21:38,520 --> 00:21:41,920 Speaker 1: lady mechanics filling in the gaps as men are going 360 00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:43,720 Speaker 1: to fight in World War One. I mean it was 361 00:21:43,760 --> 00:21:48,119 Speaker 1: a way for women to serve their country and make money. 362 00:21:48,160 --> 00:21:50,639 Speaker 1: I mean it was. It was a great opportunity for 363 00:21:50,680 --> 00:21:54,800 Speaker 1: women who perhaps never worked before. Yeah, there was um 364 00:21:55,480 --> 00:21:59,480 Speaker 1: nineteen eighteen article we found with a photo caption not 365 00:21:59,600 --> 00:22:03,639 Speaker 1: exactly a woman's job, perhaps, but these patriotic sisters stop 366 00:22:03,680 --> 00:22:07,040 Speaker 1: it nothing when they have once entered the work, into 367 00:22:07,160 --> 00:22:11,000 Speaker 1: the work. Yes, once they've entered the work. Um same 368 00:22:11,119 --> 00:22:14,359 Speaker 1: year eighteen, there was a handbook titled the Care and 369 00:22:14,480 --> 00:22:19,080 Speaker 1: Management of the Modern Motor Car. Uh those specifically geared 370 00:22:19,280 --> 00:22:22,360 Speaker 1: geared toward women. There we go, now I'm doing it. 371 00:22:22,720 --> 00:22:25,159 Speaker 1: And Virginia Sharff, who's the author of the book Taking 372 00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:27,679 Speaker 1: the Wheel, Women and the Coming of the Motor Age, 373 00:22:28,320 --> 00:22:34,359 Speaker 1: called this handbooks town patronizing and jocular. But the important 374 00:22:34,400 --> 00:22:38,720 Speaker 1: note is that it praised these four hundred why did 375 00:22:38,760 --> 00:22:42,080 Speaker 1: you see a auto mechanic grads saying that they were 376 00:22:42,119 --> 00:22:44,760 Speaker 1: just as good as the dudes in quote, mastering the 377 00:22:44,800 --> 00:22:47,760 Speaker 1: mechanical and technical details of a car. And they warned 378 00:22:48,200 --> 00:22:51,280 Speaker 1: professional show first to watch out for that influx of 379 00:22:51,359 --> 00:22:52,840 Speaker 1: ladies because you have to keep in mind, You're like, 380 00:22:52,920 --> 00:22:54,880 Speaker 1: why does it matter? Why does chau first care about 381 00:22:54,960 --> 00:22:59,159 Speaker 1: ladies driving? Because chauffeurst were also responsible for fixing and 382 00:22:59,280 --> 00:23:02,359 Speaker 1: maintaining the car. I mean, everyone's seen Downton Abbey, right, 383 00:23:02,480 --> 00:23:05,720 Speaker 1: We all know about the chauffeur who had to fix 384 00:23:05,760 --> 00:23:09,080 Speaker 1: the car and then married the daughter whoa spoilers. That 385 00:23:09,200 --> 00:23:11,440 Speaker 1: was way back. I was way back. That's we're way 386 00:23:11,480 --> 00:23:16,000 Speaker 1: past that now. But if we look at military specific involvement, 387 00:23:16,040 --> 00:23:19,160 Speaker 1: you've got the Motor Core of America that was established 388 00:23:19,200 --> 00:23:21,400 Speaker 1: by the National League of Women's Services and the Red 389 00:23:21,480 --> 00:23:25,800 Speaker 1: Cross to provide transportation and ambulatory services to military personnel. 390 00:23:25,840 --> 00:23:28,680 Speaker 1: And this gave women the chance not only to learn 391 00:23:28,760 --> 00:23:32,120 Speaker 1: how to drive and serve their country, but also maintain 392 00:23:32,160 --> 00:23:34,920 Speaker 1: those vehicles. And in order to join the Motor Core 393 00:23:34,960 --> 00:23:37,160 Speaker 1: of America, you had to have a show first license, 394 00:23:37,400 --> 00:23:41,480 Speaker 1: a mechanics license with a passing grade of at least eighty, 395 00:23:41,600 --> 00:23:45,240 Speaker 1: on top of many hours of training. And there were perks. 396 00:23:45,359 --> 00:23:48,760 Speaker 1: Christian We've already talked about the coveralls, right, um. Well, 397 00:23:48,880 --> 00:23:53,879 Speaker 1: one nineteen eighteen New York Times reporter loved it too. Uh, 398 00:23:53,920 --> 00:23:56,959 Speaker 1: he wrote, the young women also ought to be praised 399 00:23:56,960 --> 00:23:59,440 Speaker 1: for their spirit of service. Of course he's talking about 400 00:23:59,480 --> 00:24:04,000 Speaker 1: the Motor Core women. The conditions of service impose no 401 00:24:04,160 --> 00:24:07,560 Speaker 1: special sacrifice of feminine quality. So there it is yet again, 402 00:24:08,200 --> 00:24:10,320 Speaker 1: which is something which is a sentiment we will see 403 00:24:10,320 --> 00:24:15,120 Speaker 1: repeated now today in also that like, hey, you can 404 00:24:15,119 --> 00:24:18,000 Speaker 1: still be a lady lady Nancy boys. Yeah, and he 405 00:24:18,040 --> 00:24:21,240 Speaker 1: says also, who can doubt that their uniforms make them 406 00:24:21,280 --> 00:24:24,800 Speaker 1: even more attract Let a win win, such a win win, 407 00:24:24,840 --> 00:24:29,000 Speaker 1: you can be so gorgeous as a mechanic. And of course, 408 00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:32,000 Speaker 1: authors Sharf, who we mentioned a second ago, assures readers 409 00:24:32,080 --> 00:24:37,199 Speaker 1: that the uniforms were meant to and succeeded in minimizing 410 00:24:37,240 --> 00:24:41,320 Speaker 1: both femininity and individuality. For instance, members of the women's 411 00:24:41,320 --> 00:24:43,720 Speaker 1: auxiliary core of the Wax, whether you're a mechanic or 412 00:24:43,760 --> 00:24:47,880 Speaker 1: a truck driver, you would wear these khaki green one 413 00:24:47,960 --> 00:24:50,480 Speaker 1: piece coveralls that were just the same as those that 414 00:24:50,520 --> 00:24:53,520 Speaker 1: the guys wore on purpose, like you were meant to 415 00:24:53,560 --> 00:24:56,480 Speaker 1: blend in. There was no nobody wanted, like anyone to 416 00:24:56,520 --> 00:24:58,960 Speaker 1: stand out when it came to serving. And like we 417 00:24:59,080 --> 00:25:02,760 Speaker 1: hinted at a few men gets ago, this field of 418 00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:06,879 Speaker 1: mechanic work meant different things to different classes of women, 419 00:25:06,960 --> 00:25:08,840 Speaker 1: because I think it was Sharf who pointed out that 420 00:25:08,880 --> 00:25:12,560 Speaker 1: for those wealthier drivers, as you mentioned, Caroline, Uh, this 421 00:25:12,960 --> 00:25:15,880 Speaker 1: offered an opportunity to get out of the house and 422 00:25:15,960 --> 00:25:19,520 Speaker 1: kind of shrug off those constraints of Victorian femininity. As 423 00:25:19,560 --> 00:25:24,960 Speaker 1: Scharf put it. Whereas for less economically privileged women, I mean, 424 00:25:24,960 --> 00:25:27,440 Speaker 1: this was just a job. This was a great opportunity 425 00:25:27,600 --> 00:25:31,520 Speaker 1: to make some money. Yeah. And in the interwar years 426 00:25:31,560 --> 00:25:35,320 Speaker 1: in the nineteen twenties, though a lot of those volunteer 427 00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:38,680 Speaker 1: drivers and mechanics from wealthy families ended up returning home, 428 00:25:39,560 --> 00:25:43,639 Speaker 1: hundreds of former service women flocked to those vocational schools 429 00:25:43,680 --> 00:25:46,880 Speaker 1: like ones that the Knights of Columbus established in Washington, 430 00:25:46,960 --> 00:25:50,840 Speaker 1: d c. For instance, to take auto mechanics training. There 431 00:25:50,840 --> 00:25:52,720 Speaker 1: were so many women, and we talked about this, We 432 00:25:52,800 --> 00:25:56,280 Speaker 1: talked about this in so many other episodes, um, where 433 00:25:56,320 --> 00:25:59,760 Speaker 1: so many women didn't want to go home, whether it 434 00:25:59,800 --> 00:26:02,000 Speaker 1: was because they needed to support their families or because 435 00:26:02,040 --> 00:26:04,720 Speaker 1: they've just gotten a taste of freedom and independence that 436 00:26:04,920 --> 00:26:06,840 Speaker 1: earning your own money can give you. And all of 437 00:26:06,840 --> 00:26:10,840 Speaker 1: that pretty much happened all over again during World War Two. 438 00:26:11,200 --> 00:26:14,840 Speaker 1: So if we hop over to Australia, for instance, Hello 439 00:26:14,960 --> 00:26:20,400 Speaker 1: Australian listeners, the National Roads and Motorists Association offered lectures 440 00:26:20,440 --> 00:26:23,840 Speaker 1: on vehicle mechanics to women with the aim that they 441 00:26:23,840 --> 00:26:28,320 Speaker 1: could be ambulance drivers. And the women in these courses 442 00:26:28,440 --> 00:26:32,119 Speaker 1: were like, oh my gosh, this is so easy. So 443 00:26:32,400 --> 00:26:36,479 Speaker 1: the n r m A offered more advanced hands on 444 00:26:36,640 --> 00:26:39,280 Speaker 1: mechanic training. They're like, oh, okay, they can handle this, well, 445 00:26:39,640 --> 00:26:43,960 Speaker 1: let's teach them some more intensive skills. And one high 446 00:26:43,960 --> 00:26:49,160 Speaker 1: scoring student, Ms K Broadbent, ended up organizing a Women's 447 00:26:49,200 --> 00:26:54,280 Speaker 1: Auxiliary Transport Corps and successfully trained more than five women 448 00:26:54,680 --> 00:26:58,960 Speaker 1: to handle trucks, ambulances and motorcycles. Amazing. What can happen 449 00:26:58,960 --> 00:27:04,080 Speaker 1: when you empower and educate women? Yeah? Um, And of course, 450 00:27:04,160 --> 00:27:07,360 Speaker 1: during World War Two, even Queen Elizabeth will although at 451 00:27:07,359 --> 00:27:10,639 Speaker 1: this time Princess UH served as a truck mechanics. She 452 00:27:10,760 --> 00:27:15,119 Speaker 1: was part of the Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service in nineteen five, 453 00:27:15,960 --> 00:27:19,040 Speaker 1: during which time she learned to change wheels, she deconstructed 454 00:27:19,040 --> 00:27:22,800 Speaker 1: and rebuilt engines, and she drove ambulances and other cars. 455 00:27:22,920 --> 00:27:25,040 Speaker 1: And there's a great again over at our service post 456 00:27:25,080 --> 00:27:27,800 Speaker 1: on our website. Uh, there's a link to this article 457 00:27:27,920 --> 00:27:31,199 Speaker 1: that has all of these pictures of her tinkering with cars. 458 00:27:31,240 --> 00:27:33,240 Speaker 1: And it's fabulous, even if it is a photo op. 459 00:27:33,240 --> 00:27:35,439 Speaker 1: I don't care, don't tell me. I just love it. 460 00:27:35,480 --> 00:27:37,959 Speaker 1: I love to see her like tinkering with engines and stuff. 461 00:27:38,440 --> 00:27:41,920 Speaker 1: And when we hop back to the United States. There 462 00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:44,719 Speaker 1: is a slightly different landscape during World War Two than 463 00:27:44,760 --> 00:27:48,439 Speaker 1: there was during World War One, mainly specifically in this 464 00:27:48,520 --> 00:27:51,040 Speaker 1: case because cars were way more common at this point, 465 00:27:51,160 --> 00:27:54,000 Speaker 1: as was the knowledge of how to maintain them. So 466 00:27:54,119 --> 00:27:56,520 Speaker 1: you had all these g i s who could repair 467 00:27:57,040 --> 00:28:00,159 Speaker 1: trucks and tanks. They didn't necessarily rely on people at 468 00:28:00,160 --> 00:28:02,560 Speaker 1: the garage. They you know, if something terrible happened when 469 00:28:02,600 --> 00:28:05,440 Speaker 1: they were out in the field, they could handle it themselves. 