Getting by on a technicality can be a lot of fun. After all, we are brought up to respect rules, but as experience shows, rules can be unfair and the people making them are often not exactly unbiased parties. So finding that line between the “letter of the law” and the “spirit of the law” is a fantastic place to start.

A young woman cleverly got around a principal’s new rule against selling food by switching to plates. Her solution was so clever that he was forced to accept it. We got in touch with OP and she was kind enough to share some more details.

Some rules make a lot of sense, but sometimes they exist just to get in the way

Image credits: Elina Fairytale / pexels (not the actual photo)

So one enterprising young student got around a “no selling food” rule in a creative manner

Image credits: freestocks / unsplash (not the actual photo)

Image source: Wikipendotia

OP decided to share the story when her cooking reminded her of it

Bored Panda got in touch with OP and she was kind enough to answer some more questions that we had. First and foremost, we wanted to know why she picked crepes as an option to sell over literally every other possibility. “They are very inexpensive to make (compared to cupcakes and cookies) and they are easy to store and keep warm. More than that, people could choose what to stuff them with, so it created a lot of options,” she shared with us.

In general, we were curious to hear her thoughts about the reaction online. “I didn’t really expect my story to get any attention when I posted it, I was just making some crepes that day and the story came back to me, I got a good laugh and then decided to share it. From the comments I got, people seemed to enjoy how I found the loophole that allowed my classmates and I to keep selling our crepes, and how the girls who tried to get us in trouble got their comeuppance.”

Some commenters had questions about the principal’s involvement and the degree of impartiality in his rules. “From what I know, the principal mostly got involved to keep the peace, and possibly to avoid friction with angry parents. I’d like to add, since people in the comments asked that a lot, that I didn’t take him up on his recommendation to become a lawyer. I got into public health, but I still draw, and I still make crepes!” she shared with Bored Panda.

This is a classic example of the letter of the law verses the spirit of the law

Despite the massive gap in ages and authority, the principle was forced to capitulate and accept OP’s change in product. After all, he had set the rule and done it in such a way that a clever enough person could easily undermine it. He can’t just go back on his own words, even if OP has completely circumnavigated his rule.

This is perhaps one of the main draws of the story. Getting by on a technicality, in the right circumstances, is downright funny content. It’s a good reminder that, no matter how “set in stone” a law can be, human ingenuity finds a way. It’s also simply fun to see a young person outsmart an adult.

That being said, there is no denying that rules, ultimately, are pretty important. After all, every company and wanna-be-millionaire would be looting us dry if they could get away with it. The internet is awash with examples of just that, from hotels that lie on ads, to bosses that exploit their workers. While OP didn’t become a lawyer, it must be comforting to know that there are individuals out there ready and able to unleash their full pettiness against unjust rules and regulations.

People thought the story was hilarious and OP shared some more details

Others congratulated her and gave their own, similar stories

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