People Reveal Business Tactics That Are Legal But Highly Unethical
Legal certainly doesn't mean ethical. There are tons of little loopholes people, corporations, and governments can exploit to gain an advantage, even when it's morally dubious.
coexistentialist asked: What is perfectly legal but incredibly unethical?
Submissions have been edited for clarity, context, and profanity.
There's no right to a lawyer in civil court.
Tying up court cases for years because you can outspend the other party.
People really cannot imagine how hurtful this can be to people. Families. It can ruin lives.
Unfortunately, the people that do that king of thing do know. Theyre just assh*les.
People deserve privacy.
Tabloids posting picures taken by paparazzis who basically stalk people that are seen as famous.
Without the tabloids and websites, the photographers would never do that.
And the tabloids wouldn't exist if people didn't buy them.
And some celebrities wouldn't exist without the paparazzi and tabloids. It's all 9 shades of f*cked up.
This could be genius, except...
Knew someone who would buy peoples life insurance. He would find people who we're sick or old and give them 30% of what there insurance payout was and they would make him the sole benefactor. He would make the payments and then collect when they died. I wouldn't have had an issue with it but he would leave the families with the funeral bill.
Recently read a story (WSJ maybe?) about an investment group that, in the early/mid 1980's had bought up the policies of a ton of people who were HIV positive. Things went south for them when the first effective treatments for HIV were approved and became readily available. Apparently they're still paying on a number of these policies as the HIV positive individuals have decided they'd prefer to live rather than be a payout for a ghoulish hedge fund.
the HIV positive individuals have decided they'd prefer to live rather than be a payout for a ghoulish hedge fund.
How selfish of them.
This was in the news recently and it's appalling.
In Alabama, and other states i'm sure, the sheriff is alotted an amount of money to feed the prison population. If there is a surplus of money at the end, the sheriff can decide what to do with that money, including keep it all to himself. The current sheriff feeds the inmates the bare minimum legally allowed and keeps MILLIONS in profit for himself every year. Perfectly legal.
This is my state and I'm appalled.
This is always a douche move.
Cutting in the lunch line as a kid.
Jumping queues anywhere is not only unethical but it makes everyone know that you're a f*cking c*unt.
I accidentally cut a long ass line at Costco food court (I was overwhelmed with my little kids and didn't really look around I guess) . I walked by the food court and the guy wasn't helping anyone. So I ordered and he kinda threw his pen down and huffed, helped me and as I walked away with my food I realized what I I had done. This was 6 years ago and it still keeps me up at night.
You are immutably marked in someone's mind as a 'cutter.' Wear that brand with deep shame. For one day you might run into this mall food court man and he shall say to all around him, "Hey, look, it's that line cutter from the food court." And you will be judged accordingly.
As the government is shutdown.
The US Congress voting on it's own benefits.
Amazingly good answer to the OP's interesting question. I've always thought it must be nice to sign one's own paycheck. And approve raises. It's also nice to get paid when a quarter of federal employees are furloughed. Personally, I think everyone who can influence the budget process - Congress and the president at least - should go without pay until resolved. (And not simply deferred, but actually forfeit.)
Frankly, this is just the tip of the iceberg in legal-but-not-ethical behavior in the government.
In some countries if the government fails to pass a budget it triggers an election for everyone involved.
Excessive car towing.
Some of the reasons for towing cars. At our old apartment, my husband's car got towed for having an expired registration sticker (the registration was up-to-date, but he'd accidentally thrown out the sticker). The towing company drives through the apartment parking lot and tows cars that they can cite for breaking some little rule. They grab him as soon as his registration sticker is expired. Meanwhile, there were broken-down-looking cars that clearly hadn't moved from their parking spots for a long time. The lease says the towing company can do this, but it seems really shitty to do it on the basis of registration. That's a police issue, not an apartment/towing company issue. So you're making us pay YOU, the towing company, for an expired registration.
I had my truck towed while living in an apartment complex. I woke up that morning to find it gone. Before calling the police I called the office to ask as they were great at having vehicles towed for little to no reason. They told me they had a truck near my building towed because the registration was out of date and it had been sitting there unmoved for over a month. I asked them which company they had used as they had apparently taken mine by mistake. I call, they have my truck. They told me how much it was to get it back. I explained to them that they had the wrong truck because my registration was up to date. They argued with me and said it was towed I had to pay to get it back. I hung up and talked to a lawyer friend about my options. He suggested calling the police to report it stolen. I call the non emergency number and do that. They come to my place and I explained what happened. I even showed them the black (mine was blue) truck they should have taken. The officer takes me to the lot where my truck is and explained to them that I was filing charges against them and what would happen if they didn't give it back. The guy says I can have it back after I pay. The officer said to me go ahead and pay him so I can add the charges of selling stolen property onto the list. The guy goes pale and gets my keys for the bay it's parked in (it was in a place that looked like it was built as storage units). Tells me to take them and tells me where it is in the building. The best part is we had a major hail storm come through causing a ton of damage to cars in our parking lot including the truck they should have taken. Mine was safe because it was sitting inside. The next day the black truck was finally gone.
