I too would have been a bit peaved if flight crew asked for a roll of tape to fix something that A) is obviously a grounding defect, and B) the engineers job to fix anyway.
Sounds like such a request was designed to be a lot sarcarrrrstic and elicited the response that it was intended to............
None the less, I can see that the requirement for a LAME to do the walkaround could well do with some reform, it's a gumby job and need not have a highly paid LAME do it - anyone with airframe experience can follow the simple instructions laid out in a pre flight inspection, particularly if they have received training to that end.
The issue is an inudstrial one, and safety is being used to emotionally stear the agrument, as is done so often in this country.