Sandy McTire would not be smiling
Given that spring is getting close, I had the lawnmower brought in from under the deck for a little once-over before the first cut is upon me. A bit of lubrication might help, so I stopped into my favourite local hardware store, the one that is Canadian and sells tires among other things.
There was a time in this fair land when if that store didn’t have what you needed, it was time to reevaluate the situation. Where the experts were that, and the catalog was like a holy book. How times have changed.
A small can of machine oil. The clerk looked puzzled, and pulled out his trusty cell phone. The automotive section might know. Try over with the ironing boards (Huh?). We have some linseed oil, if you need to lubricate wood. Well, just look around. The store is larger than many school soccer pitches, and they now sell everything from peanuts to pitchforks.
I did find my small can of “3 in 1 Oil” right alongside the gallon buckets of grease, but the staff did not know. Nor, when I returned to tell my helpful sales assistant, was he anywhere to be found (Now I know why one should have a cell phone!). My trust is broken. No more will I be able to depend upon the heritage of Sandy McTire to get me through my hardware quests. Oh yes, the checkout clerk was a trainee, and she forgot my 5 cent “special coupon”, to boot.
