During the Christmas season Bailey's Garage sells Christmas trees to raise money for the Abington High School Marching Band

It’s debatable what Jack Bailey is best known for in his hometown of Abington, Massachusetts; his skill as a mechanic or his extensive charitable and community work. One look at his website, www.eddiebaileys garage.com, and the myriad of town fundraising projects Jack sponsors, and you realize the phrase, “pillar of the community” applies here. That’s because every child in Abington Public Schools will likely meet Mr. Bailey at some point, whether it be at the fundraising carwashes he sponsors on most Saturdays during the good weather months, or buying the family Christmas tree sold at Bailey’s Garage during the holiday season which benefit the high school marching band. Public schools are strapped for cash, so this activity simply would not exist without that funding. But Jack Bailey’s crowning achievement every year is organizing the Abington St. Patrick’s day parade, no surprise if you notice the large green four-leaf clovers painted on the side of his garage.

In fact, when Jack recently called Joint Committee on Consumer Protection Chairman Michael Morrissey (D-Quincy) to ask him to move the Massachusetts Right to Repair Act, when the lawmaker’s aide asked who was calling, Jack responded, “tell him St. Patrick is on the phone.” Sen. Morrissey needed no further clues as to who was calling. What’s important is that Jack Bailey took the time between servicing customers and his constant community activities to call his legislator and tell him why Right to Repair is important to his business.

Though quick with a joke, there’s a few things Jack doesn’t like and is very serious about. Jack doesn’t like charging customers anything but a fair price, and he doesn’t like sending longtime customers away due to the more frequent inability to secure repair information from manufacturers. “My father opened this garage in 1938. I started working here in high school, then I took over years later after I graduated from Stonehill,” said Bailey. “My father always said to parts suppliers-- I keep a sharp pencil, so give me your best deal for my customer. I keep a sharp pencil too, and I know all my customers and what they’re going through with this tough economy. I always consider what they can afford to pay based on their particular situation. I don’t like sending them back to the dealer where they will pay more than I will charge. And with all the local dealers shutting down, they have to drive a long way to get there.”

As vehicles become more sophisticated in the years to come, without the protection for independent repairers the Right to Repair law would offer, guys like Jack Bailey will have a harder time making their bottom line profit. There are Jack Bailey’s all over the state, people who keep their door and pockets open to community causes. Garage’s like Bailey’s are far more than just a place to fix your car. Like most reputable independent businesses, they are the lifeblood of the community. Sending customers back to the dealer soon enough means lost customers.

“I feel the same way about my vendors-- I’ll buy your scanning tool, just give me all the information I need to go with it,” said Bailey.