A DRIVER has slammed mechanics for “shameful sexism” she claims to have experienced when she went to get a new car battery.
Soraya Easterbrook ended up being charged £700 for the new part- when her original one was actually fine.
facebook/@soraya.easterbrookA woman claims she experienced sexism at a garage[/caption]
The 33-year-old’s Fiat 500 had stopped working 14 miles from her home.
Fortunately she managed to reach a garage before the car broke down.
But, to her horror, when she arrived she saw the mechanics “smirking a little bit” and was told her battery needed replacing.
Soraya, trusted the professionals and, at the cost of £700, had it changed for a new one.
Thinking all was fine and dandy she set off back home to Cuffley, Hertfordshire, but broke down on route.
Soraya already had a bad feeling about her “uneasy” time at the garage and so she showed a trusted local mechanic the battery who told her it was actually fine.
They believe the Fiat suffered a minor problem, which could have been fixed with less time and at a smaller cost.
And, shockingly, a standard new battery for a Fiat 500 typically retails for less than £100.
Soraya told the Mirror: “It’s just shameful to get that when you’re just a woman going in by yourself.
“I just really highly feel like that would not have happened if it was a bloke alone.
“It just felt really strange but I had no choice and I was on my own, they knew that.”
She added that she is now “anxious” every time she goes to visit a mechanic and feels obliged to take a male friend or family member with her.
Soraya is one of roughly 10 million female drivers who, a survey shows, face feelings of anxiety and stress about going to see a mechanic.
Nearly half of female drivers in the UK experience sexism when visiting the mechanic and, motoring experts say, this can lead to drivers missing important car maintenance checks.
Forty eight per cent of female drivers in the UK have reported encountering casual sexism from garage staff, such as being referred to as “darling,” “love,” or “sweetheart”.
Although Soraya didn’t experience this she is appalled at the behaviour.
facebook/@soraya.easterbrookThe alleged sexism reportedly resulted in her being charged an extortionate amount for a new car battery[/caption]