470 00:28:06,320 --> 00:28:09,959 Speaker 1: But at home, of course, we saw the same labor shortages. 471 00:28:10,440 --> 00:28:15,840 Speaker 1: Mechanic manpower dropped in the US between December nineteen forty 472 00:28:16,040 --> 00:28:20,840 Speaker 1: nine two, and you had new car manufacturing that was 473 00:28:20,880 --> 00:28:23,640 Speaker 1: halted in favor of the war efforts. So what does 474 00:28:23,640 --> 00:28:26,199 Speaker 1: that mean. You don't have any men to do the 475 00:28:26,240 --> 00:28:28,639 Speaker 1: car repairs, and you don't have any new cars. You 476 00:28:28,680 --> 00:28:30,119 Speaker 1: can't like buy a new car when you're all on 477 00:28:30,160 --> 00:28:32,680 Speaker 1: craps out, you have to repair the one you have, 478 00:28:32,960 --> 00:28:36,119 Speaker 1: which means that you have this influx of women into garages, 479 00:28:36,760 --> 00:28:40,360 Speaker 1: into military garages, so not just the garage on the corner, 480 00:28:40,520 --> 00:28:42,800 Speaker 1: and also just learning to repair their own family's car. 481 00:28:43,200 --> 00:28:47,680 Speaker 1: And car companies were directly recruiting women. For instance, by 482 00:28:48,640 --> 00:28:53,120 Speaker 1: three the student Aker Corporation declared women can and must 483 00:28:53,240 --> 00:28:58,600 Speaker 1: be employed for automotive maintenance service, and author Kevin Borg 484 00:28:59,200 --> 00:29:02,560 Speaker 1: talks about the parallel rise of Rosie the Riveter and 485 00:29:02,720 --> 00:29:05,680 Speaker 1: Mary Joe the Mechanic. Did he make that up? Because 486 00:29:05,720 --> 00:29:08,360 Speaker 1: I had never heard that before. I hadn't either googled it, 487 00:29:08,440 --> 00:29:11,200 Speaker 1: and only his book came up. Okay, Yeah, and that's fine, 488 00:29:11,640 --> 00:29:14,640 Speaker 1: that's totally fine. No. I wish that she really existed, though. Yeah, 489 00:29:14,720 --> 00:29:19,920 Speaker 1: if only we had artistic listeners who could possibly artistically 490 00:29:19,920 --> 00:29:23,920 Speaker 1: interpret what married Joe the Mechanic Rosie the Riveter's friend 491 00:29:24,400 --> 00:29:26,560 Speaker 1: might look like, I'm just gonna leave that, leave that 492 00:29:26,680 --> 00:29:31,560 Speaker 1: right there. But Borg discusses my new hero, the ninety 493 00:29:31,560 --> 00:29:36,360 Speaker 1: pound Evelyn Mighty Might Rand, who attended a Boston trade 494 00:29:36,400 --> 00:29:38,960 Speaker 1: school with forty other ladies and they ended up working 495 00:29:38,960 --> 00:29:42,400 Speaker 1: at an army ordinance shop in Maine, first as mechanic helpers, 496 00:29:42,920 --> 00:29:45,600 Speaker 1: then as straight up mechanics. And what's so great about 497 00:29:45,600 --> 00:29:49,600 Speaker 1: the story is they were paid comparably to what men made. 498 00:29:50,480 --> 00:29:54,880 Speaker 1: Uh and Rand told BORGU, we did all types of 499 00:29:54,920 --> 00:29:58,080 Speaker 1: work on ten wheeler trucks, jeeps, dodge weapon carriers, and 500 00:29:58,080 --> 00:30:01,400 Speaker 1: staff cars. We overhauled engines, tune ups, re line breaks, 501 00:30:01,440 --> 00:30:04,360 Speaker 1: greased vehicles, and whatever was written up on the job 502 00:30:04,480 --> 00:30:09,360 Speaker 1: order by the inspector, and so Mighty Might she ends 503 00:30:09,440 --> 00:30:14,760 Speaker 1: up getting promoted to the machine shop where she overhauled carburetors, generators, distributors, 504 00:30:14,800 --> 00:30:17,520 Speaker 1: on and on and on and worked on breaks. And 505 00:30:17,560 --> 00:30:22,440 Speaker 1: when her shop closed in she wasn't sent home. Mighty 506 00:30:22,560 --> 00:30:25,720 Speaker 1: Might got a raise and was transferred to Dow Air 507 00:30:25,760 --> 00:30:30,480 Speaker 1: Base to continue rebuilding and repairing ordinance vehicles. But, as 508 00:30:30,600 --> 00:30:33,560 Speaker 1: is the case with so many women, whether you're a 509 00:30:33,680 --> 00:30:36,920 Speaker 1: Rosie or a Mary Joe, once the war was over, 510 00:30:37,320 --> 00:30:40,400 Speaker 1: Rand told Borick she was heartbroken because she had to 511 00:30:40,400 --> 00:30:44,800 Speaker 1: return home. Yeah, and we'll talk about what happened after 512 00:30:45,320 --> 00:30:58,560 Speaker 1: the war when we come right back from a quick break. So, 513 00:30:58,800 --> 00:31:01,920 Speaker 1: due to the g I, a lot of men who 514 00:31:01,920 --> 00:31:05,760 Speaker 1: returned home from the war went back into or newly 515 00:31:05,960 --> 00:31:10,080 Speaker 1: into mechanic positions, and it also helped them open their 516 00:31:10,080 --> 00:31:13,880 Speaker 1: own shops. So in nineteen fifty, at the end of 517 00:31:13,920 --> 00:31:16,959 Speaker 1: the spike we were talking about in Lady Mechanics, more 518 00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:20,320 Speaker 1: than four thousand women auto mechanics were listed in the 519 00:31:20,360 --> 00:31:26,520 Speaker 1: US Census, which was a three d increase over nineteen 520 00:31:26,640 --> 00:31:30,200 Speaker 1: forty figures, but keep in mind this is still not 521 