# Which rules do you break or which instructions do you ignore? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 25, 2018, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-rules-do-you-break-or-which-instructions-do-you-ignore/813096 "2018-04-25T13:25:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-rules-do-you-break-or-which-instructions-do-you-ignore/813096/61 "2018-04-27T14:34:24Z")
I got involved in a land war in Asia ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-rules-do-you-break-or-which-instructions-do-you-ignore/813096/62 "2018-04-27T14:39:09Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > I > > I’ll take 20 items in the 15 items or less express lane. Fewer. And this is probably the most serious confession in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-rules-do-you-break-or-which-instructions-do-you-ignore/813096/63 "2018-04-27T15:17:56Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > I give my dog chocolate. Not a ton mind you but she loves it so. > > I often don’t wash my hands after I pee unless some splatters on me. > > I put my fingers in my ears all the time and sometimes get rewarded with a nice juicy gob of wax. > > I’ll take 20 items in the 15 items or less express lane. > > I ignore a don’t walk signal if I can dodge the traffic. > > I’ll jaywalk with abandon. Please don’t feed your dog chocolate. The reason you haven’t killed your dog yet is that a lot of “chocolate” doesn’t in reality have a great deal of cocoa in it. 6 ounces of milk chocolate could kill a 35 lb dog – dark chocolate is more lethal. [Here](http://veterinaryclinic.com/chocolate/calc.html)is a calculator of the LD50 for dogs by body weight. Live dangerously some other way please. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-rules-do-you-break-or-which-instructions-do-you-ignore/813096/64 "2018-04-27T15:25:54Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Fewer. And this is probably the most serious confession in this thread. Well, maybe that’s just breaking another rule. Like this > [@MrDibble](#): > > I use less when I mean fewer, all the time. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-rules-do-you-break-or-which-instructions-do-you-ignore/813096/65 "2018-04-27T15:30:51Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > Please don’t feed your dog chocolate. The reason you haven’t killed your dog yet is that a lot of “chocolate” doesn’t in reality have a great deal of cocoa in it. 6 ounces of milk chocolate could kill a 35 lb dog… That’s like saying “please don’t give your husband beer. 24 bottles could kill a 180-pound man.” 6 ounces is a _shitload_ of chocolate for a human being, let alone for a dog. If you left that much chocolate unattended I have no doubt a dog would happily gorge itself (and then die), but I’m imagining giving a dog one “square” (or a portion thereof) from a typical chocolate bar - IOW, a quarter of an ounce or less, for which your calculator says “no problemo” even for the smallest of dogs. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-rules-do-you-break-or-which-instructions-do-you-ignore/813096/66 "2018-04-27T15:36:34Z")
When there’s a regular door next to a revolving door, I’ll use the former. I throw old lithium batteries and light bulbs in the trash. I handle circuit boards and memory chips without a ground strap. I don’t call hazmat when I break a mercury thermometer. I (usually) don’t report suspicious activities. I don’t test my smoke detectors once a month. Same goes for GFCI receptacles. I don’t replace my toothbrush every three months. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-rules-do-you-break-or-which-instructions-do-you-ignore/813096/67 "2018-04-27T15:38:12Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > I sometimes sneak food into the movie theatre since they have few healthy options. I bring in wine. Two hours is a long time to sit without a drink. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-rules-do-you-break-or-which-instructions-do-you-ignore/813096/68 "2018-04-27T16:13:46Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > Please don’t feed your dog chocolate. The reason you haven’t killed your dog yet is that a lot of “chocolate” doesn’t in reality have a great deal of cocoa in it. 6 ounces of milk chocolate could kill a 35 lb dog – dark chocolate is more lethal. [Here](http://veterinaryclinic.com/chocolate/calc.html)is a calculator of the LD50 for dogs by body weight. Live dangerously some other way please. According to this, my dog should be dead. At Christmastime, she ate an entire 2lb box of dark chocolates :eek: ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-rules-do-you-break-or-which-instructions-do-you-ignore/813096/69 "2018-04-27T17:14:01Z")
I boldly walked right past the receipt checker at Wal\*Mart last night…and nothing happened. What’s the point of self-checkout if you then have to then stand in line while someone inspects your purchases? ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-rules-do-you-break-or-which-instructions-do-you-ignore/813096/70 "2018-04-27T17:31:01Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > That’s like saying “please don’t give your husband beer. 24 bottles could kill a 180-pound man.” > > 6 ounces is a _shitload_ of chocolate for a human being, let alone for a dog. If you left that much chocolate unattended I have no doubt a dog would happily gorge itself (and then die), but I’m imagining giving a dog one “square” (or a portion thereof) from a typical chocolate bar - IOW, a quarter of an ounce or less, for which your calculator says “no problemo” even for the smallest of dogs. I wouldn’t let her gorge on it. She’s a 130 lb Lab and the most I would give her at one time would be like half a Hershey kiss. But I do appreciate the concern. ---
