I know a guy that owns a gas station that I frequent because he is a friend, not close and maybe more of an acquaintance but I still call him a friend so and I want him to do well. I stopped in today to get a drink that runs me $1.50, after tax. Today, when I walk in the guy asks me if I have a few minutes to spare to which I said yes and asked why. He told me he had a piece of his refrigeration equipment that sat on the roof of his building that wasn't working. He told me he was afraid to go up there and knew I worked in construction and was used to working at heights and asked if I would go up and take a look to see if I could see what was wrong. I climbed up there and immediately saw it was nothing more than a broken belt on the motor. He had a spare so he tossed it up to me and I replaced it. When I came down he fired the equipment right up and it ran great. He was so happy and told me how much money I saved him and told me the service call alone was $125.00 minimum, plus labor and parts. Then he turned around and charged me $1.50 for my drink. I don't mind, really I don't, because I really want his gas station to be successful but would it have been too much for him to have said the $1.50 drink was on the house? I'm not trying to be petty about this as like I said, I didn't mind paying because that's what I went in for and I'll keep going to him too. I would have offered the drink though had the positions been swapped. What do y'all think?

dang ...

I think next time I'd tell him to call "the man".

Exactly

I would have given you the drink plus a $20 bill

Yea, that would be the last time he got a favor out of me. You got up on the roof for him and identified the problem and fixed the equipment for him. He should have given you a 12 pack. wtf?

I think he's a cheap ass, I would have given you the drink and some chips. And he can call someone next time is what I woulda told him. I deal with a guy like that all the time. No telling how much money he has and is scared to death to loose a dime.

Fellow got to be kin to my wife.

Wow, what an ass.

I would just let it go but next time I would charge him the max for any help.

Some people just don't ever think about giving anything.I knew this guy who was married to a good woman. He screwed it up and a couple years later started going to church with me.

When he divorced, his wife didn't ask for anything,just left.One day after church he asked me if I thought God wanted him to let his wife have the $60 she had borrowed from him when she moved out. He was having a real hard time just forgiving her of a $60 debt.

Same guy borrowed $100 from me just before he stopped coming to church and hasn't mentioned it in over a year. I figure it's a small price to keep him away from me.

Your friends suck.

That's pretty sorry.

yep, one does anyway.

Wow. I usually change the canopy bulbs in the local Shell here because I have access to a bucket truck.
She won't take any money for a week or so for drinks, ect.. even when I try to pay her.
Sounds like an attitude like that, your buddy isn't going to make it

Pretty cheesy move on his part.

Present a him bill showing the acquaintance rate for fixing stuff.

You did the right thing AND have a good heart about it. It's possible he wasn't thinking and just charged because that is habit.

Let is slide like water off a ducks back - otherwise, it'll eat at you.

Maybe he's broke and just doesn't have it. Doesn't excuse it but that's got to be a tough business.

This is most likely the case.