Friendly Auto Repair now open to the general public

BY TERRY SCHMIDA

With the number of taxi cabs on the road in Key West shrinking, the garage that services many of them is now offering its services to the general public.

Since ride-sharing companies such as Lyft and Uber began operating locally several months ago the seasoned mechanics at Friendly Auto Repair, located at 800 14^thSt. have been spending less time working on the Friendly Cab fleet, and more time performing general auto maintenance on cars, light-duty trucks, scooters and motorcycles of all kinds.

“Uber and Lyft came in during July and there was an instant hit in the cab business,” Friendly mechanic Ryan Parsons said. “So, we became a full-service garage in August. The outside of the shop looks a little ragged from the storm, but inside we’re ready to work.”

Boasting years of experience and the “most affordable hourly labor rate in town,” Parsons and his colleague Matthew Newman are now taking care of everything from oil changes and tune-ups, to brakes, belts, and other major automotive services, such as shocks and struts, air conditioning repair, and diagnostics.

“The personal service is where we really excel,” said Parsons, who has been working as a mechanic in the Southernmost City for 15 years. “We physically talk to all our customers, to explain to them what we need to do. And we don’t advertise, so we can afford to keep the rates low. We’re a small town shop with hugely talented mechanics. We used to just work on taxis, but now we’re branching out to service the entire community.”

And though it’s the advent of Uber and Lyft that has changed the dynamic of their client base, neither Parsons or Newman harbor any ill will towards ride-sharing drivers – and are happy to work on their vehicles as well.

“We understand that these drivers have families to support and bills to pay as well,” Parsons said. “And ride-sharing is just the way that the business has evolved. It’s changed and we need to change as well.”