I'd put it off long enough. It was time to sit my ten year old son down and have The Talk with him. You know, the talk all caring, Jewish fathers must have with their sons to prepare them for one of life’s most sensitive but important topics. This was a topic a young boy definitely did not want to hear about from his mother; not that she knew much about it.
Poor, innocent Joey -- he didn't suspect a thing. He even looked too young for this information. He looked so sweet, so trusting; I dreaded the prospect of what I had to do, but if he didn't hear it from me, he'd only hear it on the streets. No, it was time. And I decided it was best to cut the tension by having The Talk with him while we were doing some fun, innocent activity. So I took him to the same place my father took me when he had The Talk with me -- to the bowling alley. As we began putting on our bowling shoes, I began the awkward conversation. I began to inform my own precious son about -- auto mechanics.
Me: Joey, do you know what an auto mechanic is?
Joey: The guy who fixes cars?
Me: Good! You're a very smart boy.
(JOEY LOOKS TO THE HEAVENS)
Me: And why does he fix the car?
Joey: Because you pay him?
Me: And?
Joey:It’s his job?
Me: And?
Joey: He likes to?
Me: Joey, the basic difference between an auto mechanic and Jewish men is that auto mechanics know everything about cars and we know nothing.
The basic difference between an auto mechanic and Jewish men is that auto mechanics know everything about cars and we know nothing.
Joey: Couldn't we learn?
Me: It would take a very long time. A car has over 700 billion parts. An auto mechanic knows what each one does, how to replace it when it breaks, and how to triple the charge for each part.
Joey: Wow, what a neat job!
Me: Do you know what my job is?
Joey: Yeah, a writer. (YAWNS) Tell me more about auto mechanics. I might want to become one.
Me: (LAUGHS) Don’t be silly, Joey. There are no Jewish auto mechanics and there never will be.
Joey: Oh. Okay.
Me: But that doesn’t mean we can’t learn about them, Joey. And learn how to deal with them. For example, there are certain phrases that all auto mechanics use. Phrases like, "I don't like the sound of that," "Yikes, I've never seen that before," and "You're lucky it didn't blow up on you."
Joey: I don't get it.
Me: They all mean, "Take out your checkbook; I'll tell you when to stop writing."
Joey: How do you know if their price is fair?
Me: Ah. Excellent question. You don't. You never do. You have to trust them. You're completely at their mercy. They could have done the damage themselves and you'd never know. It's not fair. It's not fair, I tell you. It's just not fair. (BEGINS TO WEEP)
Joey: Come on, Dad. Cheer up. It can't be that bad.
Me: (CHOKING BACK SOBS) It's worse! I took my car in for what the mechanic estimated would be a $600 transmission job. Ended up costing me $1700! (BURSTS INTO TEARS) $1700, Joey! Nearly three times the estimate!
Joey: Why?
Me: Apparently, the estimate didn't include the parts. It was just for the labor. Then, of course, they found another problem. They always find another problem. And it's always worse and more expensive than the one you had in the first place. It just never ends. (GENTLY WEEPING)
Joey: (PATTING MY BACK) Come on, Dad, it'll be okay... But why are you telling me all this? I'm just ten years old.
Me: I want you to know. This is just one of the things in the adult world.
Joey: You mean there are other things this bad that I'll have to think about when I'm your age?
Me: Lots of them. Some not so bad, some this bad, some worse.
Joey: Are there any good parts about getting older?
Me: (THINKS FOR A BIT)
Joey: Dad?
Me: Oh, I'm sorry. Of course there are, son. It's just that sometimes they're spaced so far apart, it gets hard to remember them.
Joey: Hey, dad? Even though I’m Jewish, what if I studied really hard to become an auto mechanic and learned what all those parts are? Then I could fix your car for free!
Me: You would do that for me?
Joey: Well, maybe not completely for free. But I'd give you a nice discount.
Me: I would like that.
Joey: Or, I could be a doctor and fix your body for a discount. Because when you get older, a lot of things start going wrong with your body.
Me: Yeah? Where'd you hear that?
Joey: I was talking to our school janitor, Wally. He just had a prostate operation and was telling me to enjoy my good health while I still can. And he has something called Shingles. And a lazy eye.
Me: Son, you're going to have many, many years of wonderful health.
Joey: And then my body will start to fall apart?
Me: Not if you take good care of it.
Joey: Are you taking good care of your car?
Me: I try to.
Joey: Maybe if you took better care of it, it wouldn't have so many problems.
Me: I'll keep that in mind.
Joey: I'm sorry the car mechanics make you so sad.
Me: Me, too, son. Thanks.
Joey: (PAUSE) Dad, are we ever going to talk about love?
Me: (PAUSE) Sure. Sometime. Maybe when I get my car problems straightened out.
(12) Daniel, June 10, 2009 9:41 PM
I just thought i woud tell ya...
In the very top paragraph, where you mention his mother. I think it IS very sexist, and that if you were jewish you would not think like that.
