March 2018

A green awning above the purple door frame marking the entrance to a small Short North mechanic says “AUTO CARE” in bold white letters, but the “alternative” hinted is only apparent after stepping inside. Alternative Auto Care operates on the automotive expertise of women. Just inside the door, service manager Heather Murphy answered phones and customer questions in the tiny office, which also serves as the waiting room....

The fact that Alternative Auto Care (AAC) remains “alternative” after 25 years in business reflects how little the car repair industry has changed since Michael Jackson reigned as the King of Pop and the United States invaded Grenada. The shop, near the corner of Fifth and Hunter Avenues, has remained female owned and operated for a quarter-century of feminist stagnation in which women have continued to make up less than one percent of the nation’s...