Edit for clarity. Thanks for pointing it out to me!
Free labor.
Firing an old employee who's about to retire and putting an intern who works for peanuts in his/her place.
Not always legal. Age discrimination laws exist for a reason.
But in America most places are at will so as long as you can provide a half baked reason for the firing the company wont have to pay.
And it can be as easy as writing them up a few times for the smallest things that usually go un-reported. Showing up 15 minutes late, making an inappropriate joke, not wearing proper attire. All you have to do is show some sort of evidence of multiple policy violations. Even if everyone in the office does it and doesn't get written up.
Blame the other person in there with you.
Farting in a crowded elevator.
This is one of the only listed "legal but unethical" things I can do this afternoon without having to become a licensed tow truck driver, police officer, or congress person.
Thank you for thinking of the simple things in life.
I remember a guy who told that every morning, before his boss arrives, would fart in his office.
One day he came and there was a cleaning company looking for a dead animal.
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Dating and the search for love and companionship... What a nightmare.
This journey plays out nothing like in the movies.
Every Prince or Princess (or everything in BTW) seems to have a touch of the psycho.
The things people say during what should be simple dinner conversation can leave a dining partner aghast.
Like... do you hear you?
Redditor detroit_michigldan wanted to discuss all the best ways to crash and burn when trying to make a romantic connection. They asked:
"You're on a date and it's going really great. What can another person say to ruin it completely?"
I once had a guy ask me if I was willing to follow him into the woods, depending on the price of the meal.
Yeah. No steak is worth that.
Plans After...
"Thanks for the ride but I have a date with someone else, I figured you wouldn't drive me if you knew I was going on a date with someone else and I really needed a ride."
"Online dating, talked to her for a while, finally got the courage to ask her out and then she said that as we got there."
iareyours
Mirror Image
“'You look just like my wife!'”
catalinachild
"I did have a guy tell me I reminded him of his son. I don’t believe English has a word to adequately describe my feelings at that time."
UnicornMagicRainbow
"That would definitely do it."
chaotica78
Third Wheel
"'Hope you don't mind if my mother joins us.'"
ofsquire
"Actually had a girl do this on a first date because she had anxiety issues. Honestly wasn’t bad except that 90% of the time she was silent and her mom talked over her."
"I didn’t mind that much and wouldn’t have minded trying again when she was more comfortable except that she was let go at the company we worked at and she deleted her social media profiles and she never responded on her number. Ah well."
Seightx
Liar
"'Hey bro aren't you gay? I made out with you last night.'"
"Random dude I've never seen before in front of my (f) date."
JHXC16
Was he lying though?
Filter Issues
"'You looked better on Tinder.'"
waqasnaseem07
"Isn’t it basic knowledge that everybody looks slightly worse than the worst picture you can find?"
no_user_ID_found
The Past
"'My ex used to do that too.'"
xxIvyOF
"Yep. I’ve definitely had two otherwise-decent-guy date-situations sour because the ex-comparisons just would not stop flowing. No woman wants to be seen as interchangeable—I’m not here to perfectly fill that ex-sized hole in your life. Focusing on the present moment and a future we could build together is a courtesy we need to grant each other in earliest dates of dating."
LarkScarlett
Powerless
"'I'm an alpha, you cant handle my top energy.'"
Midnightgay28
"I actually left a dude in the middle of dinner, in part, for saying this. I ordered an Uber under the table while pretending to listen to him. Went to the bathroom, and never came back. That was when I was young. Now I’d just say, 'How about we enjoy this meal in silence, before we head our separate ways.'”
UnicornMagicRainbow
Mommy...
"'Mother says I should be back by 9.'"
"Saying 'mother says' just feels weird."
bunnyrut
"That gives me Norman Bates vibes."
Werewolf_lover20
"'Mother says alligators are aggressive because they have an overabundance of teeth, but lack a toothbrush.'"
sodaextraiceplease
Obvs...
"'If you were going to be murdered, what method would you prefer. Purely hypothetical. Obvs.'"
