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  • #31
    Quoth ADeMartino View Post
    I take (gentle) exception to the accusation of being sexist, though. I was not raised to look at women as 'the weaker sex.' I'm very aware of what women can accomplish without a man's help, and have nothing but respect for them. In short, I am NOT the sexist you think I am, though I can certainly see why you'd believe that.
    Oh, golly, I really didn't mean that you were the sexist one! I meant that there might be people who would take my comment as being sexist and get upset at the thought of women not being just as strong and everything else as men. Please don't think that the comment was specifically targeted at your or anyone - I was really trying to pre-empt anyone else being upset.
    "Bring me knitting!" (The Doctor - not the one you were expecting)

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    • #32
      Quoth KatherineB View Post
      Oh, golly, I really didn't mean that you were the sexist one! I meant that there might be people who would take my comment as being sexist and get upset at the thought of women not being just as strong and everything else as men. Please don't think that the comment was specifically targeted at your or anyone - I was really trying to pre-empt anyone else being upset.
      Ah, I see. I misunderstood. Apologies for that. In truth, I was a bit concerned people would think some of my remarks were sexist. Glad to see we're on the wavelength.

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      • #33
        Quoth LillFilly View Post
        It's a shame they had to ruin a nice old car though.
        Wonder if anybody at the garage where they took it found themselves falling heir to that nice old vehicle ...

        As for sexist vs non-sexist, I vote for the latter. Doesn't mean women are inherently unable to handle bad situations, nor that men don't become crime victims. But women are more likely to be targeted, especially if they're alone, by a busted-down vehicle, at the side of a long, empty stretch of road.

        That's given me something to think about, since in a couple of years I expect to be heading westward-ho ... and that will involve some very long stretches of empty highway ...

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        • #34
          Quoth hotelslave View Post
          who in their right mind would buy a 40 year old vehicle sight unseen. I would be working on getting a divorce from the hubby while waiting for van


          Depends on the person and the deal.


          In the mid-90's I sold my 1973 Dodge Challenger to a guy from North Carolina. Same deal... he took the bus up to New Jersey from Carolina. Did the transaction on the spot and he drove it home. I know the gas gauge was f-ed up and made sure it said so in the auction.

          When he emailed me a day or two later, he said he had run out of gas a couple of times on the way home but otherwise had no problems.

          So sometimes these deals can benefit everyone. Some people are just assholes.

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          • #35
            Quoth Pixilated View Post
            As for sexist vs non-sexist, I vote for the latter. Doesn't mean women are inherently unable to handle bad situations, nor that men don't become crime victims. But women are more likely to be targeted, especially if they're alone, by a busted-down vehicle, at the side of a long, empty stretch of road.
            I agree totally. I know plenty of men who can't fight their way out of a paper bag, and plenty of women who can beat the crap out of bigger men. However, someone looking for an opportunity for dastardly deeds (always wanted to use that phrase ) will go for whoever they perceive to be more vulnerable, and even in our enlightened times, a woman alone will more often be perceived as vulnerable than a man. How vulnerable they really are depends totally on the person, but how they are perceived is what increases their chance of being chosen as today's victim, which obviously anyone would want to avoid no matter how confidant they are of being able to handle it.

            And of course there are the "other" type of preditors, the ones not looking for someone to rob, but for a sexual victim. While men can, of course, be victims, the overwhelming majority of those victims are women.

            Admitting the reality of how gender can be a factor doesn't make a person sexist.

            Madness takes it's toll....
            Please have exact change ready.

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            • #36
              Quoth Pixilated View Post
              Wonder if anybody at the garage where they took it found themselves falling heir to that nice old vehicle ...

              As for sexist vs non-sexist, I vote for the latter. Doesn't mean women are inherently unable to handle bad situations, nor that men don't become crime victims. But women are more likely to be targeted, especially if they're alone, by a busted-down vehicle, at the side of a long, empty stretch of road.
              Thank you, that was my position exactly, and you stated it perfectly.

              I actually did briefly wonder if perhaps the mechanic exaggerated the extent of the damage a bit. I've known a few mechanics who might 'fib' a little to sell a more expensive repair when the customer is someone who isn't at least partially familiar with a car. Did the camper actually need a whole new engine? Or did it just need a $12 thermostat? The mechanic could have told her anything. And nobody knowledgeable around to question the mechanic's word. Why would he do this? It'd be an easy sale for an expensive engine swap - more revenue for the shop, more $$$$ in the mechanic's pocket. But the scenario could be taken to a further extreme ..... "Heh, heh, heh. This little chippie doesn't know the difference between a tie rod and fan belt. I can tell her it needs a repair that's a lot more than the vehicle is worth and she'll abandon it, and I gets me a toy to play with...."

              The reason I question this is I've actually had engines get so hot that they seize. What happens is the pistons get so hot they expand in their bores to the point where friction will actually shut the engine down. Let it cool off and nine times out of ten it'll shrug it off and fire right back up. Those old-school engines were fairly tolerant of such stuff. Cracked heads and blocks could, and DID happen, but usually it's the result of REPEATED overheat events. Incidentally, I'm referring to OLDER engines - most modern engines have aluminum parts that don't like excess heat and will require expensive repairs if allowed to get too hot.

              Yeah, I know, I'm paranoid like that. But I've witnessed this mind-set first hand. I can't really say from my comfy chair here, and it was apparent she WAS pushing the vehicle pretty much to its limits.

              What I do know is this: the vehicle can be repaired for far less than the $2800 the garage was quoting. If the camper were still sitting in my own driveway, the repair would start with me hitting the local junkyard to pick up a good used engine for about $300-400, then taking a weekend to swap it out. A good chunk of the garage's estimate is labor, and an engine swap is fairly labor-intensive. And, as a rule, garages usually won't install used parts because of all the hassle that can bring, so odds are they quoted her a rebuilt 'short block' (an engine less cylinder heads, which are transferred over from the old engine) which typically jobber at about $900-1100 for something of that vintage.

              So, for one of the mechanics at that garage, it'd be a fairly simple thing to 'shadetree' this thing and get a nice toy out of the deal. Which is why I sort of wonder if maybe the mechanic I spoke to was full of something brown and smelly.

              I dunno. Not my problem anymore.

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