00:31:30,320 --> 00:31:33,720 Speaker 1: even one per cent of the whole pool. Yeah, I mean, 522 00:31:33,720 --> 00:31:36,360 Speaker 1: it sounds great that in nineteen fifty you've got this 523 00:31:36,480 --> 00:31:40,800 Speaker 1: many women working as mechanics, But as Kristen said, that 524 00:31:40,960 --> 00:31:43,880 Speaker 1: was the end of the spike, that was it. By 525 00:31:43,960 --> 00:31:48,080 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty, only about twenty three hundred women auto mechanics 526 00:31:48,080 --> 00:31:50,719 Speaker 1: were listed in the US Census. But I mean it's 527 00:31:50,760 --> 00:31:53,320 Speaker 1: not like they disappeared. They obviously were still women were 528 00:31:53,360 --> 00:31:58,800 Speaker 1: still employed as mechanics. In Women in Technology News interviewed 529 00:31:58,880 --> 00:32:01,440 Speaker 1: Betsy Hoffman, who at the time was the chair of 530 00:32:01,440 --> 00:32:06,120 Speaker 1: the Automotive Technology Department at Vermont Technical College. And Hoffman 531 00:32:06,240 --> 00:32:09,400 Speaker 1: was the first woman in the United States to hold 532 00:32:09,440 --> 00:32:15,040 Speaker 1: the Automotive Service Excellence L one Advanced Engine Performance certification, 533 00:32:15,160 --> 00:32:18,480 Speaker 1: and she this should be a familiar refrain got into 534 00:32:18,480 --> 00:32:20,680 Speaker 1: mechanics because she didn't have the money to take her 535 00:32:20,720 --> 00:32:24,000 Speaker 1: car and had to learn the repairs herself. Wanted a stable, 536 00:32:24,040 --> 00:32:26,520 Speaker 1: steady job where she could earn a good paycheck. I 537 00:32:26,560 --> 00:32:29,400 Speaker 1: feel like the theme of this episode is really just 538 00:32:29,520 --> 00:32:34,600 Speaker 1: sisters doing it for themselves. Yeah. Absolutely, and Hoffman predicted 539 00:32:34,840 --> 00:32:38,200 Speaker 1: quote enormous opportunities for women in the automotive field and 540 00:32:38,320 --> 00:32:42,080 Speaker 1: fewer and fewer obstacles to their success in it. Why 541 00:32:42,120 --> 00:32:43,880 Speaker 1: because of those things that we mentioned at the top 542 00:32:43,880 --> 00:32:48,720 Speaker 1: of the podcast, the fact that it's almost more mentally 543 00:32:48,880 --> 00:32:53,400 Speaker 1: challenging than physically challenging, with the move toward electronic components 544 00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:57,760 Speaker 1: and really light parts, and the fact that like even 545 00:32:58,040 --> 00:33:00,520 Speaker 1: male mechanics, as Hoffman pointed out, are going to rely 546 00:33:00,600 --> 00:33:03,720 Speaker 1: on lifts, levers and teamwork to get all of this 547 00:33:03,720 --> 00:33:06,920 Speaker 1: stuff done. It's not like you are individually, by hand 548 00:33:06,920 --> 00:33:10,080 Speaker 1: expected to lift a whole engine. And we're also seeing 549 00:33:10,760 --> 00:33:15,280 Speaker 1: a small but notable trend of against this was doing 550 00:33:15,280 --> 00:33:19,600 Speaker 1: it for themselves, um such as Patrice Banks, who is 551 00:33:19,640 --> 00:33:22,960 Speaker 1: an ex upont engineer who's kind of become the face 552 00:33:23,560 --> 00:33:27,040 Speaker 1: of women getting into the garage and also starting their 553 00:33:27,040 --> 00:33:30,200 Speaker 1: own garages. So as she gave a ted talk about this, 554 00:33:30,400 --> 00:33:35,000 Speaker 1: there are all sorts of articles profiling her, and the 555 00:33:35,080 --> 00:33:38,160 Speaker 1: gist of it is that she couldn't find a female mechanic, 556 00:33:38,640 --> 00:33:41,560 Speaker 1: so she became one. She talked about how fed up 557 00:33:41,640 --> 00:33:44,440 Speaker 1: she was with feeling like what she called an auto 558 00:33:44,600 --> 00:33:50,440 Speaker 1: air head and getting scammed by quote, the male dominated 559 00:33:50,640 --> 00:33:53,760 Speaker 1: car care industry. So as she was still working as 560 00:33:53,760 --> 00:33:58,080 Speaker 1: a DuPont engineer. She took community college classes for two 561 00:33:58,200 --> 00:34:03,240 Speaker 1: years on the side, earned a diploma in automotive technology, 562 00:34:03,280 --> 00:34:07,600 Speaker 1: and ended up founding the Girl's Auto Clinic, in which 563 00:34:07,600 --> 00:34:10,399 Speaker 1: I believe is in Philadelphia. Yeah, I mean, she talks 564 00:34:10,440 --> 00:34:14,680 Speaker 1: about how she wanted to correct the gender imbalance in 565 00:34:14,719 --> 00:34:20,640 Speaker 1: the industry because unfortunately Hoffman's predictions never came true. That 566 00:34:20,719 --> 00:34:23,239 Speaker 1: was back. She's like, more and more women are going 567 00:34:23,320 --> 00:34:26,600 Speaker 1: to do this. There's fewer and fewer obstacles. We've yet 568 00:34:26,640 --> 00:34:30,240 Speaker 1: to see. It happened, and so Banks's goal is to 569 00:34:30,280 --> 00:34:35,880 Speaker 1: sort of decimate that discrepancy. UM. Her Girls Auto Clinic 570 00:34:36,200 --> 00:34:39,480 Speaker 1: organization offers free workshops that teach women how to learn 571 00:34:39,480 --> 00:34:41,640 Speaker 1: how to take care of their cars, how to talk 572 00:34:41,640 --> 00:34:44,480 Speaker 1: to a mechanic, and what to do in an emergency. UM. 573 00:34:44,600 --> 00:34:47,480 Speaker 1: She's also in the process in Philadelphia of opening an 574 00:34:47,480 --> 00:34:51,080 Speaker 1: auto shop that's tailored specifically to women and staffed by 575 00:34:51,160 --> 