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I've wondered about this asymmetry between company and individual. Player throws the dice wrong -- crime. Hotel overbooks and doesn't provide what was already

by LanceH 3y ago

I've wondered about this asymmetry between company and individual. Player throws the dice wrong -- crime. Hotel overbooks and doesn't provide what was already paid for -- oops. Don't scan something at Walmart? Arrest and prosecution. Get double scanned -- who gets arrested? Who will pick up that prosecution?

balderdash 3y ago
Glad it’s not just me that this drives insane. And perversely, it’s the ubiquitous essential services in quasi-cartels that are the worst (airlines, telecommunications providers, etc.). Seems like a bunch of hertz executives should be in prison rather over the spate of false arrests of drivers. https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/05/business/hertz-lawsuit-settlement/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/05/business/hertz-lawsuit-settle...
HWR_14 3y ago
For the scanning issue, the problem is intent. Accidentally not/double scanning is not a crime. Its easy to convince a jury that someone not scanning steak after scanning bananas, potatoes and corn is doing it to steal steak. It's hard to prove that a cashier scanning steak twice to make Walmart more money was doing so intentionally. If it was official Walmart policy to do so, and obviously intentional, I imagine it would be a huge news story and a lot of state AGs as well as class action suits would get involved.
kelnos 3y ago
Ehhhhhh, I agree that criminal charges for dice sliding is way unreasonable, but I don't think your examples are quite the same. "Player throws the dice wrong" is really "player knows that what they're doing is against the rules and gives them a huge edge, but does it anyway". And "hotel overbooks..." is -- unfortunately -- "hotel overbooks, which they are legally and contractually allowed to do, but will refund your money and at least attempt to find you a room elsewhere". I think it's a shitty practice, and if I ever got "bumped" from a room that way, I'd shitlist that hotel chain. But I don't begrudge them their right to do that. "Doesn't scan something at Walmart" is more like than not "stealing" than "an accident" (though I do expect that when accidents happen, people still often get railroaded). "Cashier double scanned" is pretty much always an accident; punishing a cashier seems fantastically unfair and predatory.

by LanceH 3y ago

balderdash 3y ago

Glad it’s not just me that this drives insane. And perversely, it’s the ubiquitous essential services in quasi-cartels that are the worst (airlines, telecommunications providers, etc.). Seems like a bunch of hertz executives should be in prison rather over the spate of false arrests of drivers. https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/05/business/hertz-lawsuit-settlement/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/05/business/hertz-lawsuit-settle...

HWR_14 3y ago

For the scanning issue, the problem is intent. Accidentally not/double scanning is not a crime. Its easy to convince a jury that someone not scanning steak after scanning bananas, potatoes and corn is doing it to steal steak. It's hard to prove that a cashier scanning steak twice to make Walmart more money was doing so intentionally. If it was official Walmart policy to do so, and obviously intentional, I imagine it would be a huge news story and a lot of state AGs as well as class action suits would get involved.

kelnos 3y ago

Ehhhhhh, I agree that criminal charges for dice sliding is way unreasonable, but I don't think your examples are quite the same. "Player throws the dice wrong" is really "player knows that what they're doing is against the rules and gives them a huge edge, but does it anyway". And "hotel overbooks..." is -- unfortunately -- "hotel overbooks, which they are legally and contractually allowed to do, but will refund your money and at least attempt to find you a room elsewhere". I think it's a shitty practice, and if I ever got "bumped" from a room that way, I'd shitlist that hotel chain. But I don't begrudge them their right to do that. "Doesn't scan something at Walmart" is more like than not "stealing" than "an accident" (though I do expect that when accidents happen, people still often get railroaded). "Cashier double scanned" is pretty much always an accident; punishing a cashier seems fantastically unfair and predatory.