Is this the trend in the US?

[sandsthetime]

Originally Posted by Haakon

It's about people who DO drive who can't change their own tires, not about you. I doubt the millennials who can't change a tire can sew a ripped shirt or bake a loaf of bread either.

But then again it's not like Wall Street execs know how to change their own tires, or sew, or bake either. Heck, everyone I've known born into a wealthy family were the last folk on earth to get their hands dirty doing anything resembling physical labor. Even doing basic yard work like planting was beneath these folk. Their parents always sheltered them and paid for their things, and the kids turned out the same way. This is a big trend I've encountered with the managerial class in America, even at the small businesses I've worked at. They're so used to dictating that they can't even do simple things themselves. My boss in 2014 didn't even know how to start a weed whacker, for example.

[Southern man]

Originally Posted by Cantabridgienne

I've never owned a car, so I have no idea how to change a tire.

Do you know how to sew a ripped seam in your shirt or make a loaf of bread? I mean, we can play this game with a lot of things that are second-nature to some-not-all of us, and call it the downfall of civilization.

I own a car. I built my first v8 Ford engine when I was 16. I've done transmissions and just about everything on a car. I no longer do that kind of work cause I'm too old. Now for a hobby I bake sourdough bread, one loaf a week. I recently shortened all my pants, cause I've shrunk a bit. I baked a pan of biscuits this afternoon.

[randomparent]

People tend to spend their time learning what is most rewarded by their socio-economic class and location. For example, kids in suburban environments learn how to drive cars, while kids in urban environments learn how to navigate public transportation by themselves, often at ages that shock those of us who have no such need. The children of the extraordinarily wealthy have yet another set of requirements to navigate their lives successfully. It's the way of the world. No need to throw shade at those whose learning does not replicate your own. Chances are they know things you don't and are equally stymied by how you get through your day.

[Rambler123]

I do get a laugh out of how folks think people not changing tires or doing work on their cars is the sign of some terrible illness in our society, how "weak" people are these days, or some other vast conspiracy. Really, none of that is needed.

To break it down simply:

- People need to learn a lot more skills these days to be competitive. Some lesser used skills, like how to change your tires or oil, will naturally fall by the wayside

- There are far more places one can go to get car work done these days, as well as roadside services like AAA, so there's no need to change your own oil and often no need to change your own tires. Plus, when you factor in the time spent changing your oil, having somebody else change your oil probably costs about the same as going it yourself, so why bother, particularly when you consider risk of screwing something up.

Complaining about this is like complaining how people aren't "raising their own cows and chickens anymore" and instead buying meat the grocery story. Or, people aren't "sowing their own clothes anymore" and are instead buying them. Same idea. Things change.

- Finally, cars are becoming more complicated and are often designed these days with the assumption you have a lift and a complete shop to work on them. Nobody is going to invest in all that just to change their oil.

No conspiracy needed; just the natural evolution of an increasingly complex society with increasingly complex technology.