Originally Posted by
RGMN
My "favorite" is the dad who's young son outgrew the bike. The dad made the bike bigger by jamming a pipe in the seat tube and then used a couple of hose clamps to hold the saddle on. After we refused to work on the bike the dad got a bit belligerent and the shop's owner decided we'd let the police explain the issue to dad. That's when we found out the dad was trying to be the hero and have the bike fixed before his wife and son got back from the ER. Yeah, saddle fell off while the kid was riding it.
Bad repairs that get you hurt are one thing. Bad repairs that get your kids hurt are another story.
A pump bracket falling off doesn't even move the needle.
The reality is that kid's bikes are a dime a dozen at the thrift stores. Often so cheap that co-ops don't really like them (although I would think that would be a major responsibility for the co-ops to redistribute).
Don't get so vested in the wrong bike that one must put in the pipes when one can go down to the thrift store and buy the right bike for $5 to $20.