well biked

No, I'd say sending a bike out the door with the brakes set so that the pads hit the tires is unusually dangerous, and inexcusable for Trek to have "missed by a couple of millimeters" on their spec for the bike and for the person who assembled the bike it's particularly inexcusable. You mention Joe Noob; heck Joe Noob might think the brakes are supposed to make the bike stop by having the brakes rub against the tires .........When my brother-in-law ordered one of the GT I-Drive bikes a few years ago, he was so excited when the bike shop called him saying it had come in. I went with him to the shop to pick it up, and when we got there the bike shop owner (who was a friend and riding buddy of ours) was shaking his head, he couldn't believe GT had specced the bike with a rear tire that, when inflated, had the side knobs wedged against the chainstays. That particular mistake, on GT's part, was stupid, but not dangerous-