Regulation

Since time began, we make rules. Don’t eat that. Don’t pick that up. Don’t go there.

In school we are taught to obey the rules or be punished. Sit quietly and listen to what is demanded for passing a grade and move along or you will be humiliated in front of the class writing “I will not do bad things” over and over.

There are cultural rules of how to comb your hair and what clothing to wear or be the subject to abuse. Class rules require purchase certain brands or marry certain caste or not be accepted.

There are regulations on how our food is made to protect us from illness. There are restrictions on how fast to drive to protect our roadways. There are quality controls on how items are manufactured for the safety of the workers and the stamp of approval on the finished product.

Legislators are lobbied every day with new request for restrictions or deregulations from commerce, public health and welfare, education or just personal freedom. Can you wear a hat in the room?

If these rules are deregulated, what is the color of water that comes out of your facet? How comes the food smells funny? No speed limit and I95 can become Daytona speedway. Anyone can carry a gun and if there is an argument, you can stand your ground. Dogs can run wild in the streets and poop anywhere. There is no age limit for fooling around and no one is responsible for the outcome. Good luck if you have a disability and have to visit a restroom. Got a safety complaint at work?

There are dangerous jobs, like the armed forces, where the regulations and training are to send young people into harm’s way. Other jobs, like running electrical wire or cutting down trees or construction, will be life threatening without regulations and restrictions.

At the Tummy Temple, I select my items to fill the cart and go to the grab-and-go checkout. The first regulation is to pay for your purchase before you leave the store. A blue apron must come over with a special bar scan to tell the machine I’m older than dirt. This was acceptable for they could see I’m of the age to drink alcohol.

The Alcohol Bureau Commission cracked down on this common-sense pass through to the point even an old geezer, like me, must show my state approved identification card before being able to roll my cart out the door. I don’t mind because this is my only verbal interaction with another human being during the day. One would think with processing for speed, the consumer, aka me, could just scan in the ID and be done? With all the AI and facial recognition software, one would think the video screen that captures all your movements would see your face as a familiar consumer and pass you along. They know my name and address and what items I purchase and how much I spend, so why not file me as a frequent flyer?

Since it is back-to-school time, the regulations of carrying a clear see-through backpack and going through a metal detector or getting patted down before going to class with fewer book and the 10 commandants.