It's both funny and irritating to see people backlashing at ideas since it might "overpower" a side without offering alternatives or even new ideas to improve the current situations they are dissatisfied with. I might be a bit biased here since I favor this idea, so sorry for the rant.
Anyways, I support this idea and a few additions, adding to what Wheel just said right up.
A fair and useful mechanic overhaul would be something like this:
- Mechanics can only interact/be interacted with when they are in a proper vehicle (Like a utility van/truck, reason for this would be the current mechanics pretty much use Infernuses and other sport cars to drive around while being able to fillup/wash any of their friends around, instead of being dedicated workers: If you want to ride around the city be a citizen instead of being a job and stealing them from people who want to work seriously. / Also: Mechanics are mobile repairmen because people can get to a Gas station to fill up and a workshop to tune/paint/repair their vehicles, otherwise there would be no use for the job).
-- Following from this: Make dedicated mechanic vehicles that spawn in gas stations. We already have trucks/utility vans in some of them, but would be good to make them mechanic-only.
- This is up to you guys: Flipping vehicles would require either using a sort(s) of truck only (since vehicles are preeeeety heavy) OR also using the dedicated vans (could be roleplayed the use of an equipment. It's pretty feasible if you want to MacGyver stuff up!)
- Also: make mechanic actions take time: from around 10 to 30 seconds for a washing, perhaps more or the same for a fillup, and a bit more perhaps (all up to you fellows to discuss) for a flipping.
-- Following from this to discuss: Either restrict overall actions of mechanics on suspects anywhere OR only when cops are near. (This last option would allow for more roleplaying, especially if my first suggestion is accepted since we'll be having dedicated mechanics, and cops could investigate and even arrest the mechanic for aiding).
PS: Is it just me or people never reply to my suggestions, like the sanitation and trucker job ones that I added to the main ideas? :S