About the wording, I actually had a friend in the Navy who reached out and told me to change the verb. I wouldn't have posted it if I didn't think it was a strange experience to have!
It is a very strange story. I'm also quite surprised you didn't know about the two bike valves on a pump! At least it led you meet this cool person.
Yeah, it sounds like I was out of the loop with these reversible hand pumps. Things you learn from homeless people!
I definitely appreciated the story, thanks! Now, having said that, I find the continued overuse of the "homeless people" label somewhat fraught. Not just you I mean, but in general I think it's a particularly lazy figure of speech that does less good than harm to our understanding of the problem.