How nice all our daily lives used to be before millions of David Brent wannabes saw fit to take the mother of all executive decisions and irrevocably tip the scales of justice away from our grasp. Hard to remember, but there was a time when authoritarians were still occasionally allowed to make ‘exceptions’ to the rules. Those halcyon days of reasonable behaviour have long gone. We are seldom — if ever — given the chance to even explain our wrongdoings any more. No rule-enforcing flunkey has the time, inclination, facility, courage or authority to veer off-piste and listen to (let alone act on) gut instinct. To do so is, literally, more than his job is worth. Sad, but true.
It used to be that every once in a while a parking attendant spontaneously ‘let one off’ a ticket. They let one off because they were allowed to listen to an excuse.
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