4 ms·

What is so impressive about the story is that he didn't break the rules, he found a clever way to work within them. He was confronted with a brick wall most peo

by jpadvo 15y ago

What is so impressive about the story is that he didn't break the rules, he found a clever way to work within them. He was confronted with a brick wall most people would have seen as non-negotiable, and he found a way around it. This required subtlety and cleverness. Outright breaking the rules is a shortcut that will often be morally wrong and will also carry practical ramifications that you probably don't want to deal with. I.e. you'll be a jerk and get nailed for it. It takes nothing but shallow bravado and sociopathy to "break the rules." It takes a lot of smarts to work with / around them, and will work out a lot better for you.

ilamont 15y ago
Agreed. The established order didn't work for him, so he was able to leverage an alternative (but legal) way of achieving his ultimate goal. There have been some other interesting marketing hacks/stunts over the years. I remember from about 20 years ago one involving the late Eazy E of N.W.A., a rap group which helped take gangsta rap mainstream in the late 80s/early 90s. Eazy E was invited to and showed up for a White House luncheon with then-President George H.W. Bush. How'd he get the invitation? Apparently by donating $2,500 to the Republican Party or the elder Bush's re-election campaign. The press was all over it. Eazy E later said the publicity was worth a million dollars.
DannoHung 15y ago
Actually, given the specific circumstances, I'm not sure that your analysis is correct, IANAL, but obtaining a permit and using it under false pretenses despite performing the activity required by the permit might be illegal.
- jpadvo 15y ago
  You have a good point. If the movie making was just a charade, you are probably right -- it might have been some kind of fraud. If he actually was producing a film, even if it was just a short one or an advertisement, he probably was okay. But only through a loophole. :)
  - loumf 15y ago
    They probably don't care if you don't make the film (sometimes film-making fails), but certainly you wouldn't be allowed to sell shoes under this permit. Bureaucracies arise because people take advantage -- rules are usually descriptive of what people did to cause problems in previous iterations.
ctdonath 15y ago
One who knows the laws well can find fascinating opportunities therein. Few have ever read any laws, much less understand them well enough to find opportunities therein.
matdwyer 15y ago
Great point - and very true - He didn't break the rules, but found a way to make the rules work for him. If he just showed up with the truck it would have been a few hours before he was ticketed and forced out, but this way he made it look even more important and translate to even more sales. Perfect!
0x12 15y ago
It's shallow bravado and sociopathy if you think the rules don't apply to you. The fine line is right at the point where if everybody did what you just did, would it work or would we all fail? The rules are there for a reason, your ability to cheat your way to the top notwithstanding and there is nothing impressive at all about a lack of respect for a common resource.
- jamesbritt 15y ago
  It's shallow bravado and sociopathy if you think the rules don't apply to you. That's total bullshit. Sociopathy? Really? Think maybe there's some hyperbole here? Lots of rules were created simply to make life easier for some at the expense of others. Other rules are place long after they make any sense. The fine line is right at the point where if everybody did what you just did, would it work or would we all fail? That's only true in a broad view. Also "everybody did what you just did" may point out just why a rule is foolish. Or not, but blind obedience is no virtue. * ... and there is nothing impressive at all about a lack of respect for a common resource.* So it's OK for one business (film) to tie up traffic and inconvenience the locals, but not another (apparel)? And this is based on some objective assessment of the common good and not back-room deals, tax breaks, and cronyism? I'm skeptical.
  - 0x12 15y ago
    Typically movie making permits are given under the assumption that there will be no abuse of such permits (after all, only a limited number of movies will be made) and because cities like the exposure. Selling apparel is so common that if everybody that sold apparel would get a movie permit that no traffic could use the road anymore.
- powertower 15y ago
  "Rules" are human mental constructs that the universe cares nothing for. If you want to live your life chained up because somehow that proves or validates your ego, it will only impress similar minded individuals. You're still playing this game, yet win nothing at the end. Realize that the only way you're going to get ahead is via advantages. And they are not going to come to you, you create them. You can work hard or you can work smart...
biturd 15y ago
It depends on the rule and the severity of the rule-breaking. Every day some kid is risking a fine for selling lemonade by breaking any number of permit and health code laws. They do it anyway. I suppose a lesson could be learned, start a movie studio that shows how to build a lemonade company. Most kids would not get off the ground. Most would simply complain to their parents who would in turn email The Consumerist causing the media to get the kids their lemonade stand. I probably would have broken the rules and got the truck without the permit. Maybe it would have blown it for me, and I would have been forcibly removed and never sold a single shoe. Though I think there is another important side to this. That side is the nepotistic behavior of the city issuing permits to only movie studios and construction companies to build ball parks. I would rather prove the point that there is nefarious permit issuing going on within the city than be a part of their corrupt system of permit issuance. I suppose the best thing to do would be to work as did the shoe guy, make your 40K units sold, and then make some noise about the permit issue with your profits. Sometimes breaking rules is a good thing, and helps to enact change for the better, or make awareness of the absurdity of the rule itself.
bbq 15y ago
What about the civil rights movement? Break the rules; they're bullshit anyhow.
wnight 15y ago
What's funny is that you see lying and filing a misleading application to be playing by the rules. Clearly the intent was to sell shoes. What was really helped by the fake paperwork? They were willing to pay for a sales permit anyways so it's not money... > you'll be a jerk and get nailed for it. Actually, the term for someone who doesn't follow the rules is 'a criminal'. A jerk therefore is someone who follows the rules and hurts people regardless. But usually the laws that a thoughtful person would choose to disregard are ones where you wouldn't even be jerkish to do so. If I smoked a joint it wouldn't hurt you at all. When I jaywalked on my old street where I had a 100m view in each direction I was less of a risk to myself and others than if I'd walked to the busy corner to cross the street. No, clearly the jerk is the rule-follower who needlessly makes everyone else's life miserable by insisting everyone should blindly follow the rules. > It takes nothing but shallow bravado and sociopathy to "break the rules." Pft. That's what following rules is. The shallow (easily observed) lie that those who wrote the laws knew enough to do so (more than we do now), and the sociopathy to ignore the circumstances and damn people based on cold unreasoning laws. It takes a caring and empathic human to evaluate a situation and say the rules are for shit. Sometimes that's self-serving, sometimes that's Schindler. I'd risk the former for the latter.