00:34:55,080 Speaker 1: lady mechanics and technicians. And it will include a nail salon, 576 00:34:55,360 --> 00:34:59,319 Speaker 1: which at first I rolled my eyes at. I will 577 00:34:59,360 --> 00:35:01,680 Speaker 1: admit I of my eyes with that infected to But 578 00:35:02,960 --> 00:35:05,560 Speaker 1: have you ever had to wait at an auto shop 579 00:35:05,640 --> 00:35:08,920 Speaker 1: or a dealership. Absolutely, it's obnoxious, and especially if the 580 00:35:08,920 --> 00:35:11,759 Speaker 1: WiFi spotty and you can't do work. I never have 581 00:35:11,840 --> 00:35:14,560 Speaker 1: time to get my nails done. There you go. I 582 00:35:14,680 --> 00:35:18,799 Speaker 1: was like, you know, Banks is onto something. But the 583 00:35:18,880 --> 00:35:21,080 Speaker 1: I really part of me like that totally does planned 584 00:35:21,120 --> 00:35:23,640 Speaker 1: all of these narratives about like, well you've still got 585 00:35:23,640 --> 00:35:25,439 Speaker 1: to be girly. Oh you don't worry, you can still 586 00:35:25,480 --> 00:35:30,160 Speaker 1: be girly. But I'm I'm once I thought through about like, 587 00:35:30,320 --> 00:35:33,440 Speaker 1: actually I would probably take advantage of that. I unrolled 588 00:35:33,440 --> 00:35:36,680 Speaker 1: my eyes. I'm happy to report well. And it reminds 589 00:35:36,719 --> 00:35:40,120 Speaker 1: me of the mechanic shop that's been here in Atlanta 590 00:35:40,200 --> 00:35:43,440 Speaker 1: for a while called my favorite mechanic As a woman, 591 00:35:44,560 --> 00:35:47,920 Speaker 1: I don't think that they offer manicures, but and I'm 592 00:35:47,920 --> 00:35:49,440 Speaker 1: fine with that, but I know a number of people 593 00:35:49,560 --> 00:35:54,160 Speaker 1: who go there and get great car care. UM. And 594 00:35:54,280 --> 00:35:56,920 Speaker 1: one thing that we really haven't talked too much about 595 00:35:57,200 --> 00:36:01,960 Speaker 1: in this podcast is how women do often feel bamboozled 596 00:36:02,120 --> 00:36:07,960 Speaker 1: in mechanics shops. UM. There was a Northwestern University study 597 00:36:07,960 --> 00:36:11,240 Speaker 1: that confirmed this as well. It found that auto repair 598 00:36:11,320 --> 00:36:15,960 Speaker 1: shops tend to give women significantly higher price quotes than 599 00:36:16,040 --> 00:36:21,200 Speaker 1: men when customers are uninformed about market prices. And I've 600 00:36:21,239 --> 00:36:23,759 Speaker 1: noticed that in my personal experience as well. If I 601 00:36:23,800 --> 00:36:28,040 Speaker 1: go in clearly not really knowing what's wrong, I will 602 00:36:28,080 --> 00:36:32,560 Speaker 1: get all sorts of diagnostic problems and suggestions. But if 603 00:36:32,600 --> 00:36:37,840 Speaker 1: I go in knowing exactly what I need, then that's 604 00:36:37,880 --> 00:36:39,239 Speaker 1: I mean, that's it. It's kind of like if you 605 00:36:39,280 --> 00:36:42,880 Speaker 1: show some knowledge and you show what's up, then it 606 00:36:43,320 --> 00:36:46,399 Speaker 1: seems like you tend to get less pushback. Yeah, and 607 00:36:46,400 --> 00:36:48,919 Speaker 1: and you see that in comments about on these types 608 00:36:48,920 --> 00:36:51,400 Speaker 1: of articles, people being like man or woman, if you 609 00:36:51,440 --> 00:36:54,400 Speaker 1: don't know anything, you'll probably be taken advantage of. And 610 00:36:54,440 --> 00:36:56,440 Speaker 1: I hate that that's the case. Why can you not 611 00:36:56,640 --> 00:37:00,480 Speaker 1: just go into an auto dealership or mechanics up and 612 00:37:01,840 --> 00:37:04,719 Speaker 1: be treated honestly no matter who you are or what 613 00:37:04,760 --> 00:37:06,759 Speaker 1: you know. Wouldn't that be nice? That'd be so nice. 614 00:37:06,800 --> 00:37:09,160 Speaker 1: But that's the kind of stuff that these women are 615 00:37:09,440 --> 00:37:14,160 Speaker 1: pushing back against. There's also um Julia Johnson who started 616 00:37:14,200 --> 00:37:18,200 Speaker 1: the Heart Wrenchers Auto Club in San Francisco in and 617 00:37:18,320 --> 00:37:21,040 Speaker 1: they do free car repairs for low income folks. They 618 00:37:21,040 --> 00:37:24,640 Speaker 1: teach Girl Scouts and other kids basic auto maintenance, and 619 00:37:24,680 --> 00:37:27,480 Speaker 1: they generally just work to support and inspire other women 620 00:37:27,520 --> 00:37:30,279 Speaker 1: to not only take care of their cars themselves, but 621 00:37:30,400 --> 00:37:32,960 Speaker 1: get into the industry. I love it. I love that 622 00:37:33,040 --> 00:37:35,880 Speaker 1: kind of work. And this is something that's not just 623 00:37:36,120 --> 00:37:40,759 Speaker 1: happening in the US if we go over to Nigeria. 624 00:37:41,200 --> 00:37:45,279 Speaker 1: Sandra Aguabar started the Lady Mechanic Initiative, which has seen 625 00:37:45,280 --> 00:37:49,319 Speaker 1: more than seven hundred women across five states graduates since 626 00:37:49,360 --> 00:37:53,080 Speaker 1: two thousand four, and of spring, more than three hundred 627 00:37:53,120 --> 00:37:56,160 Speaker 1: women were on the waiting list to take the two 628 00:37:56,239 --> 00:38:00,480 Speaker 1: year program. Yeah, this woman is amazing. So Aguabar fruits 629 00:38:00,600 --> 00:38:05,280 Speaker 1: women who are in pretty risky situations. She visits brothel, 630 00:38:05,440 --> 00:38:09,759 Speaker 1: she visits poor areas where there's a lot of drug activity. UM. 631 00:38:09,800 --> 00:38:12,080 Speaker 1: At least a dozen of the women enrolled in her 632 00:38:12,080 --> 00:38:16,600 Speaker 1: program in were former sex workers, and they're working alongside 633 00:38:16,760 --> 00:38:21,319 Speaker 1: or learning alongside former lawyers, engineers, university grads. It's not 634 00:38:21,400 --> 00:38:25,160 Speaker 1: like this is some charity. She's honestly just trying to 635 00:38:25,320 --> 00:38:28,960 Speaker 1: support all types of women and give them more opportunities. 