The Linoleum - John Dunn, Consultant, Ambertec, P.E., P.C.

Many years back, we were looking for kitchen floor covering so we went into this one store in our neighborhood that dealt in that. Upon arriving, we discovered an irate customer arguing with two young store employees about a botched linoleum installation in that customer's kitchen.

Back then, that customer was a man of probably mid-seventies age, the same age then as I am today. As we came in, I heard him shouting "I know all the tricks!!!" which definitely perked our interest.

As we stood and listened, we learned that two large sheets of linoleum had been installed on his kitchen floor and that those sheets were misaligned so that the junction between them was pushed upward. That mismatch formed a raised seam straight across the center of the floor and constituted a tripping hazard. The store people were denying any responsibility for the misalignment and were refusing to offer any remedial steps.

Eventually the irate customer left the store and then the two employees started laughing with each other and making jokes about what they had just done.

"Did you hear that??  (ha-ha-ha)  He thinks we're going to come over there..... (Suddenly one of them noticed us standing there.) .....and that we're gonna ..... (The one gestured to the other that we'd been seeing this ugly scenario play out.) "

Suddenly there was silence as the one who'd noticed us and I briefly exchanged glances.

Without a word, we walked out and as we went to our car, I saw that irate customer standing on a nearby street corner, not moving, not looking around, just standing there scowling.

Pause for a little bit, soberly, to picture that moment.

Comments

[John Dunn]

I could imagine that man having to go home with not having gotten the shop to respond properly and being faced with something like this:

"Well, when are they coming to fix the floor? They're not??? Well, why not? You know what needs to be done so why didn't you say what I told you to say? I can't be walking back and forth across that seam and be in constant danger of falling. You have to promise me that you're going back there tomorrow and that you're going to tell them......"

A horrifying prospect, I would say.