Wait, so you're telling me the universe threw you a mechanical miracle after your car died on the highway? That's like getting a free coffee after spilling the first one on your shirt. The mechanic probably just wanted to see you cry a little more before he said "nah, it's just a loose cable, don't worry about it." Classic bait and switch - I bet he even left a grease stain on your car seat as a souvenir. Glad you got the easy fix though, beats that $200 tow fee turning into a new transmission situation.

Hold up, you really think touching a radiator pipe is enough to discharge you? That might bleed off some static from your body, but what about your clothes? I've seen guys shuffle their sneakers on carpet, touch a pipe, then generate a whole new charge just by reaching for a component. Plus, not all pipes are grounded depending on your house's plumbing. I fried a SATA controller once on an old board because I thought the same thing. Dusted off the rig, reached in after touching the case, and bam. Dead port. Static is unpredictable like that.

Got a buddy named Craig who bought a fancy pellet grill with all the wifi bells and whistles for like $800. He set it up for an overnight pork butt, went to bed thinking he was a genius. Woke up to find the auger had jammed at 3 AM, fire died, and his pork butt sat around 120 degrees for hours. He ended up having to throw the whole thing out and ordered pizza for his party. He still uses that grill but he sleeps on the couch next to it now with one eye open.

Buddy of mine had a similar thing happen at a co-op. Old timer showed up, watched him mess up a cup press for ten minutes, then just handed him a different driver and walked off. Worked perfect first try after that.

@patricia_kelly I've got a drawer full of broken screwdrivers that agree with you.