Anyway, someone with a plumbing problem isn't going to want to wait even a day (much less a week) for parts to arrive through mail order, although of course people with far more money than sense are probably used to the idea that they can at any time pay to have any item delivered that day. The commercial landscape of the United States has been severely warped by this prioritization of Internet shipping over keeping local shops in stock. Stores are that icky evil thing which right-wingers and racist techlords don't like: they're places where anyone can go. Internet shipping means individual service, maybe (if you're lucky) not having to deal with another human being at all. (cont'd)