Barbershop Chronicles: The Man Who Refused to Pay Full Price.

There was one particular experience from a barbing salon that still stuck with me. It happened sometime last year, right before I was to resume back to school. You know that feeling of wanting to start a new school week with a fresh cut? That was exactly what pushed me to go to the barbing salon that day.

I walked into the shop, greeted the barbers and customers around as usual, and told the barber my preferred style—something clean and simple - nothing too extra.

As the barber was working on my hair, this man walked in with his younger brother. From their interaction, you could tell they were close. The younger one sat down to get his haircut while the older one started discussing price with the barber.

Apparently, the standard price for any haircut in that salon was 1,500 naira, and this was boldly written before entering into the salon—so it wasn’t something hidden or negotiable.

But this man was not having it.

He immediately said, “Abeg I no fit pay 1,500 o. Na 1,000 I get.” The barber, a bit surprised, calmly reminded him of the stated price, but the man insisted and stood his ground about not paying the desired fee.

What made it even more awkward was the fact that his younger brother was sitting there saying he was ready to pay the full amount for his own cut, yet the older one kept arguing.

After a while, the owner of the salon—a woman—interfered and asked what was going on. They explained the situation to her, and the moment she heard who was involved, she let out a sigh and said, “Ah! This man again?”

She turned to the man and said, “You always do this thing. Every time you come here, it’s always one excuse or the other. If you don’t have money, then don’t come to a salon where the price is clearly stated.”

Everyone in the shop paused a bit when she said that. You could tell her patience had run out.

She eventually told the barber to collect the 1,000 naira, but she made it clear that he shouldn't come back again if he wasn’t ready to pay the full price next time.

The funny part is that this man still stood his ground like he had done nothing wrong. He didn’t look embarrassed at all. In fact, he laughed it off and even tried to start a different conversation like nothing happened. Meanwhile, everyone else in the shop was just shaking their heads and whispering.

That incident taught me something—some people genuinely don’t respect boundaries, especially when they feel entitled. Imagine walking into a place where the price is clearly written and still trying to negotiate like it’s a local roadside barber under a tree. It's not even about the 500 naira difference anymore. It's about the principle.

But honestly, it was one of those barbershop moments you don’t just forget about. The kind that starts out with you just wanting a haircut and ends with you witnessing a full-blown drama.

That is actually the beauty of barbershops — you're never just there to cut your hair.