AUTO MECHANIC
Steve Skibbe
Uptown Imports
History in this line of work:
I’ve been working with cars since 1990, and currently am a service writer and technician at Uptown Imports.
What drew him to this vocation:
I had a natural aptitude for working with automobiles, and then I was tricked by a friend into working at one of these places, and haven’t yet figured a way out. Beware, youth of America: Study hard and do what you want.
Health insurance benefits:
The company pays half my benefits. It’s a good package that covers my whole family.
Fringe benefits or perks:
One thing, definitely: your personal auto maintenance is drastically reduced. That’s a huge consideration for anyone who doesn’t trade in their car all the time. The facility here is available for my use—I can trade my time and work on my vehicles. I’ve got a Volvo wagon, an old rusty Subaru wagon, and a VW camper.
Drawbacks, hassles, or hazards of the job:
This job is physically difficult. I’m in my late forties and I’m feeling the hearing loss and the vision loss. It’s getting harder and harder to put the tiny parts into their tiny places. The hours are also long—I put in fifty to sixty hours a week, and often don’t get lunch. You stay until the job’s done.
Interests outside of work:
Boating. I own a boat, but haven’t used it much. I dabble in electronics and computer programming.
Family:
I’m married with two daughters—that’s another interest. I do what those girls want.
Housing:
We own a duplex and live in one half and rent out the other.
Transportation:
Unfortunately, I drive to work, but sometimes I ride my bike. But I often have to drive to St. Paul for parts, and I hate the company van.
What he wanted to be as a child:
Broadly, I wanted to be a scientist. I came from a family of educators. Working with today’s cars addresses that dream, at least a little bit. You’ve got the network protocol involved, the physics. You don’t just throw a new part on anymore.
What else, if anything, he’d rather be doing:
When I closed my own shop—I used to own East End Imports—I hoped to repurpose myself. I’m still in pretty good health, don’t have any chronic injuries, and at some point in everyone’s life they try to do the work of a twenty-year-old when they’re fifty, and then wish they hadn’t. I didn’t want to do that. If I had my druthers, I’d learn a programming language properly and work around that. For one thing, it’s physically less trying.
Where he sees himself in five years:
Until last week I saw myself under the 35W bridge. Realistically, though, I’ll probably still be in this industry. I still hold out hope for a transition, but the family, and this and that …
Income or salary:
I make a good wage.