That one guy at the hardware store who kept me from making a $500 mistake

I was having the worst day last Tuesday - my miter saw died mid cut on a job in Nashville. I stormed into Home Depot ready to just buy the biggest, baddest replacement they had. Some older guy in a flannel shirt saw me grabbing boxes and asked what happened. He didn't try to sell me anything, just asked a few questions about my saw. Turns out it was just a blown capacitor, cost me $12 and 20 minutes to fix. He literally saved me from blowing $500 on a new saw I didn't need, and I had the job done by 5pm. Has anyone else had a random stranger keep them from making a dumb panic buy?

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thea_chen1h ago

That happened to me with a car battery once. I was at AutoZone ready to drop $200 on a new one because my car wouldn't start. Some guy in line behind me just casually asked if I had checked the terminals. I hadn't. They were just caked in corrosion. He showed me how to clean them off with a wire brush and baking soda, cost me maybe $3 worth of stuff I already had in my kitchen. Car started right up and that battery lasted another two years. I still think about that dude every time my car gives me trouble.