A mechanic has viewers divided over the boundaries of transparency for unplugging a dashboard camera while repairing a vehicle.
The video was posted on Wednesday by @thatoneshittech and has amassed 67,000 views as of Monday.
@thatoneshittech Sorry recording not allowed during interior work! #mechanic #mechaniclife all right#mechanicsoftiktok #lol #dailyroutine #funny #funnyvideos #meme #diagnosis #ogdilly #dillysoftiktok #saveadilly #relatable #canada #usa #australia #fyp #foryoupage #VozDosCriadores #screammovie ♬ My Heart Will Go On (Titanic) – Maliheh Saeedi & Faraz Taali
In the video, the text overlay reads, “Everytime I see a dash cam while doing interior work.”
The dash cam then indicates that the recording has started and the mechanic proceeds to unplug the camera and say, “Nah b*tch recording stopped.”
This video left viewers polarized in the comments. Many criticized the mechanic, claiming that he should not be worried about videos if he is doing nothing wrong.
“When you don’t want the customer to know you’re ripping them off,” the top comment read.
“If u ain’t doing nothing wrong don’t worry about it,” said a second.
“Good thing mine is hard wired can’t even unplug it,” another added.
However, many users defended the mechanic, claiming he has a right to privacy on private property.
“I do it,” mentioned one user. “Theres states that have the 2 party concent law. you dont approve it they cant retaliate.”
“I unplug those things the customer doesn’t need to hear me saying the no no words lol,” wrote one user.
The legality of this phenomenon seems to vary by state, depending on both private property laws and video recording consent laws. However, it is clear that this video’s audience is divided over the ethics of this action.
In an interview via TikTok direct message, @thatoneshittech provided context.
“The main reason I unplugged the camera was for the electrical system test to find power draw,” he wrote. “Then I realized it would make good content which it did with the amount of views it generated so far.”
He added additional context as to why some other mechanics may decide to disconnect the camera.
“In some instances, though, technicians will unplug them due to the fact that they don’t want [to be] recorded during repairs being made,” he said. “Some shops actually require them unplugged so personal information is not recorded.”