by jpadvo 15y ago

ilamont 15y ago

Agreed. The established order didn't work for him, so he was able to leverage an alternative (but legal) way of achieving his ultimate goal. There have been some other interesting marketing hacks/stunts over the years. I remember from about 20 years ago one involving the late Eazy E of N.W.A., a rap group which helped take gangsta rap mainstream in the late 80s/early 90s. Eazy E was invited to and showed up for a White House luncheon with then-President George H.W. Bush. How'd he get the invitation? Apparently by donating $2,500 to the Republican Party or the elder Bush's re-election campaign. The press was all over it. Eazy E later said the publicity was worth a million dollars.

DannoHung 15y ago

Actually, given the specific circumstances, I'm not sure that your analysis is correct, IANAL, but obtaining a permit and using it under false pretenses despite performing the activity required by the permit might be illegal.

jpadvo 15y ago
You have a good point. If the movie making was just a charade, you are probably right -- it might have been some kind of fraud. If he actually was producing a film, even if it was just a short one or an advertisement, he probably was okay. But only through a loophole. :)
- loumf 15y ago
  They probably don't care if you don't make the film (sometimes film-making fails), but certainly you wouldn't be allowed to sell shoes under this permit. Bureaucracies arise because people take advantage -- rules are usually descriptive of what people did to cause problems in previous iterations.

ctdonath 15y ago

One who knows the laws well can find fascinating opportunities therein. Few have ever read any laws, much less understand them well enough to find opportunities therein.

matdwyer 15y ago

Great point - and very true - He didn't break the rules, but found a way to make the rules work for him. If he just showed up with the truck it would have been a few hours before he was ticketed and forced out, but this way he made it look even more important and translate to even more sales. Perfect!

