There's a restaurant I went to when I used to visit Seattle that put out free coffee on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant for people waiting outside for a table. For a very long time they put out ceramic mugs for people to drink it. But there was a homeless camp nearby and homeless people started drinking the coffee and (presumably) stealing the mugs, so eventually they switched to serving it in paper cups. Then over time they stopped refilling the coffee as much, presumably because the homeless were drinking all the coffee without actually eating at the restaurant. Last time I went there they didn't even have coffee out.
The issue of course isn't that I missed the free coffee but that the city had changed to such an extent that the restaurant no was able to trust the population to take it in the spirit in which it was intended. A little nicety no longer possible thanks to a city deciding to self-destruct.
There's a restaurant I went to when I used to visit Seattle that put out free coffee on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant for people waiting outside for a table. For a very long time they put out ceramic mugs for people to drink it. But there was a homeless camp nearby and homeless people started drinking the coffee and (presumably) stealing the mugs, so eventually they switched to serving it in paper cups. Then over time they stopped refilling the coffee as much, presumably because the homeless were drinking all the coffee without actually eating at the restaurant. Last time I went there they didn't even have coffee out.
The issue of course isn't that I missed the free coffee but that the city had changed to such an extent that the restaurant no was able to trust the population to take it in the spirit in which it was intended. A little nicety no longer possible thanks to a city deciding to self-destruct.
Humans abuse everything. Offer them the nicest thing, someone will ruin it by abusing the fuck out of it.
To not abuse things is something that has to be taught .... it doesn't come natural.
I don't think Man is unique in this, BUT there's nothing and no one with a wagging finger and a rolled-up newspaper to say "NO! ENOUGH!"