I feel your pain. I work in the "customer service" industry and I hate people now. The general public is a bunch of rude, self-centered s**t heads. My LBS recognizes me and is really friendly and helpful, and I often buy small parts from them when I go in(brake cable, axle, derailer hanger, etc). I don't really go there if I don't need something, though. I can usually figure out the answers to my questions online if it's about something more expensive that I want to buy online. I'm a poor younger person, so I can't afford to buy stuff from a shop that costs nearly twice as much as it does online, which it often does at my local shops. The curse of living in one of "the best biking areas in the country," I suppose.