636 00:38:29,280 --> 00:38:33,799 Speaker 1: There's this great video that will post to on our 637 00:38:33,840 --> 00:38:37,680 Speaker 1: site where Agraware is telling an interviewer why not start 638 00:38:37,719 --> 00:38:41,279 Speaker 1: empowering women to be mechanics. UM. She started with just 639 00:38:41,440 --> 00:38:47,120 Speaker 1: a handful of women and now she's got this train 640 00:38:47,280 --> 00:38:49,880 Speaker 1: and pay program, So a lot of the women that 641 00:38:50,000 --> 00:38:53,960 Speaker 1: she trained are now at other garages, their own garages, 642 00:38:54,280 --> 00:38:58,839 Speaker 1: and they get paid to train other ladies through this initiative. 643 00:38:59,239 --> 00:39:03,520 Speaker 1: So it's this whole network of women supporting women. As 644 00:39:03,560 --> 00:39:06,880 Speaker 1: Aguabor says, I really believe when you train a woman 645 00:39:06,920 --> 00:39:09,799 Speaker 1: in this work, you give something to the whole community. 646 00:39:09,840 --> 00:39:14,800 Speaker 1: And those Nigerian communities need that kind of work because 647 00:39:14,880 --> 00:39:19,560 Speaker 1: they tend to have harsh road conditions, lots of older cars, 648 00:39:19,600 --> 00:39:23,840 Speaker 1: and countless generators that are keeping things humming despite the 649 00:39:23,880 --> 00:39:27,360 Speaker 1: shaky electrical grid, which kind of hearkens back to Nancy 650 00:39:27,400 --> 00:39:31,280 Speaker 1: Boyce in her work in those remote areas in Alaska. 651 00:39:31,520 --> 00:39:34,840 Speaker 1: And I also love this quote from Winifred act Fure, 652 00:39:35,320 --> 00:39:37,320 Speaker 1: who at the time was wearing a bright red T 653 00:39:37,480 --> 00:39:41,520 Speaker 1: shirt and reading I fixed cars, and she says, in Nigeria, 654 00:39:41,680 --> 00:39:44,080 Speaker 1: this job isn't common for women, so if you do 655 00:39:44,120 --> 00:39:48,319 Speaker 1: it well, people will really admire you. And she goes 656 00:39:48,360 --> 00:39:50,360 Speaker 1: on to say how our bosses treat her well, but 657 00:39:50,400 --> 00:39:52,399 Speaker 1: they also kind of like to flaunt her in front 658 00:39:52,400 --> 00:39:56,040 Speaker 1: of customers because quote, it's good business to have a 659 00:39:56,120 --> 00:39:59,080 Speaker 1: female mechanic. Yeah. I loved so In this video that 660 00:39:59,120 --> 00:40:01,600 Speaker 1: I was watching that was interviewing all of these women 661 00:40:01,600 --> 00:40:05,239 Speaker 1: who work with Aguabar. They were going out into the 662 00:40:05,280 --> 00:40:10,440 Speaker 1: community to try to drum up interest in this alternative life, 663 00:40:10,480 --> 00:40:13,040 Speaker 1: like here you have the chance to have this job, 664 00:40:13,239 --> 00:40:16,240 Speaker 1: make more money, have a more steady income. And these 665 00:40:16,360 --> 00:40:19,719 Speaker 1: women mechanics were so freaking enthusiastic. I loved it. They 666 00:40:19,719 --> 00:40:23,200 Speaker 1: were like going up to people's houses being like, lady 667 00:40:23,239 --> 00:40:26,360 Speaker 1: mechanics were awesome, you should join us, and they just 668 00:40:26,400 --> 00:40:28,520 Speaker 1: go onto the next house. That was basically like a 669 00:40:28,600 --> 00:40:32,040 Speaker 1: lady mechanic pep rally, a traveling lady mechanic pep rally. 670 00:40:32,080 --> 00:40:36,279 Speaker 1: I imagine them like pumping wrenches in the air excitedly. Yeah, 671 00:40:36,320 --> 00:40:38,640 Speaker 1: that would be amazing. They should make a float, like 672 00:40:38,680 --> 00:40:43,279 Speaker 1: a wrench float to a company. They're excited, lady mechanic parade. Yes, 673 00:40:43,360 --> 00:40:45,799 Speaker 1: And I have a feeling though, um, they also have 674 00:40:45,960 --> 00:40:49,880 Speaker 1: access to a lot of wheels probably yeah, something too, 675 00:40:50,320 --> 00:40:52,200 Speaker 1: something tells me that would be the case. Or maybe 676 00:40:52,200 --> 00:40:56,880 Speaker 1: just drive a car around. Yeah, but I don't know. 677 00:40:56,920 --> 00:40:59,319 Speaker 1: I feel like a parade is more effective. Yeah, I mean, 678 00:40:59,440 --> 00:41:02,200 Speaker 1: here's the thing. Got a lot of ideas. Okay, we 679 00:41:02,239 --> 00:41:06,400 Speaker 1: can be a consultant for for marketing more parades um. 680 00:41:06,440 --> 00:41:10,200 Speaker 1: But it's also not just happening in Nigeria. There have 681 00:41:10,320 --> 00:41:13,839 Speaker 1: also been stories about this in Senegal, where women own 682 00:41:14,000 --> 00:41:19,520 Speaker 1: and run shops, including FEMS Auto Chickory Mechanic and F 683 00:41:19,719 --> 00:41:22,759 Speaker 1: two F two Mercedes, which was founded by two cousins 684 00:41:23,280 --> 00:41:26,680 Speaker 1: both named for two as you might imagine, who trained 685 00:41:26,680 --> 00:41:29,960 Speaker 1: for seven years and saved up to open their own shop. 686 00:41:30,400 --> 00:41:31,920 Speaker 1: And I love it. They said that we were the 687 00:41:31,960 --> 00:41:36,080 Speaker 1: only two with enough courage because the rest got married. Yeah, 688 00:41:36,080 --> 00:41:38,360 Speaker 1: and they ended up so they had to sort of squad. 