Mechanic's Appreciation Day

Tom and Ray

Is the country ready for Mechanic's Appreciation Day? That's what Tom and Ray were wondering, on this week's Car Talk -- all courtesy of our faithful listener, John (who wisely omitted his last name), who got us mulling over this novel concept. And what would you give, anyway -- baked goods? A gift certificate to Boatsupplies.com? Or, a large jar of knuckle salve? What do you think? Share your gift suggestions and other ideas right here. We have National Meatloaf Appreciation Day -- isn't it time for the meat that fixes your car to have his own day, too?

pmbrig

Well, in terms of when to observe this much-needed tribute, how about every February 29th...? That should do it, at least for mechanics as talented as you two... :-)

Hosehead

They were going to have a Mechanic's Appreciation Day to celebrate the day one of you goofballs lets somebody drive out of the shop with a dollar still in their wallet. Still waiting for that day...

sporkette

This is a great idea! My mechanic routinely saves my car cost efficiently and I've always thought about what to get he & his team as a thank you. I thought of baked goods- but I don't know if there are allergies; maybe lotto tickets - but what if they're all losers (that's not a good message to send); maybe a basket o'cheer - but is that too presumptuous? I think money might be too tacky, though who doesn't like it? I trust my mechanic, and he has never done wrong. Having an appreciation day is a perfect way to thank them for their service.

Researcher

I have always thought an appropriate gift is a six pack of ice cold beer for a small shop or a case for a large shop.

Another possibility is a gift card or certificate to the Snap On truck. A princely amount for a mechanic who saved you a major expense. If you were miffed at the mechanic, you could make the amount <$20 as nothing on the Snap On truck costs that little forcing the misfortunate to dig into his own pocket for the balance.

Docnick

A truely good mechanic is worth his weight in gold. Some of my friends are doctors, and they appreciate the fact that while they only work on 2 models, a mechanic has to deal with a myriad of designs. Popular Science, I believe, had a monthly article entitles "Gus Wilson and the Model Garage" Gus,who like today's star detective solved a myriad of car problems that had baffled everyone else. Although a fictional character, I believed it raised respect for good mechanics who had diagnostic capabilities. Unfortunately, today, many lack that skill, and rely on their diagnostic machines to tell them which packaged cure (available in-house,of course) to administer. A doctor doing this would normally be called a quack. So, my hat off to truly good mechanics who take their jobs as seriously as your family doctor.

gopargirl

I recently worked a temp job for a few weeks at a small local shop. I saw these guys practically bend over backwards to help their customers out, especially the elderly. There was this one couple... they must have been in their 80's... they brought the car in for a tune-up, and it was smoking and knocking and all kinds of wore out. The shop manager loaned them his car, explaining that it would take a few days to get one of the parts needed for the tune-up. All the guys in the shop pitched in for the parts, and they completely rebuilt the engine and transmission, replaced all worn suspension parts, and even fixed the air conditioner & power windows. When the couple came to pick up their car, the shop manager said they didn't owe anything, and refused to take any money from them even when they tried repeatedly to pay for the cost of the tune-up.
Me and a few of the customers secretly planned an appreciation day for all of them: Beer and hotwings at Hooters, and massages. (They loved it!)
These guys are proof that not all mechanics are scam artists or incompetent bozos. Guys that really care about their customers are the greatest mechanics in the world.
A good day to have a mechanics appreciation day would be the hottest day of the year. After all, most shops don't have air conditioning in the service bays, and it doesn't matter where you live, hot is hot.

Wingnut

The only thing I could think of to accurately show my appreciation for mechanics is 100 pounds of ROMA - TOPPS 100% PREMIUM HAMBURGER (which I got on sale, due to the E. coli recall). How's that for appreciation?