Regulation Roundup

  • A school in Essex, UK, has banned triangular flapjacks. A student recently suffered an injury when one hit him in the face during a food fight. Square flapjacks are still allowed; bear in mind that squares have four sharp corners, and triangles have only three. I humbly suggest that school officials concern themselves with preventing food fights in the first place, and not the shape of the projectiles.
  • In what may be the regulatory equivalent of an unstoppable force hitting an immovable wall, it turns out that a wind energy turbine in Nevada has killed a golden eagle, which is an endangered species. Now we find out whether the renewable energy lobby or the environmental lobby is more powerful.
  • Chicago is mulling banning dogs from sitting in the driver’s seat of a car.
  • The California Highway Patrol pulled over a man riding a motorcycle in a giant rabbit costume and cited him for not wearing a helmet.
  • A Covington, Kentucky, man narrowly avoided 90 days in jail for falsely yelling out “Bingo!” during a game. The judge forbade him from saying the word again for six months.
  • Arlington County, Virginia, will now allow dogs in certain outdoor restaurant dining areas. This makes some sense, as many families routinely dine at home around their dogs with no adverse health effects.