I’ve serviced my vehicles at a number of places over the years. I’ve experienced places that are honest and fair and places that tried to rip me off.

Two stories:

  1. A few years ago my vehicle broke down and I had to get it towed to a service station. On the way I asked the tow driver if he thought the place my towing insurance recommended was a good choice. He responded they were over priced and pushed unnecessary services. On his recommendation I went to a place that was filthy, sharing a decades old dusty couch with a box of files and the owner’s dog, but I got a great price. How many women would have: 1. asked and 2. gone to such a place?

  2. On a routine tune up a dealership told me they identified many expensive issues I should address. I decided to put them all off to investigate my options. One I did have them fix, 2 others I fixed elsewhere at a notably cheaper rate. Two I decided didn’t need addressing at all and they didn’t. Again, how many women would do the same rather than just accept the work needs to be done?

I could give a few other similar stories.

My point is, there are garages who will treat people fairly and those who will rip people off if they can. Perhaps women do end up paying more, but it’s just as feasible this is a result of how women respond to options and attempted rip-offs as it is that garages charge women differently.

It’s but one of many places I see feminists using the correlation fallacy to argue discrimination when there are other explanations, the so called pay gap being an even better example.

Comment on this or give other examples you’ve experienced of claimed discrimination where perhaps there’s another alternative.