Free advice from ‘old coots’

The group of retired friends who meet every Saturday morning at a Salt Lake City deli were growing tired of the same conversation each week.

Sure, they were solving the world’s problems. But they wanted more excitement in their Saturday morning. They wanted to share their wisdom beyond their group of seven.

As a lark, they set up a card table at the nearby Salt Lake City’s farmers market and told people they were dispensing free advice.

“We were sitting outside, bored stiff from talking to each other, and I said, ‘You know what? I’m going to get us a booth across the street at the farmers market, where we can give advice,’ ” said Tony Caputo, founder of a deli where the group usually meets.

Caputo even made a large banner and hung it up: “Old coots giving advice — It’s probably bad advice, but it’s free.”

It was mostly for their own entertainment, a way to give a boost to their coffee klatch. But to their surprise, people started showing up and sharing their problems. A lot of them. “Where can I find someone to love?” “Why does my cat pee on everything in the house?” “Have I put in enough time at my new job to take a one-week vacation?”

Quickly, they realized how much people need a sounding board. They took the responsibility seriously.

“People ask us, ‘Are you guys qualified to do this?’ and of course, we have to say ‘no,’ ” said Caputo, 69. “But neither was Ann Landers. Hopefully, we won’t mess people up too much.”

Each Saturday since the summer, the “Old Coots” have taken on the issues of about 30 to 40 people who come by seeking their advice. It’s a way for a person to get an outside opinion from somebody who has nothing to gain, he said.

“It started as a joke, but it’s become a phenomenon,” Caputo said. “Somebody told us the other day that we’re the most popular attraction at the market. We always listen carefully and don’t give gratuitous advice.”

Besides Caputo, group members include Lou Borgenicht, 75, a retired pediatrician, Gus Wheeler, 67, a former elementary school teacher, Rich Klein, 73, who used to run a kitchen countertop business, John Lesnan, 69, a retired human services manager, and Carol Sisco, 70, a retired journalist who is the only female “coot.”

“Tony was going to call (the group) ‘Old Guys,’ but I nixed it because it sounded sexist, although he didn’t mean it that way,” said Sisco, who suggested that “Old Coots” would be a better fit. “I told him it had more of a ring to it,” she said.