Real-Life Decision Making
You look up from your work when you hear something squeaking and scratching across the floor of your shop. You see a man wheeling a decrepit bike towards you.
He puts the handlebars of the bike into your hands so that you can assess the worth of the aging contraption. The bike frame is covered in chunks of rust and has holes in some spots. The wheels are busted, the tires are hard and flat. You test the brakes and find that they are worn and useless.
"How much would it cost to fix this thing up?" the man asks. You raise your eyebrows and look at the bike again.
"You often have to make these kinds of decisions right on the spot," says Ben Kobylianski, a bike mechanic. "People want to know if something can be fixed and what it will cost."
You pause and try to find a tactful way to say that it isn't worth repairing. "Honestly, it would be much cheaper to buy a new bike," you tell him.
He looks angry. "No, I don't want a new bike. I want this bike fixed. "
You sigh and tinker with the bike. But even with major repairs, you wouldn't be able to salvage the bike. "I could rebuild an older bike that's in better condition for you," you suggest.
The customer turns red and stamps his feet. "But this was my father's bike. I want to use it again. Please, do whatever you can!"
What do you do?