308. Oil Change Babes

Producer Claire McInerny went to get her oil changed, and this routine errand turned into a delightful experience.

Transcripts may not appear in their final version and are subject to change.

Transcripts may not appear in their final version and are subject to change.

Claire McInerny: I’m Claire McInerny and It’s Going To Be Okay.

A few months ago, I needed an oil change. I was already a few thousand miles past when the sticker in my car said to do it, oops, and I was about to take a road trip.

So the day before I was leaving town, I wanted to get it done.

I called the auto shop in my neighborhood, but they couldn’t do it that day. So I got in the car and figured I’d pull into the first quick oil change place I saw.

I found one, and slowly pulled into an open garage. A woman in coveralls waved me in. As usual the huge, menacing dark hole in the ground freaked me out a little. Whenever I have to drive into a mechanic’s garage or a car wash I get so anxious about keeping my wheels in the right angle.

Anyway, I parked, grabbed my purse, and stepped out of the car. The woman who waved me in met me by the car door. I told her what I needed, she told me about my oil options (lol), and then pointed to the insanely lit and tiny waiting room I could sit in while she changed my oil.

As I walked across the garage, I looked around at the other people working.

Huh, there’s another woman. And another. And this one has red lipstick on!

When I got to the waiting room, I looked through the glass and confirmed- every person working the cars was a woman, or at least female presenting.

And let me tell you, it showed! The vibes in this place were perfect. They were pleasantly chatting with each other as they worked. One of them complimented my outfit.

It was A DELIGHT.

I found this experience so novel, not because I was surprised women are working on cars. Women can do anything and they’ll do it well.

What surprised me was seeing so many women in this kind of space.

My whole life, the things I heard about being a woman and getting work done on my car was: people are going to try and rip me off. Bring my dad or my boyfriend so a mechanic will take me seriously.

And I’m sure that’s happened to me, because I don’t know anything about cars- someone could totally bamboozle me. And I’ve had experiences with mechanics and car salespeople who gave me a deal or knocked something off the bill.

But I realized, sitting in that depressing waiting room that smelled like haunted coffee, that those messages are so deep seeded. REgardless of my lived experience, the default thought I had in my head is that people who work on cars are men. They know more about cars than me. And they might try to trick me.

That’s sat in the back of my head for 33 years.

Until that day. Sitting in a garage, filled with women, made me realize how often I brace myself in these situations. Like many women do in other spaces where we’re the minority. And that day..I relaxed.

When my car was ready the woman who worked on it waved me out. I paid her, she put a sticker in the windshield, and as I opened my car door I said:

“I like the girl power vibes here.”

She laughed.

“Yea, we’re taking over.”

Hell yea. I’ll see you in 3,000 miles ladies.

Credits:

It’s Going to be OK is a production of Feelings Co. We are an independent podcast and feelings and co is an independent podcast production company. If you like this show, please share it with someone! You can also rate and review it on Apple podcasts and Spotify. .

It’s Going To Be Okay is usually hosted by Nora McInerny. This episode was produced by me, Claire McInerny. The rest of our team is Grace Barry, Marcel Malekebu and Amanda Romani.