689 00:41:38,440 --> 00:41:41,600 Speaker 1: They were like shop squatters where they did their auto 690 00:41:41,800 --> 00:41:44,520 Speaker 1: mechanic work. But they didn't have to worry about that 691 00:41:44,560 --> 00:41:47,000 Speaker 1: anymore because they got a visit in two thousand and 692 00:41:47,040 --> 00:41:52,200 Speaker 1: seven from the Senegal's president at the time, and so 693 00:41:52,440 --> 00:41:55,520 Speaker 1: Fato Silla, one of the cousins, said, women in the 694 00:41:55,560 --> 00:41:57,359 Speaker 1: street would laugh at me when they saw me walk 695 00:41:57,400 --> 00:42:01,800 Speaker 1: by my mechanics jumpsuit. Now they don't off anymore, oh man. 696 00:42:02,280 --> 00:42:05,839 Speaker 1: But it's interesting though that at two and for two Mercedes, 697 00:42:06,040 --> 00:42:09,240 Speaker 1: they don't actually have any female mechanics on their staff. 698 00:42:09,280 --> 00:42:11,799 Speaker 1: They own and run the shop. But you need an 699 00:42:11,800 --> 00:42:16,680 Speaker 1: advanced degree to work on luxury cars, and so there 700 00:42:16,840 --> 00:42:19,960 Speaker 1: is that deeper issue of when you get people access 701 00:42:20,000 --> 00:42:23,880 Speaker 1: to education, then they can have those higher paying jobs. 702 00:42:23,880 --> 00:42:27,440 Speaker 1: And that's true globally true. That's not just in Senegal. Yeah, 703 00:42:27,480 --> 00:42:30,720 Speaker 1: I mean, and we see this dotted around Europe as well. 704 00:42:30,840 --> 00:42:35,160 Speaker 1: For instance, in France, the garage Only Girls opened in 705 00:42:35,320 --> 00:42:40,680 Speaker 1: spring for the same reason we keep reiterating of women 706 00:42:40,719 --> 00:42:45,120 Speaker 1: being tired of feeling uncomfortable and getting ripped off, although 707 00:42:45,160 --> 00:42:50,520 Speaker 1: some have criticized this as essentially like capitalizing on feminism. Um. 708 00:42:50,640 --> 00:42:54,400 Speaker 1: Then also though, if we pop over to England, Carolines 709 00:42:54,480 --> 00:42:58,520 Speaker 1: Cars Hey shot for you as an all lady garage 710 00:42:58,560 --> 00:43:02,000 Speaker 1: started by Caroline Lake, and it was interesting to see 711 00:43:02,000 --> 00:43:06,200 Speaker 1: that the criticism of like trying to capitalize on feminism, 712 00:43:06,280 --> 00:43:11,560 Speaker 1: which I thought was interesting, um, mainly because I don't know, 713 00:43:11,640 --> 00:43:15,359 Speaker 1: I think it's fine for women to want to not 714 00:43:15,440 --> 00:43:19,760 Speaker 1: only be their own business owner, run their own business, 715 00:43:19,800 --> 00:43:23,239 Speaker 1: but also to make fellow ladies comfortable. Yeah, because it's 716 00:43:23,239 --> 00:43:27,359 Speaker 1: an issue A lot have experienced this and why not 717 00:43:27,440 --> 00:43:30,080 Speaker 1: set up a safe space. But it's just so funny. 718 00:43:30,120 --> 00:43:32,560 Speaker 1: You see comments on all of these articles from guys 719 00:43:32,600 --> 00:43:36,360 Speaker 1: who are saying, like, uh oh, this isn't so innocent. 720 00:43:36,600 --> 00:43:40,200 Speaker 1: They're not just trying to help people. They're they're just capitalizing. 721 00:43:40,200 --> 00:43:42,919 Speaker 1: They see a business opportunity and it's like, well, wait, yeah, 722 00:43:42,920 --> 00:43:47,480 Speaker 1: of course, yeah yeah, I I don't I don't feel 723 00:43:47,520 --> 00:43:51,520 Speaker 1: like that's a really valid criticism. Not surprisingly, but um, 724 00:43:51,560 --> 00:43:55,400 Speaker 1: if you fair listeners, want to find your own lady 725 00:43:55,400 --> 00:44:00,279 Speaker 1: mechanic in your town, there's this website Women Auto A 726 00:44:00,520 --> 00:44:04,720 Speaker 1: U T O no dot com which lists auto shops 727 00:44:04,760 --> 00:44:09,200 Speaker 1: and free workshops that feature women and and you know what, 728 00:44:09,520 --> 00:44:14,480 Speaker 1: if there are any women mechanics listening, if you want 729 00:44:14,520 --> 00:44:18,680 Speaker 1: to shout out your h place of business to us, 730 00:44:18,800 --> 00:44:21,280 Speaker 1: let us know because we could create our own sminty 731 00:44:21,400 --> 00:44:24,759 Speaker 1: archive of of lady auto shops as well. Where where 732 00:44:24,760 --> 00:44:30,200 Speaker 1: are places that are friendly to lady customers? Um? So yeah, 733 00:44:30,280 --> 00:44:33,120 Speaker 1: I mean with that, listeners, we want to hear from 734 00:44:33,160 --> 00:44:36,080 Speaker 1: you on this issue. As a customer, have you ever 735 00:44:36,160 --> 00:44:39,040 Speaker 1: experienced what Caroline and I have talked about of feeling 736 00:44:39,680 --> 00:44:44,640 Speaker 1: ripped off and talked down to? And for mechanics, what 737 00:44:44,880 --> 00:44:49,959 Speaker 1: have you noticed or experienced about the gender dynamics in garages? 738 00:44:50,360 --> 00:44:52,960 Speaker 1: Mom Stuff at house Stuffworks dot com is our email address. 