Specific_Tap7296
If it looks anything like a Dateline NBC episode... RUN!
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Despite the advancement of technology rendering people left to their own devices–literally–to entertain them, there are some leisurely activities that will never go out of style.
Or so you would think.
Do people still knit to pass the time? Are people actively collecting stamps?
It depends on who's asking.
Curious to hear about hobby trends, Redditor gizehgizeh asked:
"What are once popular hobbies that are slowly dying these days?"

Before we've become conditioned to living on our phones, these activities used to keep people occupied.
Before Texting, There Was This
"Letter writing."
– littlekingMT
Literal And Tangible Joy
"Well the internet killed pen pals for sure. I do remember I had a Japanese girl for a penpal maybe back in 2007 or so. I honestly don't remember how it started, pretty sure some website, but that was a fun experience. But now I can just straight up talk to foreign people real time, lol. But yea getting a physical letter that someone took the time to write and mail still is hard to beat feelings wise."
– skyburnsred
Model Trains
"When I was growing up, every town had a model train store in it. Now I have one in region and everything else has to be bought online."
– Hairy_Effective1172
Pretty Rocks
"Don’t see anyone playing marbles anymore, I had an awesome collection in school."
– sheeple85
"I had some marbles as a kid in the 90s. My grandma got them for me and I had no idea what I was supposed to do with them. I always imagined them as a thing kids in the 40s played with."
– Ryoukugan
People Were Moving Canvases
"Paintball has been dying a slow death since 2006. Sad, really."
– hobo_recycler
Before the general population began hating clutter, collecting was once a "thing."
Precious Coins
"Coin collecting... I'm a silver/gold nut and I'm always hunting for precious metal coins. whenever I go into a shop they get all excited because 'no one under 70 collects coins anymore.'"
– ThatFishySmell99
Post It
"Stamp collecting."
– spooky_scully_mulder
"Collecting in general, really. Of course there are still prominent collectors but it's slipped more into enthusiast and niche territory than being a popular hobby that you might expect anyone to have."
– iuytrefdgh436yujhe2
What A Gem
"Rockhounding was immensely popular back in the 1950's and 1960's. Personally, I think it's a fascinating and fulfilling hobby, but when I go to a meeting at a rock and gem club, I'm usually the youngest one in the room by several decades."
– filthy_lucre
People once enjoyed making things.
Admiring The View
"Stained glass. I learned how to make it from my old man, and my junior high art class teacher also taught it. Very few artisans are still around."
– brobeanzhitler
Metal Vocation
"Black smithing."
– kenworth117
"I bought a forge to try. It’s insanely hard work, and crazy expensive. I still haven’t finished a piece."
– DSentvalue
Scrapbooking
"Yeah. I'm watching the arts and crafts stores around me completely uninstalling their racks for specialty paper. Now the only thing they have is mega packs of repeating colors/images. To boot all the inclusions like papercraft/die-cut things, washi tape, scissors, stickers, etc have gotten so expensive I would rather go buy $5 bags at value village to get an assortment of things versus buying anything new. I really, really miss yard sales for the same reasons."
– Phantasmai
I envy people who have jobs that are basically their hobbies.
Not everyone gets paid doing what they actually enjoy and have a profound level of passion for.
If they do, kudos to them.
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When we first meet someone–whether through mutual friends, at school, or in a new work setting–we generally feel people out to determine if they're worth getting to know.
While the process could take time, some people make our jobs much easier after spotting instant red flags.
Curious to hear about our general radar of people, Redditor xxFluffie asked:
"What is something that makes you immediately dislike someone?"

Some people just think they are absolutely hilarious and never realize they're the only ones laughing.
Next In Line
"They laugh about having screwed someone else over. If you think you're not next, well, you'll learn."
– whiznat
Unfunny
"when you mention you don't like a thing and they immediately do that thing 'as a joke.'"
– wayfinder
Playing Devil's Advocate
"Kneejerk contrarians. People who, no matter what you say you like or believe, just have to dismiss it and say they like or think the opposite."
– BubbhaJebus
People who put others down get slammed here.
Bad Parents
"When they treat their kids sh**ty in public. I don't mean handling tantrums, setting a rule, having to hurry to the train etc. I mean perfectly normal-behaved kids getting in trouble for trailing along peacefully, looking at things, asking questions etc."
"If you don't like tiny humans who learn the world, why have them??"
– raxeira-etterath
Public Humiliation
"Treating people sh**ty in public for laughs. Like being rude to service workers because they think it’s funny. Big red flag."
