A Mechanic Tried to Charge Me $8,000, Thinking I Was Just a Clueless Old Woman — What I Pulled from My Purse Wiped the Smile off His Face

from a second mechanic.

That afternoon, I picked Nell up from school.

She climbed into the passenger seat and listened carefully as I started the engine.

“The hiccups are gone,” she said.

“They are.”

“Was it expensive?”

“Not nearly as expensive as one man hoped.”

She thought about that.

“Did he think you didn’t understand cars?”

“He saw my gray hair and my continue reading …