My Victory over Lameness

There's something you should know about me. I really really hate it when I have to jump through hoops.  I really really hate it when arbitrary limits are placed upon me in order to control a behavior that I don't participate in.

Let me give you a few examples.

When I was in high school, there was a teacher who would not let us type our papers.  All papers had to be hand written.  Dumbest rule ever? Yes.  Do you want to know his reason?  He was afraid that if we were allowed to use a computer, we might just find a paper on the internet and turn it in as if it were our own.

It should be noted that I would never even think of plagiarizing for several reasons:
1. I'm an honest person.  I would feel icky if I were to steal someone else's work.
2. I'm pretty sure I can write a better paper than anyone who would willingly post their paper for free.

That's where my stubborn nature comes in.  Why should I have to take twice as long to write a paper just because 1% of the student population will use a computer to cheat?  (Especially when this actually doesn't deter anyone from cheating.) I felt I had to stand against stupidity.  Naturally, I found a paper online and copied it down by hand and turned it in.  I felt the principle of standing up to stupidity was more important than writing a good paper.  (Looking back on it, I might make a different decision now.  I didn't feel like it was cheating, since I knew I could write a better paper, but I was definitely in a gray area.)

I'll admit, I'm still kind of bitter about it, almost 15 years later.

Along the same lines, I hate when I go to the airport and I have to go through the whole song and dance of unpacking my laptop, taking off my shoes, taking off my belt and all that garbage.  It makes me cranky.  I don't feel any safer knowing that they strip search grandmas and pat down toddlers.

To be honest, I'm pretty sure I could get a weapon through all the security theater if I wanted to.  (But don't worry, I'm much too afraid to try.)

That brings me to my latest victory over arbitrary lame rules.  Take a look at the picture below.

Aren't you so excited to know what Robyn and I bought at Panda Express?  This is actually a very ancient receipt.  But the important thing about this receipt is the line running through it.  That's the line that the Costco guardian puts on the receipt as you are leaving Costco.

If you've never been to Costco, you always have to stand in a big line as you are leaving and show some lady (In theory it could also be a man, but it's always been a woman in my experience) your receipt to prove you're not stealing all the things in your cart.  I've often wondered how she possibly checks everything.  I've theorized that she's not actually checking anything at all, it's theater.  But just like airport security, it deters enough people just by looking scary.  So I decided to put her to the test.  I had my real receipt in my pocket, but I gave her an old Panda Express receipt.  She marked it and let me go on my way.

I officially beat the system.  It feels good to know that I could steal from Costco if I wanted to.  I'd prefer to be governed by my conscience and honesty rather than the Costco guardian lady anyway.

Jeff: 1
Lame arbitrary rules: 0