Classification Notice for Water Fountain Hesitation
The water fountain is a familiar device. It has been used before. The controls require a brief examination anyway.
CLASSIFICATION NOTICE RE: Water fountain pre-use examination TYPE: Confident uncertainty
Description
Water fountain hesitation is the brief examination of a familiar device's controls prior to use, despite having used similar or identical devices on previous occasions.
The examination is not a sign of unfamiliarity with water fountains. It is a recognition that this specific fountain may differ from the last fountain in ways that are worth confirming before committing to an action.
The Justification
Water fountains vary in their controls:
- Button versus sensor versus lever.
- Output height (critical for bottle positioning).
- Flow rate (determines how long to hold the control).
- Angle of stream relative to container.
These differences are minor but consequential to the first second of interaction. A bottle mispositioned by two centimeters produces a wet outcome. A premature release produces a partial fill that requires re-engagement.
The two-second examination prevents these outcomes with high probability.
The Frequency
The examination occurs even on fountains that have been used before, because the previous use was in a different context (different time, different bottle, different ambient conditions) and the confirmation has low enough cost to be worth repeating.
The Classification
Water fountain hesitation is classified as appropriate caution scaled correctly to the stakes. The stakes are low. The caution is brief. The cost is two seconds per use.
Over a year of water fountain interactions: approximately 365 interactions, 730 seconds of examination, twelve minutes of preventive assessment of familiar controls.
Twelve minutes per year. The bottle was filled correctly each time.