But in my examples, I never use the "hit-by-a-bus". Sysadmins tend to frown upon that comment.
I use the "win-the-lottery-go-to-Fiji-and-never-look-back". It always makes them smile :)
Death is a real thing that really happens to people, and from an organizational perspective it is valuable to keep in mind that no one in your company is immune to that.
After a little soul-searching, and deciding I didn't want to harbor anger, I helped him with the ones I remembered each time.
Had I actually been hit by a bus, that wouldn't have been possible at all.
I'm sure that if I'd hit the lottery and gone to Fiji, I'd have been even more likely to help him with those passwords.
In the end, not-burning-that-bridge did help me earn more money as he hired me back several times, and I demanded more money each time until I was asking almost as much per hour as he was getting from his customers and he simply couldn't afford me.
Aside from one of them being super annoying, over and over again, helping them out was the right thing to do.
It's not like it cost me anything other than a couple of minutes of time.
If someone already screwed you over, then... But otherwise, why not
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bus_factor
"The bus factor is a measurement of the risk resulting from information and capabilities not being shared among team members, from the phrase 'in case they get hit by a bus'. It is also known as the lottery factor, ..."
A good sysadmin has, or at least expresses traits of in their work, pessimism and realism. We have to constantly viscerally feel and know that any component can fail at any time. Remembering your own mortality goes along well with that.
Being easily disturbed by this is not a trait I would like to see in someone with these kinds of responsibilities.
I rather rely on beginner level sysop skills than on management understanding the implications of "this is my access to your mail server, don't handle with care, don't handle at all unless I am run over by a bus".