**Author:** ![erysichthon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-rules-do-you-break-or-which-instructions-do-you-ignore/813096/71 "2018-04-27T21:25:59Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > I wouldn’t let her gorge on it. She’s a 130 lb Lab and the most I would give her at one time would be like half a Hershey kiss. But I do appreciate the concern. My Lab ate an entire bowl of Hershey Kisses, including the foil wrappers, and survived. He didn’t even do his usual\* thing of puking at the exact location on the carpet where my feet touch the floor as I’m getting out of bed. \*Once I took my dog to the vet because he (the dog) was throwing up a lot. The vet’s response was “Yeah, dogs do that.” ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-rules-do-you-break-or-which-instructions-do-you-ignore/813096/72 "2018-04-27T21:54:51Z")
> [@TonySinclair](#): > > I pretty much ignore left turn red lights. Yep. > [@Alessan](#): > > Dude… a red light is a red light. They’re non-negotiable. Nope. Same with painted lines on the road. I don’t GAF. If its clear to pass, I’m doin’ it. ---
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-rules-do-you-break-or-which-instructions-do-you-ignore/813096/73 "2018-04-27T23:32:45Z")
I don’t pay attention when the flight attendant is giving safety instructions. I don’t wash fruits and vegetables before consuming them. (Why would I want soggy blueberries?) I don’t take short showers. (My water is from the rain that falls on my roof and is heated with solar panels.) ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2018, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-rules-do-you-break-or-which-instructions-do-you-ignore/813096/74 "2018-04-28T02:28:55Z")
Well, **Procrustus** , a glass of wine is supposed to be pretty healthy. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2018, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-rules-do-you-break-or-which-instructions-do-you-ignore/813096/75 "2018-04-28T08:38:06Z")
I follow them strictly. Before I go to sleep at night, I crawl under the bed and unplug the extension cord to the reading lamp, in accordance with the safety warning to not leave plugged in when not in use. ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2018, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-rules-do-you-break-or-which-instructions-do-you-ignore/813096/76 "2018-04-28T11:23:25Z")
Some of the responses here are surprising (especially the ones about driving). I guess I’m boring, but I follow driving rules and laws to the letter. I did get a speeding ticket once in 1975, but none since. The only instance of knowingly “breaking” the rules was exceeding the max vehicle length with our RV. When assembled for a trip, we were a few feet over the 65’ limit. I figured there was little chance of encountering an official with a measuring tape, so didn’t worry about it. ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2018, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-rules-do-you-break-or-which-instructions-do-you-ignore/813096/77 "2018-04-28T12:31:51Z")
I take photos of police doing police things. They don’t like that. Too bad. I take photos of bikers wearing gang colors. They probably don’t like that, but I’m not about to ask permission. I take photos on railroad property, which I’m not supposed to be on. Railroad cops and real cops have confronted me on this, but I know how to act. I also run stop signs in parking lots with gleeful abandon. My wife always grumbles when I do. ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2018, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-rules-do-you-break-or-which-instructions-do-you-ignore/813096/78 "2018-04-28T20:54:17Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > Just to be clear, do you do this even if there is a car stopped in front of you? I said I ignore the light, not other cars. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2018, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-rules-do-you-break-or-which-instructions-do-you-ignore/813096/79 "2018-04-29T03:07:51Z")
> [@campp](#): > > I take photos of police doing police things. They don’t like that. Too bad. > > I take photos of bikers wearing gang colors. They probably don’t like that, but I’m not about to ask permission. One (or possibly both) of these things could get you beat to a pulp. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2018, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-rules-do-you-break-or-which-instructions-do-you-ignore/813096/80 "2018-04-29T13:59:10Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > One (or possibly both) of these things could get you beat to a pulp. Point taken but both are legal in public places. Not sure what is the point of photographing gang members but there are a lot of reasons citizens might be photographing police. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-rules-do-you-break-or-which-instructions-do-you-ignore/813096.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-rules-do-you-break-or-which-instructions-do-you-ignore/813096.md?page=5)