(11) Patti Jenkins, January 12, 2008 10:09 PM
Just a short note to say thanks for always being there when I am down your videos are the best medicine for my soul for we connect aty a very basic level that tracends all this cosmic cyberspace.
you so funny and I just cant imagine my life without your e_mails and videos
(10) Grant Crankshaw, January 9, 2008 12:50 AM
Israeli car mechanics
Really enjoyed the article - being a Jewish convert living in Israel and a bit of a mechanic myself ... am I an anomoly? Shalom ya'll!
(9) Beverly Kurtin, Ph.D., December 28, 2007 11:28 PM
Did you hear about the traveling salewoman who...
Now wait one cotton pickin' second. I've known Jewish mechanics. I get slightly suspicious of their intentions though when they point out which Tehillim to read while they work on my cars.
My hopes for a relatively inexpensive repair sink when he dons his kippah and intones kassish over the engine, particularly frightening when all I brought in for was to empty the ashtray of the gum wrappers. I've never been too good at mastering the mechanics of remove it myself.
But how could I not love the man? When I purchased my brand new van he sawed off a few inches off my exhaust pipe. Such a mench! No charge yet.
Speaking of charges, he keeps a board out front that lists his prices.
Front end alignment. It depends.
Tire rotation. Are you kidding? They rotate on their own or you woldn't have made it here.
Oil change. How much change do you have?
Road test. Don't blame me, it's part of the no car left behind program.
Brake replacement. What do you break for?
Transmission flush.
Now wait just a second, I may not know anything about cars, but I've never flushed a transmission in my life.
But I did once have a great mechanic who put antifreeze into my old VW.
(8) malka, December 28, 2007 4:51 PM
I'm Jewish and I found this article funny. I don't think it's saying Jews are not good mechanics. I just see it as a funny article
(7) andrea, December 26, 2007 3:38 PM
a xense of humor
loved the article - very funny. I'm not Jewish, but one thing I know, making a living as a comedy writer, are that Jews have a great sense of humour. Reading the comments here - I see there are exceptions to that "rule"
(6) Susan, December 26, 2007 9:14 AM
Auto Body Repairmen - Human Body Repairmen
I reread the above article and honestly do understand that when the Dad is talking about 'mechanic' he could replace that word with the word 'physician'...and I do get the humor there. (just a bit)
But' I also understand how some are annoyed at the stereotype that Jews can't do well as Auto mechanics. Or that Jews by birth don't do well in the trades. But that Jews do very well as physicians. The article annoyed me, also.
Being a Physician or a Surgeon is working on 'body' parts as well as an Auto mechanic working on 'body' parts. Each can diagnose a problem and then find a fix for it. There is a fine line between a trade and a profession. I think that the line between the two is blurred by the income generated and education attained. The intelligence and the abilities are the same.
I know stupid Physicians and I know brilliant ones. Also, I know brilliant mechanics and some pretty inept ones as well.
My thinking has always been.... first we Jews should learn a trade....if we are too inept to become mechanics, then we should seriously consider never being a Physician..
(5) MS, December 26, 2007 1:55 AM
Remember - Jewlarious!!!
Cheer up guys! Of course there are Jewish car machanics. This is meant to be funny!
(4) Yehuda, December 25, 2007 12:30 PM
Oh Please!!!
Where is it written that Jews can't be mechanically inclined? Where??? Jews can be the best mechanics, as well as the best engineers, the best doctors, best drywallers and best laborers, if that be their calling.
There is no dishonor is an honest day's work, be it at an executive desk, in the operating theater, or under the hood of a car.
Maybe this story is is funny, but all I know is the stereotype irks me so much I can't see the humor...
(3) Anonymous, December 25, 2007 12:24 PM
Jews can be auto mechanics
Our Jewish son became a certified diesel mechanic when he was 18 years old prior to attending college. Though he's a physician, he has always enjoyed fixing things and has frequently repaired his own car. He also does a lot of repairs and even remodeling on his home. I agree with "anonymous". Don't continue the stereotype of Jews being only good for certain things and being stupid in others. This was forced on the Jews during the Middle Ages in Europe and was one of the misconceptions that the founding of Israel was supposed to dispel. Jewish people have been farmers, mechanics, artisans and laborers as well as being professionals, bankers and merchants. Jews can be good with our hands, depending on our own individual talents and participate in any kind of work, which is a blessing. We don't have to accept the limitations that others have tried to put on us in the past and can feel free to use all the talents that God has given us.
(2) S, December 25, 2007 4:29 AM
LOL, I like the part where the boy asks 'are there any good parts' and the dad thinks and then the boy says 'dad?'
(1) Anonymous, December 25, 2007 12:24 AM
Jewish Auto Mechanics
The Dad's a nebbish. My husband, Jewish of course, was a Chevron dealer/mechanic for 30 years. And who do you think fixes the cars in Israel - mostly Jewish mechanics. Quite making all Jews such dunces when it comes to having other skills than those used by doctors and lawyers.