I get really tired of people who think that rules are for other people. It’s alright for them to turn right on red without stopping or signaling. It’s ok for them to have a full cart in the supermarket express line. Their dogs don’t need leashes. They don’t understand how the homeowner’s association can tell them to mow the lawn, or what kind of shingles they can put on the roof, or that they can’t put disabled vehicles in the yard. Ironically, these people are usually the loudest to scream when somebody else does something discourteous in traffic, or takes too long to write a check at the cash register. They are outraged if someone leaves dog doo in their yard. They will howl about property values should a neighbor choose an “endearing” purple and lavender paint scheme.
These discourteous souls I can dismiss with a deep breath. The thing that really peeves me is when business owners pull such stunts. Some choose to break the law, willfully or through ignorance: “I didn’t know I needed a license to run a mutual fund”; “I won’t rent my property to an unmarried couple because of my religion”; “The ventilation system the city requires is too expensive”. Others simply whine about the law, demanding an exception for themselves alone: “I need a bigger sign than the law allows”; “I hire so many people in this town I deserve a tax break”. Some businesses even do both, breaking the law while lobbying for special treatment.
Make no mistake. If you run a business, it is your duty to read, understand, and follow all the laws that apply to your business. Failure to do so can result in personal injury, lawsuits, fines, getting arrested, or being put out of business. I have no sympathy for a business that chooses to ignore zoning rules, signage regulations, safety requirements, licensing issues, or any special rules that may apply to specific types of businesses. I frankly have less sympathy for businesses who “didn’t know” about these things.
Many people will protest that some laws are unreasonable if not just plain dumb. Whenever I see a “dumb” law I remind myself that somebody thought it was important enough to make law. Someone had to write it out; some legislators or city council members had to vote on it; somebody had to sign it. Any person or business owner who feels that a law is genuinely unreasonable is hereby encouraged to lobby for its repeal. This is different than trying to get exempted from the law, because repealing bad law benefits everyone.
If you don’t want to follow the law, nobody is forcing you to run a business.