More than anything in this world, Angus MacTavish hates to spend money. He walked into our store lugging an ancient computer monitor. His was red faced and puffing from the exertion. He put the monitor down and whirled round to face Nome. “That computer screen has taken the look of a bloody Campbell tartan,” he sputtered. “I kinna see bugger all on it."
Angus muttered as Nome plugged his monitor into one of our test computers. “I bought it six months ago and I expected it to last a bit longer”. Nome looked at the back of the monitor.
“Well Mr. MacTavish, it’s fifteen years old this month according to the manufacture date.
Angus waved his arms about “That’s exactly my point, no moving parts and its worn out already.” Angus rolled his eyes, “You people in this evil business make a fortune off we working chaps by selling us contraptions that are programmed to fail.”
The monitor came on bright and clear. MacTavish gasped. “I’m not paying a cent for the repair. All you did was bounce it about. I probably fixed it myself by bringing it in”. MacTavish snatched the monitor and bolted for the door. Nome waited until Angus reached the door.
“It won’t work when you get it home.” She said cheerfully.
Angus froze and spun about. Pointing a bony finger at Nome he shrieked “So you’ve put some dark curse on it have ye lass? The devil take ye."
‘No”, replied Nome. “The fact that it works here means that the problem is not in your monitor. It’s most likely a bad video card in your computer.”
MacTavish staggered backward and moaned. He sat the monitor down slowly, his shoulders sagged and he sighed deeply. “How much will it cost to fix it, lass?” he asked.
Nome said “The video card is $35 and it would be $30 labor to install it.”
MacTavish rubbed his chin slowly. “It seems to me that you place an overly high value on your labor. Sell me the video thing and I’ll put it in myself.”
“Fine” said Nome “What buss does it need?”
MacTavish stared at her indignantly. “Are ye daft lass? Do I appear indigent? I don’t ride the bus. I’ve had my Yugo for 25 years."
Nome handed MacTavish a video card. He paid and left grumbling. I asked Nome how she knew what video card to sell him when he could not tell her what buss the video card in his computer used. “It wouldn’t make any difference what I sold him. He’ll be bringing it in tomorrow anyway.”
As usual she was right.