Stop in for a cup of coffee

I seriously wonder how we worked on the old school single piston lifts in the gas stations! Good thing with those and four post you can open the doors. Mine you cannot.
Ever drop something into that abyss the post comes from? I once dropped a Porsha lug nut. Damn things were aluminum or some chit a stick magnet would not retrieve. Parts runner went to Leroy Cannon VW dealership and paid nearly 8 bucks for one lug nut.