A 3000-person game of Hide-and-Seek in an IKEA is what happens when private businesses start to take over free culture, public places, and public events. In th

A 3000-person game of Hide-and-Seek in an IKEA is what happens when private businesses start to take over free culture, public places, and public events. In the past, villages would play village football (or "mob football", or "Ba") against each other. The England-Scotland border was actually defined in part by the winner of an annual Ba game between Coldstream and Wark. The "Baa Green" south of the river went to the winner. Since Coldstream grew larger, it's pretty much permanently Scottish now. But then the government banned the playing of football on the highways, and towns couldn't play against each other as easily any more. Spoilsports. Every once in a while, The People of Eris get together and say, "We're going to do something silly and fun and surreal and wondrous and magical and thrilling!" And then The People of Greyface get together and say, "Stop that at once. Someone is going to get hurt, or laugh at the government, or something else equally awful. And that would be catastrophically disastrous. So, no fun for you. Off with you, now." It's an eternal struggle.