A young woman has launched a fierce attack on mechanics, claiming they charge her ‘twice as much’ as male customers because she is a woman.
Alice Bleathman was left in tears after claiming she was taken advantage of by two different mechanics while trying to repair her van.
She shared her outrage on TikTok, claiming that some mechanics were deliberately doing “s*** work” because they knew they could get away with it.
“Sometimes I hate being a girl,” Ms. Bleathman said as she sat in her car with red eyes.
‘I know so many other women struggle with this. I’ve had two men try to fix my van and do all sorts of things and charge money for it.
“But it’s like they’re making fun of you because you’re a woman.”
The influencer went on to say that she thought it was because she “doesn’t know any better” and that the male mechanics working on her van had done a poor job.
Mrs. Bleathman added with tears in her eyes, “Then I’ll just have to pay someone else.”
Influencer Alice Bleathman (pictured) posted a tear-jerking video on TikTok claiming she was abused by beer mechanics simply because she is a woman
“You just feel like a f**king idiot. And I end up spending twice as much money,” she said.
Ms Bleathman went on to say that she sometimes wished she was ‘not a f**king girl’ and was tired of being abused – which she said ‘happens all the time’.
“This is sometimes the reality when you ask for help as a woman,” she said.
Social media users were divided in their reactions to the heartfelt post, with some agreeing with Ms Bleathman that women should be paid extra by mechanics.
“This has happened to me too. They’ve made me pay for things that don’t even need to be fixed, or they don’t fix the thing they’re charging me for,” one person wrote.
“A mechanic tried to charge my wife $600 for a window knob… I got the part from another mechanic for $60. The struggle is real. Come on professionals, do it better,” said one husband.
Another added: “Misogyny is alive and well.”
Other Australians said it was not just mechanics who took advantage of women.
“So frustrating! Same goes for me and getting quotes for our home renovation. I just know as soon as they hear my voice on my phone they are going to rip me off,” one woman wrote.
Many men assured Mrs. Bleathman that it was not only women who were being exploited by skilled workers.
“That’s terrible, it happens to men too, not everyone is a mechanic,” someone wrote.
“It’s not just girls, it’s all professions that abuse it. Honest people are hard to find,” said another.
A third added: ‘That happens to guys too. Mechanics are worthless.’
Some Australians said men are just as likely to be overpaid by mechanics (photo of a mechanic)
“If it makes you feel any better, I’m a white collar guy and I’m clueless about a lot of professions. I’m pretty sure this happened to me too,” one person wrote.
However, there were also Australians who had no sympathy for the influencer. They advised her to educate herself better so that she would not be abused in the future.
“Women should take up a craft so we don’t get ripped off,” one person wrote.
‘That’s why I got the certificates 2 for mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and sheet metal and spray painting, so that I could build up knowledge on a good basis,’ says Anther.
But when a number of Australians accused the influencer of having “no idea” about the cost of things and not being unrealistic, Ms Bleathman hit back.
“I did research, but they didn’t do it the right way,” she said.
“They made me pay for work they didn’t do right, and that’s the end of the story.”