Two Seconds

“Here it is, Brian.  Your brand new pontoon boat that you designed.”  Jason said with enthusiasm as Brian walked through the showroom door at the pontoon boat dealership.

Brian had been waiting for months to see and touch his brand new pontoon. 

Now, there it sat in the middle of the showroom floor. 

Brian said to Jason, “Wow, here it is.  Seems like it was ages ago that I came in here looking to buy a used boat.  But you sold me on ordering a brand new one.”

Brian slowly walked up to side of the boat taking it all in. 

The main color of the pontoon was gunmetal gray with a crimson accent strip that ran bow to the stern, along with flat black accent trim. The sun was shining though the showroom windows just at the right angle so that the flecks of gray sparkled in the gunmetal gray and twinkled at both Brian and Jason.

“I just picked it up from the factory assembly line yesterday. The transportation manager at the factory commented that this is one of the prettiest boats to come off the line. You did an amazing job picking out the colors,” said Jason.

“It is more beautiful then I imagined.  I’m really happy with the black accent trim,” Brian said. “Can I climb up in it and have a look around?” 

“Of course.  It’s your boat.”  Jason replied.

Brian climbed the shiny chrome boarding ladder off the stern of the boat.  He got to the top and just stood for a minute, looking at the light gray upholstery seats with dark gray accent.  He bent down and ran his hand over the vinyl flooring that looked like real wood decking. Brian proceeded to walk through the length of the boat.  He came back and sat in the captain’s chair.   

Jason walked to the side of the boat and asked Brian, “What do you think?”

Brian said, “It’s nice.”  

Jason said, “I’ll let you explore your new boat.  I’ll be over at the sales counter getting all your paperwork put together.  Yell if you have any questions.”

“Sounds good,” Brian replied.

Jason walked across the showroom floor to the sales counter to get all the documents needed to close the sale.  He kept his eye on Brian in case he needed help with something.

Jason notice Brian had produced a tape measure from one of his pockets and was measuring various things on the boat. 

This did not alarm Brian.  He had seen many of his customers do this. 

Jason had finished with the paperwork and watched Brian sit in one seat for a moment then stand up, turn and look at the seat that he had just been sitting in.  

This went on for 15 minutes.  Brian went around to every seat in the boat, sat in each seat then he stood and looked back at the seat.  

Eventually, Brian seemed to focus on the two front seats opposite of each other.  Again, he sat in one seat, then stood up and turned back and looked at the seat.  Back and forth he went between the two seats.

Intrigued by Brian’s behavior, Jason walked up to Brian and the boat from the floor of the showroom Jason asked Brian, “How’s it going up there?”

Brian said, “Um, it’s okay.”

Jason asked, “Well, what do you think? Are you ready to take this boat home with you?”

Brian said,  “Oh, the boat is beautiful, and I love it, but I don’t want this boat.”

Jason became alarmed. “Okay.  What’s the matter with your boat?”

Brian said, “There’s a two-second delay with the two front seats.”

Jason was confused. “A two-second delay?  What are you talking about?”

“Right here.” Brian pointed at the two front seats opposite of each other.

By this point, Jason was climbing into the boat to see what Brian was talking about.

Brian said. “Here, sit in this seat then stand up and count how long it takes for the foam of the seat to rise back to its shape. This seat over here takes two seconds longer to form back to its shape.”  Brian was pointing to the right front seat of the boat.  

Jason looked puzzled but sat down in the left front seat and then stood and counted how long it took for the foam to regain its shape. He then sat in the right front seat and indeed noticed a two-second delay between the two seats.

Brian said, “I cannot buy this boat from you because of this difference in the foam.”

Jason sat back down in the seat with the two-second difference dumbfounded and not sure how to respond.

“Well, Brian, I can see what you are referring to in the difference in foam, but this is something that I’ve never had to deal with. I think you are the first person to point something like this out.  I’m not sure how to respond.”

Brian said, “Well, two second is two seconds.  You can’t deny the difference.  This is a big deal for me.  I do not want this boat anymore.  I think I need my deposit back.”

Brian proceeded to climb down from the boat and walked towards the sales counter.  Jason followed, trying to think of something to say to save the sale.  He couldn’t think of anything.

Jason returned Brian’s deposit back to his credit card.  Brian thanked Jason for everything, turned and walked out the door.  

Jason went back up on to the boat and sat in the left front seat and said to himself, “Two-second difference.”