10 Troubles Of Being A Car Girl

1. People think we don't get tickets

If car girls didn’t get tickets, we would treat every daily commute like a lap around our favourite track. Just because some chicks on YouTube post their miraculous getting-out-of-tickets videos, doesn’t mean we all do. We have to be just as cautious about speeding and obeying the law as guys.

When we are lucky enough to get away with just a warning after being pulled over, there’s always someone who asks, “what’d you do? Show some cleavage? Cry? Hike up your skirt?” Did it ever occur to them that we could have simply admitted our mistake and been courteous to the police officer?

2. Mechanics try to squeeze us for money

My husband (a mechanic) will argue with me over this one, but it’s true. Sometimes car girls have no choice but to take their cars to a shop. I took my first truck, a ’94 Chevy S10, for an alignment. I was told I needed all new brake pads and was given a quote of $840 to cover parts and labour. The thing is, I already had brand new brakes and rotors, and who pays that much for pads on their daily anyway?

Car girls get irritated by this but at least know enough to refuse a bad deal. Over the years, I’ve heard horror stories of girls getting screwed over at the shop because they didn’t know any better. My own mother went in for an oil change a few months ago, and left with a bill for several unnecessary repairs. Two of the new parts were never replaced, but she would have never known the difference.

3. We are the social media outcasts

We don’t fit in with most social media sites (thank goodness for CT). While everyone else is posting photos of their dinner plates, newborn babies, engagement rings and bathroom selfies, we’re posting shots of our babies from every possible angle. Nobody ever says, “Congratulations on your new rims. I’m so happy for you both!”

4. Fake car girls ruin everything

You know you’ve seen them. They’re all over the place: fake car girls. And they come in three basic forms:

1. Models - “Oh, look at me with this tool that I totally know how to use and these very real grease marks.” It’s not their fault. Somebody posed them that way.

2. Spoiled Girls - “Daddy bought me a brand new BMW, but I have no idea how to drive it…and what are all these things on the dash for?” These girls are proud of their car, but have no idea how it works.

3. Bought Not Built Girls - “It’s lowered with a custom exhaust, new intake, new paint job, etc.” Sure, it’s a nice car, and she should be proud. The problem is, these fake car girls have never done as much as change their own oil. It’s off to the shop every time, no matter how small the job.

5. Other girls just don’t understand

We will never be able to make other girls understand our passion. We’ll tell them we are going for a drive, and they will ask dumb questions like, “Where?” and “Why?” They don’t understand why we park far away from other cars, why we don’t park under trees or why we take the long route to avoid potholes. They see a red convertible, no matter the make or model, and say “Oooo…there’s a nice car.”

We admire them for trying, but it just doesn’t work like that.

6. Salesmen think we’re stupid

I can’t begin to count the number of car salesmen who have asked me, “Why don’t you call your husband and see if he wants a test drive?” News flash: I shop for my own cars, thank you. They feed me bogus claims and think I care more about cup holders than horsepower. Not all women are shopping for minivans. Then come the negotiations. Ha! Don’t think for a second that we car girls can’t haggle.

7. Everyone wants to be a racecar driver

Just because we drive a nice car, doesn’t mean we want to race off the line at every traffic light. We come to a stop, and someone revs their engine to get our attention. We roll our eyes and continue with our normal driving. We have nothing to prove. Our pride and joy can whoop your little boy toy any day.

8. Dating is even more difficult

Before I met my soulmate and settled down, I had my fair share of dating troubles. There are guys who don’t know anything about cars, guys that know a little and think they know a lot, and guys who actually know a lot about cars. Once you weed out they dumb ones, you have to sort through all the fan boys and find true car guys with a passion for driving. There’s nothing like a romantic drive with a guy who has enough confidence in his woman to let her be the driver.

9. Perfect hands and nails don’t exist

It doesn’t matter if we get weekly manicures with our besties. Those nails are going to be thrashed within a few days, but we’re okay with it. When we get all dolled up with false nails for a wedding or other special occasion, we can’t wait to get rid of them and get back to work. A true car girl simply must be proud of greasy hands, cuts and broken nails.

10. Guys treat us like damsels in distress

If we pop open the bonnet in public, someone will inevitably come to offer their services. Sure, it’s nice to know there are still gentlemen in the world that would help a broken down woman, but we really don’t need your help. Sometimes we’re only checking our oil or making minor adjustments when some guy asks, “You know what you’re doing there?” We grit our teeth and force a smile, replying, “Yes, thanks.” He continues, “Are you sure?” Wow. Really? Leave us alone.