My buddy had the same issue with his generic cleaner and an old Canon lens. He fought with this one element for a whole weekend, multiple cycles, different solutions. He finally borrowed a T-14 from a local shop and it was just done in twenty minutes. The look on his face was pure defeat, like all that time was just wasted. It really showed me that for the really tough jobs, the right tool isn't just a luxury.

Saw a hack where you wrap the bolt with a few layers of electrical tape to fatten it up. Might get you by until you can do it right.

Sounds like a normal freelance gig to me.

That's pretty wild, but honestly, it sounds like a simple mistake. Those soda machines have a lot of lines for different syrups. A new employee might have hooked the pickle brine container to the wrong spot during a changeover. It's gross, but not some big conspiracy. The manager probably should have apologized more, but fixing the line is the main thing. At least they gave you a new drink right away.

Yeah, the part about getting used to fighting with our tools really hit me. I had that same dull ache in my shoulder for years from my old rake, just wrote it off as part of the job. Finally switched to a lighter one with a different grip and it was like a cloud lifted. It's crazy what we put up with because we think it's supposed to hurt. Your body telling you something's wrong is a sign to listen, not just push harder.