739 00:44:53,320 --> 00:44:55,360 Speaker 1: You can also tweet us at mom Stuff, podcasts and 740 00:44:55,400 --> 00:44:58,200 Speaker 1: messages on Facebook, and we've got a couple of messages 741 00:44:58,320 --> 00:45:00,560 Speaker 1: to share with you when we come right back from 742 00:45:00,600 --> 00:45:07,440 Speaker 1: a quick break. Well, I have a letter here from 743 00:45:07,520 --> 00:45:12,959 Speaker 1: Matthew in response to our episode on Polly Murray. Uh, 744 00:45:13,000 --> 00:45:14,759 Speaker 1: he says, I just finished listening to your podcast on 745 00:45:14,840 --> 00:45:17,440 Speaker 1: Polly Murray, in which you rightly bring attention to her 746 00:45:17,520 --> 00:45:21,400 Speaker 1: many admirable accomplishments. However, Murray was not the first to 747 00:45:21,440 --> 00:45:25,000 Speaker 1: come up with the underlying concepts behind intersectionality. Rather, as 748 00:45:25,160 --> 00:45:27,960 Speaker 1: Eric McDuffie has written, a group of black women associated 749 00:45:28,000 --> 00:45:31,760 Speaker 1: with the Communist Party, including Grace P. Campbell, Louise Thompson, 750 00:45:31,800 --> 00:45:35,960 Speaker 1: Patterson Esther Cooper Johnson, and Claudia Jones, first discussed these 751 00:45:35,960 --> 00:45:38,360 Speaker 1: concepts during the nine and twenties and thirties as the 752 00:45:38,480 --> 00:45:43,560 Speaker 1: triple oppression or super exploitation of Black women. As Louise 753 00:45:43,640 --> 00:45:46,840 Speaker 1: Thompson wrote in nineteen thirty six, over the whole land, 754 00:45:46,880 --> 00:45:51,080 Speaker 1: Negro women meet this triple exploitation as workers, as women, 755 00:45:51,400 --> 00:45:55,319 Speaker 1: and as Negroes. Like Murray, these women challenged gender as 756 00:45:55,360 --> 00:45:58,120 Speaker 1: well as racial norms and understood that these, as well 757 00:45:58,160 --> 00:46:02,600 Speaker 1: as class were related issues. Since you asked for unsung trailblazers, 758 00:46:02,600 --> 00:46:05,399 Speaker 1: these women left to mind. The stories of these women 759 00:46:05,440 --> 00:46:08,880 Speaker 1: are documented in Eric McDuffie's books So Journeying for Freedom, 760 00:46:08,920 --> 00:46:14,120 Speaker 1: Black Women, American Communism, and the Making of Black Left Feminism. Well, 761 00:46:14,160 --> 00:46:17,600 Speaker 1: thank you so much, Matthew. We love, of course we 762 00:46:17,680 --> 00:46:19,960 Speaker 1: love hearing about trailblazers, So thank you so much for 763 00:46:19,960 --> 00:46:22,319 Speaker 1: filling us in on these amazing women. And I've got 764 00:46:22,320 --> 00:46:25,480 Speaker 1: a letter here from Rachin on our Ver Coast Veins 765 00:46:25,560 --> 00:46:29,200 Speaker 1: episode and Machine Rites. I was recently guided to your 766 00:46:29,239 --> 00:46:32,000 Speaker 1: podcast after Kristen's peace on Stuff you Should Know on 767 00:46:32,040 --> 00:46:33,920 Speaker 1: her trip to the Great Wall of China and have 768 00:46:34,040 --> 00:46:38,280 Speaker 1: since been mining your back catalog with relish your latest 769 00:46:38,320 --> 00:46:41,439 Speaker 1: episode on Ver Coast Veins hit a nerve or vein. 770 00:46:41,920 --> 00:46:44,920 Speaker 1: I grew up observing my mother's and grandmother's veinous issues 771 00:46:44,920 --> 00:46:47,840 Speaker 1: with trepidation and developed my first vericast vein along with 772 00:46:47,880 --> 00:46:52,400 Speaker 1: my first pregnancy. They reduced between pregnancies, but would re 773 00:46:52,480 --> 00:46:57,239 Speaker 1: emerge at their previous full term ferocity with subsequent pregnancies 774 00:46:57,520 --> 00:47:00,839 Speaker 1: and degenerate from there to term for babies, and seven 775 00:47:00,920 --> 00:47:04,160 Speaker 1: years later, my legs are a train wreck, but along 776 00:47:04,160 --> 00:47:07,839 Speaker 1: with stretch marks, sagging skin and breast potoss my word 777 00:47:07,880 --> 00:47:10,839 Speaker 1: for the day. Cheers, ladies. I've come to accept them 778 00:47:10,880 --> 00:47:14,760 Speaker 1: as part of my changing body. I have considered surgical treatment, 779 00:47:14,800 --> 00:47:17,160 Speaker 1: but with four children to care for, I can't afford 780 00:47:17,200 --> 00:47:20,280 Speaker 1: the recovery time. One small point that I took issue 781 00:47:20,280 --> 00:47:22,640 Speaker 1: with was your assertion that pregnant women should put their 782 00:47:22,680 --> 00:47:25,440 Speaker 1: feet up. Elevating the niece above the belly in the 783 00:47:25,520 --> 00:47:28,760 Speaker 1: last ten weeks of pregnancy can lead to the baby stargazing, 784 00:47:29,000 --> 00:47:32,520 Speaker 1: which is faced up or op presentation, which can lead 785 00:47:32,520 --> 00:47:35,280 Speaker 1: to a longer and more painful labor and a greater 786 00:47:35,360 --> 00:47:38,520 Speaker 1: risk of intervention. Personally, I would rather have a timely, 787 00:47:38,560 --> 00:47:42,560 Speaker 1: intervention free birth at home and lumpy legs just one 788 00:47:42,560 --> 00:47:47,200 Speaker 1: of the crummy decisions of parenting. So thanks for your insight, Rachen, 789 00:47:47,320 --> 00:47:49,800 Speaker 1: and thanks to everybody who's written into us. Mom stuff 790 00:47:49,800 --> 00:47:52,319 Speaker 1: at how stuffworks dot Com is our email address, and 791 00:47:52,360 --> 00:47:54,400 Speaker 1: frillnks all of our social media as well as all 792 00:47:54,400 --> 00:47:57,360 Speaker 1: of our blogs, videos and podcasts with our sources. So 793 00:47:57,520 --> 00:48:00,799 Speaker 1: you can learn more about lady mechanics. Head on over 794 00:48:00,840 --> 00:48:06,920 Speaker 1: to stuff Mom Never Told You dot com for more 795 00:48:06,960 --> 00:48:09,279 Speaker 1: on this and thousands of other topics. Because it how 796 00:48:09,320 --> 00:48:18,080 Speaker 1: stuff works dot com,