ALT-6 Is there such a Thing as a Trustworthy Mechanic
Seek, and you shall find, but the search becomes the odyssey. Is there such a thing as a needle in a hay stack? Perhaps buried amongst all that straw there exists just that, the proverbial needle, the trustworthy mechanic, the one person you can trust to take care of your car. Once attained, it's merely peace of mind you gained. And that's not such a great reward because, it's the search for one that can be so befuddling. Once burned, twice wary, so the search continues. Why keep searching, it's simple, this is not a commodity you need every day, an auto mechanic, but eventually you will need one.
The sun comes up and you trust your car to do what it is supposed to do. You expect it to start when you turn the key, glide into gear, respond to your directions and stop when you need it to. When one or more of these functions fail, you are left with a simple choice, fix it yourself or find someone to do it for you. The mechanically inclined "do it yourselfer" might tackle anything from an oil change to a brake job. Those who are less mechanically inclined will suffer the ignominy of finding someone to trust. Everyone though, will someday need an auto mechanic. It's just the law of averages at work. Your car will break down, and that inevitability is as sure as the sun rising tomorrow morning. Sooner or later, your car will find its way to a lift in some garage under the watchful eye of a stranger. Sooner or later, you are going to be handed a bill for repairs and the biggest question in your mind will be whether or not you were just handed a bill of goods.
Technology is a gift. When the automobile was in its infancy, it was a simple machine, simple to understand and simple to fix. Time marches on and the combustion engine is now a slave to the computer in much the same way that we all are, too. Reality is, the computer runs your car. Even the most adroit at engine repair will need that skilled technician, the modern auto mechanic, on occasion. And when that time comes, will you trust the one you take it to? Could this be the ultimate conundrum, like the honest politician? There must be one out there in that hay stack.
I think I've solved this dilemma by reducing the size of the hay stack. I've scoured the list of my family and friends until I came up with a mechanic. My wife's third cousins nephew by marriage owns a garage in the next town. After the appropriate introductions, we now consider ourselves family. If you can't trust your family, who can you trust?
