The part about people hiring the real you is the key thing here and I'd take it even further. That manager replying "nice" was basically saying your cat did what no amount of prep could, it made you seem like an actual person instead of a resume reading answers off a screen. I've heard of people bombing the scripted stuff and then landing the job because they laughed at themselves when something went wrong. The meltdown is the interview sometimes, as long as you don't actually panic.

Cabin filter is about air quality, not safety, so calling it dangerous is a stretch. The upsell itself is fine, it's the fake safety scare that crosses the line for me.

Honestly I've been running off vibes and a glance for years, so Dale would probably smack me with his clipboard. Half a degree turning into 2 tons is wild though, guess I'm doing math now instead of trusting my gut.