I just wanna put this out, but what where all ta;ling about, besides Wallmart, gods blood and or flying suits...will be talked in depth at teh Canadian Bike bike, no other issue will take more potency in Toronto that the issue of women in the community. Email threads tend to lose tehri threads and get tangled and thus If we can state points of hyper tension that would help all of us discuses these issues in person next year?
On Fri, Oct 30, 2009 at 1:18 PM, Bike City bikecityrecyclery@gmail.comwrote:
I believe we were discussing sexism. You seem to be discussing what a good mechanic is. If you feel so passionately, why didn't you start a new thread? You are either A) off-topic or B) sexist.
Okay, you have "27 year experience." What makes you assume that you're talking to a bunch of little girls? How old am I? It's obvious that a good mechanic is thorough, fast, and organized. Everyone here theoretically loves bicycles and strives daily for these ideals. Why do you think these little girls need you to tell them what a good mechanic is? I know I pranced into the industry on my dainty high heels and had everything handed to me on a pink platter, but still. I thought a good mechanic was one that didn't muss her makeup! You mean I have to work as hard as a man?! I'm outta here!
What organization are you involved in?
And please keep your discussion on this list. If you send any more emails to my personal address I will post them here for you.
andrea
On Thu, 2009-10-29 at 21:09 -0400, bovineoaks@aol.com wrote:
Why did you put the word "Female Mechanic" in the middle of my words. I meant all mechanics, not just xx are less organized, which makes them slower and less thorough. You are correct the is I am not automatically a better mechanic than women and men. I have 27 year experience that is what makes me more organized, efficient, faster, than most mechanics. I have taught classes for year and played mechanic speed games for many years too. The Games make you faster, putting your tools away every time you touch one makes you faster, As long as you wish to jump to conclusions that my word are against women only, you are showing that you are the sexist bastard you accuse others of being. I have worked hard for my skills and I in courage you to work just as hard to challenge your own skill to become better and better throughout your career.
Christopher,
Why are you assuming that you are more "efficient, thorough, and Fast" than a female mechanic? You are NOT automatically a better mechanic than a woman. My shop does not do drop-off repairs for customers, and I believe the situation in question involves trying to teach males.
On the flip side, the bikes I build or restore are far more thorough than your own work that you are describing. I have had men tell me that this is because "I'm just better at cleaning and polishing". If I wield metal polish, wax, and the whole nine yards, it's a feminine virtue -- if a male does the same, it's simply good work.
This is the essence of your male privilege -- believing that where you've gotten in life and everything you do is unaffected by any privilege.
andrea
On Thu, 2009-10-29 at 10:34 -0400, bovineoaks@aol.com wrote:
A man needs his bike fixed. He will not say what's wrongwith it, nor what he's
hearing or feeling. Only that it's broken. Fix it. He'sdoing this to challenge
me. No matter what I find, it's not the "broken" he'sthinking of. No matter
what I fix, it isn't good enough. In an extreme case, he maylead me down the
wrong path (ie I find that his brakes are sub-par and fixthose. Maybe he'll
even tell me that they're the only problem. But whatoriginally caused him to
come in is a loose headset). If I miss something that breaksfurther, he will
blame not only me doing my job, but my gender. Thisreinforces his negative
stereotype of women in non-traditional roles. But is it myfault? No. He set me
up to fail by not telling me the problem. And he would do itto any woman
sharing my occupation. Again, an ideologue and the problemis neither me nor my
chest. It's him setting me up to be the problem. But wordwill get out that xx
shop has a bad mechanic just the same.If you Have an REI near by ask for all of the check off list they have for Basic tunes, to Overhauls. I have found when I work from a list and add to the list that I do not miss little details of a repair. If every guy did this to you I would call it sexism. Sadly
as
a guy in a bike shop I meet men like this all the time, We do not
call
them sexist bastards, we just call them Dicks. Step back and look at the issue, Was your work at fault, if so upgrade your technique.
( all
of us can learn more) Is the customer way too picky. Then he is a dick, if he says that the work is bad because you are female then he is a dick and a sexist bastard. Refer him to a really crapy
mechanic.
I meet anal picky customers all the time. I am older, I do not take guff form them. I tell them what they asked for, and what I gave
them.
I always give more than they ask for.
Example of what I do on a brake job:
I clean every bike from head to tail, I clean each rim in the sink with Dawn and a Scotch bright green sponge to remove metal oxide and oil , I sand each brake pad to remove the metal oxide. I round, dish, tension, and true the wheels. This is all the extra set up I
do
to prepare brakes. Then I do all the normal brake pad alignment,
and
toe. Check cables/ housing, caliper / lever mount bolts. Customers never come back to me with squeeky brakes when I am done. Thus lots
of
bad feelings are avoided and lots of rework is avoided. Sadly I
never
hear any good coments from customers, But I do not hear negitive
ones
either.
I can do all this because I practice being efficent, thorough, and Fast. As you become more experienced challenge yourself to do things better with more detail and faster. Never compromise safety. The safety of your hands or your customers life.
Christopher
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