Rant: That customer who refused new brake pads nearly killed himself

Last spring a guy came in with a road bike from 2008, pads worn down to the metal. I told him it was a $35 fix, but he said he'd just adjusted the cables and they felt fine. I showed him the wear indicator and the scoring on his rims with a flashlight. He got defensive and said I was just trying to upsell him, so he rode out. Two days later he came back on a bus with the front wheel folded and a gash on his chin. He told me the brake grabbed and threw him over the bars at a stoplight downtown. He bought the pads without a word and I installed them. Anyone else dealt with customers who treat basic safety parts like a scam?

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nora549d ago

Picture this guy saving $35 on pads and then paying a $200 copay at the ER instead, genius math right there. In my experience the same folks who skip brake pads are the ones who never check their tire pressure either, so it was only a matter of time. Honestly the part that gets me is him adjusting the cables to make worn pads "feel fine," which is like turning up the radio so you can't hear the engine knocking. Glad he walked away with just a chin scar instead of a pine box, some lessons cost more than others.

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