17 fucking quid!?

PJS, yeah you have to be a complete cunt to stiff people that cant sort it out for themselves.
But most fall into the dumb/lazy catargory.

If i was to fix tyres all day long I wouldn't sell to many bikes. If my mechanic was to spend the day fixing punctures he wouldn't fix the bikes that have been booked in and the shop would go out of business.

If all is quiet on the shop floor n people are polite most days punctures get fixed for a packet of cocolate hob nobs or a few ice creams (depending on the weather).
If people don't want to pay the £10 labour n we're quiet they get one free lesson from then on they're on their own.

You're completely spot on on all your points of course furious tiles and yeah I know in a small outfit it's far more about the intrusion into (hopefully!) the backlog of work. I have so far never been refused a pump and levers at a bike shop when I had no stuff with me. Never got the free lesson though, that sounds particularly helpful.

Er... I take it from this you have a shop? I don't know which one it is.. already sounds quite reliable..