Original Post is a successful compartmentalization of people, so they can be shunted aside. I am sure every one of us on this thread could be compartmentalized and then marginalized by others. (do you think bikers in general are labeled and marginalized by drivers at all???)
Interesting to me, are two different thoughts in this thread:
1) LBSes are expensive. I can get better prices elsewhere
2) People at LBS are stupid
If #2 is correct, could it be related to #1? That is, you can't get good workers, because you have to pay less, because no one wants to support local stores so they can pay your neighbors a living wage?
Meanwhile, Amazon et al are looking at robots and drones. I wonder where all the jobs have gone?
Clearly, if they are a bad shop, they deserve to close. And there are bad store owners out there. Our closest rug storee is run by a real piece of work, so we shop with the guy 2 towns over.
But in general, support local businesses. They are not all wonderful people, but then again, neither are all of us (myself included). But it's about building and maintaining a community of neighbors.
Last edited by WT21; 08-30-17 at 10:44 AM.