Spocko on something I was hinting at over the weekend:
So how about, in the name of public safety, we flip this? New Rule: If you plan a DOORBUSTER STUNT you need to put up a $10,000,000 bond to cover the costs to the community and to cover the injuries and deaths of the people.
Lets go to cities and get them to pass laws, “Doorbuster stunts will cost ten million dollars for each store, payable in advance. If nobody is injured or dies the store gets part of it back.” Suddenly the cost effectiveness of this media stunt goes away and they will need to figure out a different way to get press and sell crap.
“But Spocko!” I hear you cry, “The Chamber of Commerce thugs will wail! This is a tax on business!” Well sure, but the companies don’t have to pay it if they don’t do one. Plus, if they do, the communities can get back some of the revenue their city fathers gave away with all those tax breaks they gave them. Money that didn’t go back into the community, but to the richest people in the world.
Concert venues, both indoors and out, have capacity requirements to abide by and security levels to maintain. These things don’t prevent every incident, but they do make it clear to event planners that they are responsible for what happens. The stores that run these shitshows are usually the ones wealthy enough to pony up without a thought, so let’s make them.
Does your town have such requirements, or laws governing store opening hours at all? I’d like to get a list going of who does.
A.