OP lives downhill.

Not a concern if it's a manual transmission.

Price of a tow is in a lot of places is very cheap compared to hiring a mechanic to replace your starter

Something very charming about this story, thanks for sharing.

Bro, that's free dopamine and I'll take it. I recall someone stopping me and asking for help with changing a flat because they didn't have a lug wrench. I didn't have the time to stop and help but I told them they were in luck because I just so happen to have a universal lug wrench in the trunk and they could have it, they wanted to pay for it and my broke college student ass could use it but there is more dopamine in giving then selling haha.

Eh, depends. For example, where I live there's a trend of people approaching you asking for information, before carefully pivoting into asking money to buy food. And if you buy them food then and there (under their eyes so they can choose what they want and make sure it's not poisoned), they'll turn the corner and throw it away. Helping strangers isn't always something your future self will thank you for

You know, it might be just like you described it and in all likelikood it is.
But I still find it heartwarming to think there are similar stories that are true - even if you have to take part in them to make them so.

people do that? they just go online and sell lies to people for fake points?

This is c/NiceMemes, not c/ThatHappened. Every single time I come into the comments on a post like this there's some person going "actually this is fake" or "not so wholesome, here's why" or "and the bad conditions for this heartwarming story to happen required these political things which I hate and doomed [locale]." Sometimes the Threadiverse feels like that draw 20 meme: let there be a space for positivity without 1) raining on the parade, 2) injecting negativity, or 3) turning it into an angry-politics-rant like the entire rest of the Threadiverse, or draw 20. I'm getting really tired of it; and also of my own self for never learning and still clicking into comments from time to time.

I do worry that by really not liking that comment and telling you about it, I'm just pounding on someone trying to correct misinformation and tone policing though (because goodness knows I wouldn't have gotten so irritated if this had more of a "hey, just so you know, want to protect people and make sure they don't fall for things" tone instead of the more abrasive one you took). I worry about the right thing to do with negativity in positivity/wholesome communities here in a more measured, less frustrated manner.

so I've sold a car and forgot i had bought parts for it. i think it's pretty common.

Also, how did the kid bring the car back if the starter was dead?

Sure it could be bump-started if it was a manual, or otherwise towed, but the author left that out.

I'm pretty sure he just meant that he bought the starter before the kid brought the car back.

Yep, so he either knowingly sold him a car with a dying starter or the story is made up

Yeah, I'm not sure about the story. I did buy a car off my neighbor's, well my dad bought it for me and after a few months it started acting weird and the neighbors helped me replace the spark plugs and do general maintenance. Both my dad and I are in IT so it was helpful to learn.

Tbh, I know a few gear head types that just have a bunch of parts in their garage. If they see a part being sold for a decent price and it has potential use they'll just hoard it.

I read it as once the kid called about the failed starter, they went out and bought a new one specifically to teach the kid how to do the repair

Literally this isADHD, I have packages with parts for shit that has been broken for months that is unopened because I have had neither the time nor the lack of task paralysis to begin whatever fuckass journey I will need to go on to find the time tools and lack of distractions (both important and not) to complete those tasks.

Next weekend tho I promise

Story sounds made up to me. He's not bringing it back with a dead starter unless he knows someone with a car hauler, in which case that person could probably just as easily help him with replacing it in less time than it would take to tow and work on it at this guys house and if the guy already had a replacement for it why didn't he replace it/throw it in with the car when he sold it the first time.

i had to check the community lol

You should crosspost OP to fuckcars.

it has been awhile since  i was a teen and this is all from memory, but i know it starts out more expensive until you reach a certain age. at age 21 for women and 25 for men, it goes down substantially but it is still fucking expensive. the idea there is that men are more reckless, and for longer, than women tend to be. also IIRC the color of car also factors in (red cars have higher rates)