At 12:07 AM 4/22/2013, PB wrote:
>I know EXACTLY what you mean about most mechanics merely doing what they
>are told and not a bit more. Even for the smallest job, I always ask them

There are differing views about this.  Some people would rather not
pay mechanics' rates for gas-pump-attendant work.  Or what used to be
that when I was young, anyway.

A lot of this ultimately comes down to societal expectations.  A
mechanic bucking the trend too far in one direction will go broke
because his customers think he's skimping the job, and too far in the
other direction he'll go broke because nobody wants to pay his rates
for the job.  Or he'll shoot himself because he can't make ends meet
to his (or his wife and kids') satisfaction or because he's never off the job.

That old saying "You just can't get good help any more" started when
the help decided they wanted to live like real people too, and
started jacking up the price and refusing to work six and a half days
a week.  As their expectations climbed, other people's had to drop to
some extent, and personal servants (and gas station attendants) have
largely priced themselves out of the market.  People in the main
would rather pump their own gas and check their own oil etc. (or not
check it) than pay someone else to.  They'd rather buy milk in the
supermarket than pay to have it delivered.

Yrs,
d