Turning one’s difficult experience into passion for helping Vancouverites by fixing their cars

By JUAN P. LOPEZ

Driven by difficult past experiences, Chris English decided to take a turn and assist others without cost.

“Helping people is a very passionate thing for me. It just has been my whole life,” said English, a Vancouver resident.
English offers free lessons on vehicle maintenance for car owners, marketing his service online through Craigslist. He arranges to meet people in public car parks to make them feel comfortable and to learn something about fixing engines.

Building the sense of helping the community

English said he has a past criminal record after being involved with the drug trade. He said even then, people took advantage of his generosity. “I didn’t have a good filter on who I should help versus who I shouldn’t,” English said.
English said that the idea of helping people fix their cars occurred when he saw a person in a gas station who did not know how to check the fluids of their car, and he thought it was something he could assist people with.
“The best feelings that I get in the world are when I know I’ve made a little bit of a difference,” English said.

Jessica Beck, manager of Lordco Auto Parts in Metrotown, said she would be skeptical of a Craigslist post offering free vehicle help unless it was an automative student.
“The odds of anybody doing anything like that for free are very, very slim, but you never know,” Beck said.
English acknowledges the stigma around individuals with a difficult background. “The thing is the public is still scared of criminals. They got to stop, have a little bit of faith,” English said.
English encourages young people to learn the basics of their cars, because it is a lifetime skill.
Lal Grewal, an accounting student at Langara, said that it would be helpful to learn the essentials of checking cars. “Either you are in a situation where there is no mechanic available or it’s too expensive for the basic repairs,”  Grewal said.

Having basic knowledge of cars is essential

English said that mechanic prices can be high for a simple thing that will not take much effort. He said a simple windshield only requires two clicks into the place. “Are you going to pay a mechanic to do that? No, but I swear, no one knows that thing,” English said.
English said that he does not consider himself a mechanic. He said all the knowledge that he gained is because of his dad, calling him the greatest man in his life.
“He didn’t just teach me. He said, take the keys, take the tools, go mess around,” he said.