Mechanics in Society

Lazaro Fernandez
Lei Lani Michel
English 1001-109
16 October 2007
Mechanics in Society
How many times have you depended on a motor vehicle for anything? Even if you do not own a motor vehicle you have been affected by them indirectly through public transport, the police department or other emergency personnel vehicles, personal delivery companies such as UPS, or even the ground delivery trucks for your local grocery store. Can you imagine if there was nobody around to maintain those vehicles?
It is the job of a mechanic to keep the vehicles in running order. Those who own a vehicle know how many times it has broken down or even needed an oil change. Vehicle owners also know how many times they have depended on a mechanic to keep their vehicle maintained. For most vehicle owners keeping their car maintained is one of their top priorities because it is their only means of transportation; which is why they are more than likely willing to pay top dollar to get it fixed.
Even those who do not own a vehicle are indirectly affected by motor vehicles. Imagine today’s society without well maintained emergency vehicles. The police department would not be able to get around by means of ground transport, which would mean that they would more than likely fail to catch the criminal. Ambulances would not be able to move around as they do today, meaning that they would not be able to get to the scene of an injury. Fire trucks would not be able to get to a fire, which would mean more devastating infernos. Another way those who do not own a vehicle would be affected is through the public transport system. This would mean no running busses between locations, leaving those people stranded.
The mechanic I interviewed, Paul Gunn, has been in the business for over 25 years. He has worked on General Motors, (GM), vehicles for the duration of his career. He is currently employed at Bryan Chevrolet in Metairie. When I asked him what he liked best about his job, he answered, “everyone is always looking for a good mechanic. If you do your job well, then you will get your name out there, which can lead you to meet some important people.” I then asked him what kind of important people; he answered “I met the former chief of police in New Orleans, and he is still is a pretty good friend of mine.”
I then asked him what he disliked most about his job. He answered, “I would have to say the worst part about this job is the extreme heat or cold. When it is hot outside it is just as hot in the shop, and in the winter when it is freezing outside it is possibly colder in the shop.” I can attest to the statement about the heat as I was only in the shop for the duration of the interview and I was already beginning to sweat.
The truth is that without mechanics in today’s society, society would not function properly. They are the ones that maintain the countless vehicles out on the road; whether it is government or personal vehicles. However, many people are not aware of the conditions they work in. Without them there to keep the vehicles maintained, the cost of virtually anything dependent on a vehicle would rise.