A female mechanic has gone to lengths to ensure women and non-binary people feel comfortable and at ease whenever they have car troubles. The 25-year-old used to be “anxious” when she needed assistance, and male-dominated repair shops were the only thing available, so she started her own business.
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Zoe Cog, from Manchester, UK, created a safe space for women to look for car assistance, a repair shop she called AutoCog. Although she started out as a receptionist in the industry, she became a mechanic herself. It was then she realized women constantly felt anxious about entering male-dominated repair shops, fearing discrimination or belittling.
“I’ve been the girl on the other end, worried about walking into places like garages and feeling anxious, and although it’s never easy, I like to think I’m an approachable, friendly female who has created a place where you can walk in and feel at ease, regardless of your gender,” she said in an interview.
“I get pleasure out of taking the pressure off the girls and can give as good of a service as any male-owned garage, but also build trust with the people I’m working with,” she added.
The response to Autocog surpassed all expectations, according to her. “Honestly, the response to my garage has been phenomenal and beyond anything I’d ever expected. It’s been an incredible rollercoaster. I’ve had so much support and positive feedback from not just women but also some incredible words from men,” she revealed.
She continued, mentioning how some feedback also proved why a female-owned repair shop was much needed. “Although some of the comments have proved why such a place was needed for us women — that’s for sure. I’ve had people question my ability to do the job as a woman, but I don’t let it get to me,” she said.
Many women are all about fighting gender stereotypes, and inspiring stories come up every day online. An excellent example is Edine, a young woman who stopped removing facial hair and shared how it has changed her life with the world.
A couple found their wedding ring, which had been lost for almost 10 years, thanks to Hurricane Milton. The storm turned up the ring after all that time.
A wedding band (stock image). Photo: Getty
Amid the destruction from Hurricane Milton in Florida, a couple found something special. Laura and Basil Yorio from Palm Bay had to leave their home before the hurricane hit on Wednesday, Oct. 9, as a Category 3 storm. When they returned, Laura was surprised to find Basil’s wedding ring in their yard. He had lost it nine years earlier during a construction project.
“It was just sitting there, a little buried in the dirt,” Laura said, thinking at first it was a key ring
The jewelry Laura found sticking out of the ground turned out to be Basil’s missing wedding ring, which had “disappeared” during a construction project nine years ago. Despite years of lawn care and searching, the ring never showed up—until now.
Laura shared a photo of the silver ring with WOFL, showing how it was hidden in the grass. “We’ve been over this yard a thousand times in the last nine years,” she said. “We even have a landscaper who comes every week. Still, nothing.”
Laura believes the hurricane caused the ring to finally surface. She added, “We know a lot of people are dealing with really tough things right now, so I feel a little guilty being happy, but it was something good that came out of all this.”
How to Help the Victims of Hurricane Milton
Hurricane Milton hit near Siesta Key on Wednesday, causing major damage. As of Friday, at least 16 people have died, according to CNN and NBC News. Five of those deaths happened because of a tornado in St. Lucie County. In total, 19 tornadoes hit the state as the hurricane moved inland, according to Gov. Ron DeSantis.
About 1.5 million people in Florida still don’t have power as of Saturday, Oct. 12, according to PowerOutage.us.
Since the hurricane, hundreds of people have been rescued, including 135 from a senior living home in Tampa, 500 from an apartment building in Clearwater, and more from a Holiday Inn in Plant City.
This comes after Hurricane Helene, which struck the Big Bend region on Sept. 26, killing over 200 people.
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