– Ok_Personality_1080
Simply Uncalled For
"Someone who is a d*ck to other people or animals for no reason."
– xebt1000
Those with ulterior motives rubs people the wrong way.
The Scheme
"If they try to get me to join their MLM scheme."
– spazmcgee1
Hard Sell
"A guy I used to be friends with in high school reached out a couple of years after graduating about a business opportunity he wanted my opinion on because 'you've always been smart', then he set up a Skype call and brought some other dude into the call and they started trying to sell me on what was clearly an MLM scheme. The guy went from friend to 'I'm never talking to you again' in a matter of 10 minutes."
– Mental-Afternoon-164
A Timeline
"Good gawd, this! I've had more than one exposure to this abject bullsh**tery..."
- Back in the late 80's/early 90's I was invited to a meeting of literally the OG "Pyramid" where you're recruited to pay in, and then you go out and recruit others to pay in, and the last in line got f'kall.
- In 1995 I had a coworker try to reel me into Amway, which was a hard no.
- In 2000 it was Pampered Chef, though to be fair they did have useful products.
- In 2009 a coworker tried to get me into some stupid video calling service that was obviously stupid from the description. He even got offended when I called bullsh*t.
– Mystical_Cat
Too much ego is a no-go.
I Can Do Better
"Being a b*tch just to stroke their own ego."
"We get it, you can lift 5lbs more than the 12 year old, you don't have to rub it in their face just because you're slightly better"
– Livia_Pivia
Can't Top This
"Oh, you did <story that's been told>? That's nothing! I did <implausible story>.
"I get the whole empathy through relating common experience, and I'm someone who does that (which drives some people crazy on its own), but there's a big different by empathising through common experience, and one-upmanship."
– Tisarwat
Lacking Conversational Etiquette
"Starting to talk over me when I was already talking."
"Stop it you rude, arrogant jerk."
– R33Gtst
If one or more of these traits sound familiar to you, you're not alone.
We don't have time for braggadocios, pyramid-schemers, and conversation interrupters.
And that's just for starters.
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Children tend to believe just about anything they hear.
That there are monsters under your bed, watching too much TV will make your head explode, and silly faces will be permanent if you make them too often.
The sky is truly the limit when it comes to silly things that children will believe.
Some call it naivitée, other's youthful innocence.
But it's hard not to look back with embarrassment on certain things we believed as a child, that today might simply seem dumb.
Redditor Disastrous_Toe_6548 was curious to learn the multitude of silly things people believed when they were children, leading them to ask:
"What's the dumbest thing you believed as a kid?"
Pleading to deaf ears...
"My dad told me he had hearing loss and couldn't hear me if I whined because my pitch would get too high."
"Would completely ignore me until I asked him questions in a normal voice."
"Trusted him implicitly until I was 12 and he yelled at my younger brother for whining."- Tyrion_Stark.
Get it while you can.
"That they took everything off the shelves when the supermarket closed."- fgyfddg.
Silly superstitions.
"My grandfather used to tell me that if I played with the fire, I'd pee the bed."
"I believed him for a while, until I got older."
"I think he was just trying to protect me from the fire."- teddypa1981.
"Rain, rain go away..."
"That if it was raining where I was, it was raining everywhere in the world."- morningshartz.
Age is just a number.
"My parents used to seem really old to me, so much so I believed they grew up like cave people as children, wearing giant leaves for clothes and what not."- Laleena_.
So that's how they're made!
"That smokestacks from the power plant created clouds."- Scaniarix.
An instant cure.
"The sun gives you sunburns, therefore, moonlight should heal them."- velocipeter.
Better safe than sorry.
"Don't drink and drive meant all drinks."
"My dad was super confused when I told him he wasn't allowed to have any soda until we got home."- hulagirlslovetoparty.
Don't believe everything you see on TV.
"There was an episode of Mickey Mouse where Mickey couldn’t reach something at first, so he tried again and somehow his arm was long enough to reach it."
"As a small kid I believed that if I couldn’t reach something, I should just try reaching for it again and my arm would then somehow be long enough to reach it."- That-Dutch-Person.
The miracle of childbirth.
"That babies are pooped out."
"When I was like 7 I was listening to my aunt as she explained that childbirth was pretty intense and painful for her, and I was all solemnly like, 'yeah, sometimes just my poops are painful, I don’t think I could get a baby out' and she went 'um, WHAT?' and her reaction made me realize real quick that I had f*cked up somewhere and I tried to change the subject while my mind was just reeling lol."- thesoundingfurrows.
Oh to be a child again.
And to believe literally everything you're told.
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