Last week, I mentioned the growth of workplace incivility. And today, I now mourn the breakdown of the social contract in general (note -- that's social contract in lower case letters; I don't need any extremists calling me a socialist just because I typed the word social ...), but specifically in how it plays into the relationship between the parties involved in a kidnapping.
And the story speaks for itself ... but here are the highlights: Criminal from Colorado is running from the police, makes it all the way to Kansas, breaks into a home and holds a couple at knife point, the couple feeds him Cheetos and Dr. Pepper and watches a movie with him, criminal falls asleep, couple escapes and criminal is caught. When the couple sues for trespass, infliction of emotional distress, etc. ... the criminal counter sues for breach of oral contract since the couple "agreed" to hide him for an undisclosed (and unpaid) sum.
I'm not one to generalize like Billy S that "the first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers" ... but the system is definitely more than a little broken when you hear about these types of goings-on (or is that going-ons?) ...
Oh the good old days when you could count on the fact that your kidnapper wouldn't turn around and sue you after the event, you are missed.
[P.S. - I'm adding Cheetos and Dr. Pepper to my shopping list for next week to keep in the apartment for my own protection against interlopers, just like how those doomsday preppers are ready for anything (that isn't going to happen to them).]
WHEN AN ORAL CONTRACT GOES BEYOND SUPPLYING CHEETOS AND DR. PEPPER:
http://abovethelaw.com/2011/12/lawsuit-of-the-day-kidnapper-sues-hostages-for-breach-of-contract/
THIS GUY'S FEATHERS ARE RUFFLED -- THE QUOTE IS TO A CHARACTER:
http://www.michbar.org/journal/article.cfm?articleID=401&volumeID=30
PROVING ONCE AGAIN THAT YOU CAN FIND ANYTHING ON THE INTERNET:
http://idreamofbaby.com/forum/showthread.php?95718-Hot-Cheetos-and-Boiling-Dr-Pepper
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