I ran a small drink stand at our county fair for a few summers and stopped doing free refills after the second year. People would take advantage and leave their bottles on the counter when they walked away, expecting me to watch their stuff. I switched to a pay-what-you-want jar for refills and it completely changed the vibe. Most folks still threw in a quarter or a dollar, and the entitled ones just moved on without causing a scene. Setting that boundary actually made the whole experience better for everyone.

Oh man, that adhesive thing is wild. I've found some weird fixes over the years but glue on a seatpost takes the cake. Did you ever figure out what kind of adhesive it was, like was it JB Weld or some sort of epoxy? I'm asking because I had a similar nightmare on an old Raleigh where someone used what looked like liquid nails, and I ended up having to drill it out in pieces with a carbide bit. That mess took me a whole weekend and I still have scars on my hands from the metal shavings. I swear some people just hate the next guy who has to work on their bike. What did the inside of the seat tube look like after you got the hacksaw through it?

actually i've had pretty different experiences with this kind of thing. in my case it ended up being a learning curve more than a total disaster. took me a few tries to figure out what worked for me specifically. your mileage may vary but i wouldn't write it off completely just yet.

Took me 45 minutes to realize I'd stacked the wrong file type.

I had the exact same talk with my uncle who ran a shop in Phoenix for 30 years. He showed me how a dirty injector can give you a lean code when really it's just a vacuum leak at the intake gasket, something a scanner alone will miss. I still use my scan tool for basic diagnostics but I've started listening more to the engine and checking things like fuel trims and live data before tossing parts at it. Old school feel for the problem plus the computer data together is the best combo in my book.