Photo: krca.com
A California man spent $200 on a camera that he mounted on the rear-view mirror of his red Mustang, and he’s now saying it’s the best use he could have put to that money.
Michael Burke from Elk Grove, California, says his Mustang is his “baby.” He recently took it for a brake inspection at a local tire shop and was shocked to see a mechanic meant to perform the inspection doing donuts in it. “Livid” doesn’t even begin to describe how he felt, he tells KRCA.
The camera is visible inside the car, but the mechanic must have thought it stopped recording when he got in. That’s because its screen goes black after about 3 minutes, Burke explains for the media outlet.
However, he probably wouldn’t have thought to check the footage had he not noticed something off when the mechanic brought his Mustang back from the inspection. “I got my keys. I got back in my car and noticed all the stuff in my car was, like, crammed over on one side, like, off the seat and everything,” he says.
When he got home, he checked the video and saw the car being driven to an empty parking lot, where the mechanic did donuts with it. Tire marks on the asphalt indicated that this spot had been used before to this end. “Oh my gosh, I was furious. I don't even drive my car like that. Yeah, uncalled for,” Burke says.
He went back to the tire shop and made a complaint with the manager, who, in turn, fired the mechanic responsible. The manager is now considering using in-car cameras for all inspections, as a way to rebuild trust with customers. He also offered Burke a refund and free service for some time, but the man is still considering his options.
Bill Thomas, a manager at the state Bureau of Automotive Repairs, says that behavior like this is in violation of industry standards. “Under no circumstances of diagnosis is that necessary in the operation of a consumer's vehicle,” Thomas says for the same media outlet. “So, we definitely have concerns the minute we see that aspect of it and want to look into the entire transaction.”
The camera is visible inside the car, but the mechanic must have thought it stopped recording when he got in. That’s because its screen goes black after about 3 minutes, Burke explains for the media outlet.
However, he probably wouldn’t have thought to check the footage had he not noticed something off when the mechanic brought his Mustang back from the inspection. “I got my keys. I got back in my car and noticed all the stuff in my car was, like, crammed over on one side, like, off the seat and everything,” he says.
When he got home, he checked the video and saw the car being driven to an empty parking lot, where the mechanic did donuts with it. Tire marks on the asphalt indicated that this spot had been used before to this end. “Oh my gosh, I was furious. I don't even drive my car like that. Yeah, uncalled for,” Burke says.
He went back to the tire shop and made a complaint with the manager, who, in turn, fired the mechanic responsible. The manager is now considering using in-car cameras for all inspections, as a way to rebuild trust with customers. He also offered Burke a refund and free service for some time, but the man is still considering his options.
Bill Thomas, a manager at the state Bureau of Automotive Repairs, says that behavior like this is in violation of industry standards. “Under no circumstances of diagnosis is that necessary in the operation of a consumer's vehicle,” Thomas says for the same media outlet. “So, we definitely have concerns the minute we see that aspect of it and want to look into the entire transaction.”
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