wow... wow... wow! Man, that could've been UGLY
really glad to read the happy ending... and if I lived closer I'd take my business to that LBS as well... excellent service... good for them...
and yep, cleats have loc-tite and I check them too, about every three months just to verify all is well in the world... of course, I learned this the hard way... nothing like twisting your ankle to unclip and the cleats, which as loose, DON'T turn... leaving you locked in... yeah, OOPS!
There is a fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness".