Blind Sided By The Service

(I was hit by a car while I was on my bike, and even though I am fine, my sparkling new bike was not. It looks as if it can be repaired, so I go to the store where I bought the bike. I explain what happened and that I think there is a ‘bump’ in the rear-tire.)

Owner: “Sure, it looks easy enough to fix. Let’s take it to our shop in the back. Our mechanic is there.”

(The owner takes me there, calls out to the mechanic, and leaves. The mechanic comes towards me and I notice something ‘off.’ It takes a moment, but then I realise the mechanic is blind! The mechanic takes my bike and I’m a bit worried; how can a blind person fix my bike? The mechanic tells me to return within a day. At the end of the day, I return. The mechanic takes me to my bike.)

Mechanic: “So, that bump you felt? It was in your front-tire, not the back. And your light should be fixed as well.” *I assume he’s near-blind or asked someone else* “I also fixed the chain, the protectors, and—” *continues listing things that were broken, touching everything*

Me: “Ah, sure… thanks. So, what’s the damage? How much?”

Mechanic: “How much? The owner told me this was still under warranty! So, you pay nothing!”

(My jaw dropped and I thanked him a lot. The owner was nowhere to be found. When I got on my bike, it felt like brand new! That day I learned a LOT about blind people. 10 years later, my bike needed maintenance at the tires again. Guess who fixed my bike again?)