A heat gun is definitely the move, just watch you don't melt the PVC or the tape into a bigger mess. @jesse_williams62's popsicle idea would be a solid backup while you're waiting for the conduit to cool down again. Even with the Phoenix heat, that tape can get super stubborn once it's been sitting in the sun for a week. I've had good luck hitting it for about 30 seconds, then giving a slow steady pull instead of yanking it hard.

That reminds me of this guy I used to work with on the old pullboat we had, Tommy. He had this way of swinging the boom that looked almost lazy, you know? Real slow and easy. I asked him about it once and he said the current was like a partner, not a enemy. He'd let the river push the bucket just enough to grab the bottom and then lift. Took me a season to get the hang of it, but once I did my load times got way better. Same idea I guess, fighting it makes everything harder.

10,000 gold is chump change for a level 8 party though.

Is it possible that the older folks just don't notice anymore because we're just as bad at looking down at our own phones? I caught myself doing the same thing at a diner last month and had to put my phone in my purse. Maybe the real problem isn't teenagers or technology, it's that we've all gotten used to eating alone even when we're sitting with other people. Nobody even knows how to start a conversation without a phone anymore because we've lost the habit.

That "well I can't see through walls" excuse really gets me. You're right, the whole system is rigged when agents and inspectors have that buddy buddy relationship. I had a similar situation where my agent's guy spent maybe 15 minutes in my potential house and missed a whole sagging roof that needed $4,000 in repairs. Looked him up later and found out he wasn't even licensed in my state, just had some online certification. Makes you wonder how many people get stuck with these kind of losses just because they trusted the wrong person.