Amazing Story

A man comes in, asks for a tube.

What size?

28 inch.

That is a rare size, are you sure?

Well, it's a road tube, 700 by 28?

OK, presta or shrader valve?

What's that?

This is a presta, this is a shrader. (showing)

Well, can I put the normal valve in?

Only if you have the bigger hole in the rim.

How do I know?

You look at it. Do you currently have a presta valve tube?

Let me make a call.

(two minutes)

Is there a price difference between regular and presta?

No.

OK, well, I'll take the what-do-you-call-it?

Presta.

Yeah.

Regular or thorn-resistant?

Huh?

Lightweight or heavy-duty, to help prevent flats.

Uh, well, the heavy one. How much is it?

Ten dollars.

(on the phone)

How much for the regular one?

Six dollars.

(on the phone)

Is it worth the extra?

Yes, but it will impact performance. The lighter tube rolls easier and handles better, but is more likely to flat.

(on the phone)

How much is it?

Ten dollars for the heavy, six for the regular.

Hold on.

(on the phone)

Can you do better on the price?

No.

Hold on.

(on the phone)

Do other bike shops have lower prices?

I don't know.

I'm going to go look in Target.

(he leaves, returns in ten minutes. Target doesn't have presta-valve tubes, I guess)

What's the price on the heavy tube?

Ten dollars.

For any size?

Ten dollars for that size.

Let me make a call.

(two minutes)

Do you have any sales going on?

No.

(on the phone)

Can I get a lower price?

No.

This box has a crushed corner. Any discount for that?

No.

OK, well I suppose I'll take it.

Here, you can have this extra box. Ten dollars eighty-eight cents.

You said ten dollars.

Sales tax. It's the law.

You said ten dollars.

Are you going to buy this tube?

(he presents a credit card, purchasing the tube)

Thank you.

Next day, a phone call:

What's your return policy?