mechanics opinion of women...

[izzi81]

As mentioned in my 'dropped bike' thread from before, I found a repair shop that could plastic weld the mounting point on my fairing. I took the bit of fairing in to them today and told them just to weld it, that I would do the finishing and that I already had paint and filler.

I had to tell them about 10 times that yes, I thought I was capable of finishing it off, no I didn't need them to do it for me. And this was greeted with major scepticism and comments about how 'women always think they're right' and much calling me 'pet'.

The fact that I was bringing in a bit of Ninja fairing to be fixed didn't seem to alter the fact that to them I was a wee girly girl who couldn't possibly attempt the work required! OK, they were friendly enough, but they just did not believe I'd be able to do it. The owner even remarked that I should bring my effort in (if I managed it) and if it was decent he'd give me a job. So I've not tried it before. That doesn't mean I can't do it!

Is this fairly standard attitude? I've always found bike dealers + garages to be pretty decent towards me in the past. Or is it the case they would also have doubted a guy could have fixed it himself? (somehow I doubt he would have got the same treatment though!)

[Laura]

I never see mto have a problem but most peole except me as one of the lads.
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Good girls ride motorcycles bad girls thrash them.

[izzi81]

ah but me too you see. That's why being called 'pet' and getting that kind of attitude riles me so much!

I had a friend (male) with me when I dropped off the fairing and he was very amused at how I was treated..

ah well, it just shows their own ignorance really doesn't it

[dainesefreak]

When I've been out with my wife trying to sort out stuff for her car I tend to get addressed instead of her. Generally she's the one that does all the talking and tells them what she wants/needs doing and they look at me to answer.

Not had that with her bike at all really, but then not had to get too much sorted and the dealer we use is a family place. IMO it seems to be the older places that have trouble dealing with women and us men are shy really.

[G]

When I kinda fell off the back of my zx6 it was a woman that fixed it up for me and did a much, much better job than I could have done .

You'll find bike people are much like a lot of the rest of the world... sexist. If you don't like it, tell them, then go somewhere else.

[Hex]

[izzi81]

[kev]

There is a suzuki main dealers in slough called George whites and one of their mechanics is a woman.
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20:02:36 Jammy-R6: any holes a goal
20:02:48 kev: even if its a hairy mans arse
20:02:56 Jammy-R6: hell yes

[RSixer03]

Are you sure you can do that job........ pet?
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"If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough."
Mario Andretti.

[Bendy]

If the staff somewhere are blatently sexist you can take your trade elsewhere, you can say something about it, or just go 'meh' and chalk it up to old attitudes dying hard.

I do think that the majority of places have got wise to the fact that all women are not mechanically inept, and indeed the fact that plenty of men are, and those staff with any sense will try and work out how much you know so as not to baffle/patronise you while trying to get your trade, which in the end is what it's all about.

Motorcycle City, when I went in as a newbie, ignored me for about 30 minutes while giving every man who came in after me a 'can I help you sir'. I had three grand cash in my pocket and was there to buy a bike. I left, went down the road to Chiswick Honda where I had no such problem and subsequently spent the cash and have had all my servicing done since. MC's loss.

[hush]

A girl at work called me pet today... mind you, better than duck which is the norm around here...

Bendy, I would have been tempted to go up to the most senior looking member of staff, point out that you have been in the store for 30 mins, and ignored whilst all the men that came in got spoken to, taken the cash out of your pocket as you turned away and said 'oh well, your loss'...

I can't stand people that treat their clients/customer's with any kind of attitude, its unprofessional and mean to say the least! Izzy, I hope you do a bang on job with that fairing, just so you can take it back to them, give them the , and tell them you'll never be back...

[Shaun]

[hush]

You can have it... Can't stand people calling me duck - I'm a Londoner for crying out loud, it ain't right Now when people say it, I quack