[hbrand]

Just some thoughts after I read all those posts:

If a person is mechanical inclined - it can do 80% of the day to day work in a car repair and service shop.
The complicated and engine work is done by an engineer - ME
Below just to get some of you thinking about live.
Lets assume you commute 1.5 hours a day = about 350 hours a year. That costs you in loss wages (at $ 25.0 p.h in big areas) and travel (15k miles a year and yes I know even people in florida who have to do that) $ 12.000.- dollaries per year.
Of course, if your time is free and the employer is paying for the car and gas - you still loose about 1 month of your life stuck in traffic or so (some people seem to like that) - per year. I rather do something else with this time.
Above just as an example!!

Time to go to work here: about 10 minutes by car one way.
You (employee) can come when you want, but not later than 9am.
You can leave at 4 pm or work more hours.
You also can take off work on short notice to go fishing.
No time pressure to finnish a job - guarantee that no job gets rushed.
Paid vacation and sick time is about 4 working weeks a year - and once a month we have beer - dinner together with the family.
If employee pruduces more than 20 customer paid hours per week - bonus starts. How about that.
Employee can buy car parts at wholesale and use shop on week ends- not the norm.
Short lunch time is paid. You can receive privat phone calls.
Company pays for uniform.

Employee is not a number - more a friend and human being.
So are 99.9% of our 400 customers.

We do not need car washers here - if it rains - the cars stays clean - so do our lungs.
And I certainly do not need a tech who only can work on a porsche and does not have any ideal about an AMC Hornet.

A nice house costs $ 400.- pm or $ 80k to buy. water, garbage, electricity about $ 120.- per month
We hardly need heat, and during the day - shop has a/c.
Lunch is $ 4.80.- dinner $ 10+, good used cars from $ 1500.-
Beach is 3 miles away, on the river we have 15 miles walk ways.
Time for our families - we live where other people come for vacation.

Be not to hard on me. Just my personal thoughts.

And yes - the year is 2002.