0x12 15y ago

It's shallow bravado and sociopathy if you think the rules don't apply to you. The fine line is right at the point where if everybody did what you just did, would it work or would we all fail? The rules are there for a reason, your ability to cheat your way to the top notwithstanding and there is nothing impressive at all about a lack of respect for a common resource.

jamesbritt 15y ago
It's shallow bravado and sociopathy if you think the rules don't apply to you. That's total bullshit. Sociopathy? Really? Think maybe there's some hyperbole here? Lots of rules were created simply to make life easier for some at the expense of others. Other rules are place long after they make any sense. The fine line is right at the point where if everybody did what you just did, would it work or would we all fail? That's only true in a broad view. Also "everybody did what you just did" may point out just why a rule is foolish. Or not, but blind obedience is no virtue. * ... and there is nothing impressive at all about a lack of respect for a common resource.* So it's OK for one business (film) to tie up traffic and inconvenience the locals, but not another (apparel)? And this is based on some objective assessment of the common good and not back-room deals, tax breaks, and cronyism? I'm skeptical.
- 0x12 15y ago
  Typically movie making permits are given under the assumption that there will be no abuse of such permits (after all, only a limited number of movies will be made) and because cities like the exposure. Selling apparel is so common that if everybody that sold apparel would get a movie permit that no traffic could use the road anymore.
powertower 15y ago
"Rules" are human mental constructs that the universe cares nothing for. If you want to live your life chained up because somehow that proves or validates your ego, it will only impress similar minded individuals. You're still playing this game, yet win nothing at the end. Realize that the only way you're going to get ahead is via advantages. And they are not going to come to you, you create them. You can work hard or you can work smart...

biturd 15y ago

It depends on the rule and the severity of the rule-breaking. Every day some kid is risking a fine for selling lemonade by breaking any number of permit and health code laws. They do it anyway. I suppose a lesson could be learned, start a movie studio that shows how to build a lemonade company. Most kids would not get off the ground. Most would simply complain to their parents who would in turn email The Consumerist causing the media to get the kids their lemonade stand. I probably would have broken the rules and got the truck without the permit. Maybe it would have blown it for me, and I would have been forcibly removed and never sold a single shoe. Though I think there is another important side to this. That side is the nepotistic behavior of the city issuing permits to only movie studios and construction companies to build ball parks. I would rather prove the point that there is nefarious permit issuing going on within the city than be a part of their corrupt system of permit issuance. I suppose the best thing to do would be to work as did the shoe guy, make your 40K units sold, and then make some noise about the permit issue with your profits. Sometimes breaking rules is a good thing, and helps to enact change for the better, or make awareness of the absurdity of the rule itself.

bbq 15y ago

What about the civil rights movement? Break the rules; they're bullshit anyhow.

wnight 15y ago

What's funny is that you see lying and filing a misleading application to be playing by the rules. Clearly the intent was to sell shoes. What was really helped by the fake paperwork? They were willing to pay for a sales permit anyways so it's not money... > you'll be a jerk and get nailed for it. Actually, the term for someone who doesn't follow the rules is 'a criminal'. A jerk therefore is someone who follows the rules and hurts people regardless. But usually the laws that a thoughtful person would choose to disregard are ones where you wouldn't even be jerkish to do so. If I smoked a joint it wouldn't hurt you at all. When I jaywalked on my old street where I had a 100m view in each direction I was less of a risk to myself and others than if I'd walked to the busy corner to cross the street. No, clearly the jerk is the rule-follower who needlessly makes everyone else's life miserable by insisting everyone should blindly follow the rules. > It takes nothing but shallow bravado and sociopathy to "break the rules." Pft. That's what following rules is. The shallow (easily observed) lie that those who wrote the laws knew enough to do so (more than we do now), and the sociopathy to ignore the circumstances and damn people based on cold unreasoning laws. It takes a caring and empathic human to evaluate a situation and say the rules are for shit. Sometimes that's self-serving, sometimes that's Schindler. I'd risk the former for the latter.