Rant - Why not lend a hand?
OK - so maybe I will be flamed by bike shop owners for this post, but I need to vent.
On my way to work this morning, I notice a skipping in the rear der. As the cogs (in my head) turn, I think to look closely at my chain. Turns out, a link is half separating. I think, "crap", but cool, there's a bike shop right up here. I'll ask to borrow their chain tool and be on my merry way. I have been wanting to go in there for a while now, but it's never open when I ride by (i ride early AM and usually latePM).
This is my chance to check it out and say hello to the mechanic, right? wrong. I asked if I could borrow a chain tool for my bike (pointing to my bike at the entrance of the shop). He hesisates, so I say, "would you mind, terribly?" I was taken aback when he looked me in the eye and said, "actually I would. I can't lend you a chain tool."
I say, "then can I buy one?" He says, "sure, $10." I am upset and a little mystified, but recognize they are his friggin tools and if he wants to be a weenie, he's entitled. So I look and have no cash. when I put my card on the counter he refuses, saying "$20 minimum on credit cards." He then asks how much $ I have and when I say $7, he pulls out a true pos chain tool and hands it to me. With no real choice, I take the tool and make the repair as he walks to the back of ths store, talking about how if he lent two tools to every customer that walked in, he'd be out of tools in a week and what if people break them and so forth. I think to myself, you don't need to justify this to me, pal. I leave the tool on the counter and shout, "thanks for nothing. enjoy the seven bucks."
It's not like I asked to borrow a $300 facing tool. it was a friggin chain tool that I needed while in the store. Please let me know if my anger is unjustified, but I seriously can't understand why a bike shop wouldn't lend me a chain tool for 2 mins. This was a place I might have spent lots of $ if not for this experience.