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favorite restaurant closing - victim of scam

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I’m SO bummed - my favorite restaurant in the whole world is closing, going bankrupt, because of a big-city con artist who clever swindled them over the course of a year.

Apparently this con has been going on in the bay area for some time, but some rural restaurants are not yet aware of it. It is likely this guy pulled this scam in the SF bay area, and had to move inland to repeat it as the scam became known. Here’s how it worked…

This guy applies for a job as a waiter. Over the course of the year he works day shifts. In the middle of the day, whenever business is light, he asks the owner if he can step out for a nap. They say sure, go ahead. He goes home, comes back an hour later, and continues working. He keeps track of this for a whole year. Apparently, the law says if you do two shifts in one day, the second shift is overtime and you can’t pay the worker tipped wage in that case. The owners just think they’re letting him take a break, but the law says if you go home and come back, it’s a new shift. So he builds up about 100K in “unpaid back pay”.

After a year of this, he tells the owners that his mother is sick and he has to quit. They throw a going-away party for him and they shake hands. Three days later, they get a letter from his lawyer demanding $160K back pay. It’s a small chinese restaurant, and they can’t afford it. So they will be closing up, declaring bankruptcy, and the owners may even lose their home.

Of all places, this was my very favorite restaurant in the whole world. And the owners were always so sweet, even to this a-hole. Some people are just BAD BAD BAD.

"Close the blast doors!"
Puggo’s website | Rescuing Star Wars

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imperialscum said:

Puggo - Jar Jar’s Yoda said:
Some people are just BAD BAD BAD.

This is not about how bad people are. This is about how bad your justice system is to allows such things.

It’s about both, dumb-ass. Also, our justice system allows things. It doesn’t “allows” things.

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Puggo - Jar Jar’s Yoda said:
In the middle of the day, whenever business is light, he asks the owner if he can step out for a nap. They say sure, go ahead. He goes home, comes back an hour later, and continues working. He keeps track of this for a whole year. Apparently, the law says if you do two shifts in one day, the second shift is overtime and you can’t pay the worker tipped wage in that case. The owners just think they’re letting him take a break, but the law says if you go home and come back, it’s a new shift. So he builds up about 100K in “unpaid back pay”.

Are you sure? I live in Illinois, and overtime is determined by the number of hours worked per week and nothing more. Or else I’m owed money too. Not that I would try to get it. (Although I do work for a giant soulless corporation…)

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TV’s Frink said:
Also, our justice system allows things. It doesn’t “allows” things.

Well there is a grammar mistake that occurred due to editing/restructuring my initial post and not paying attention to all adjustments. However, your attempt to point out the nature of mistake is quite lame.

真実

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 (Edited)

TV’s Frink said:

imperialscum said:

Puggo - Jar Jar’s Yoda said:
Some people are just BAD BAD BAD.

This is not about how bad people are. This is about how bad your justice system is to allows such things.

It’s about both, dumb-ass.

It is not. This really isn’t about some people being bad. This is about the justice system that provided a platform/tool for the person to be bad in a very specific way. At the same time, the justice system legitimised his bad actions. Without such justice system he wouldn’t be able to pull such thing off

真実

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imperialscum said:

TV’s Frink said:

imperialscum said:

Puggo - Jar Jar’s Yoda said:
Some people are just BAD BAD BAD.

This is not about how bad people are. This is about how bad your justice system is to allows such things.

It’s about both, dumb-ass.

It is not. This really isn’t about some people being bad. This is about the justice system that provided a platform/tool for the person to be bad in a very specific way. At the same time, the justice system legitimised his bad actions. Without such justice system he wouldn’t be able to pull such thing off

You missed a period.

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Wow, who writes your material for you? Andrew Dice Clay?

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Wow, that really sucks Puggo. RIP restaurant.

Don’t do drugs, unless you’re with me.

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I understand that the law “allows” for this sort of scheming. But I still think that it points out the “bad” side of people. The law is in place with the very best of intentions: to protect workers from being overworked. It was never intended to be applied in the manner in question. Sadly, there are people who scour the rules for loopholes, and then twist them to their own advantage, without regard to the unfair hurt it causes on other people. The whole thing was obviously planned in advance, as he ASKED for the breaks, and then kept a log of them. He knew he was legally due overtime, and never asked for it so that he could build it up and demand it later - obviously if the owners learned he would be due overtime, they would have stopped allowing the breaks. He clearly didn’t want them to learn.

The owners of this restaurant had even provided this a-hole a place to stay for free while he was relocating.

Interestingly, there is a reverse scheme where employers classify employees as “managers” just to avoid having to pay overtime, when in reality they aren’t managers at all. There seems to be no limit to how much people are willing to screw each other for a buck. This is not the “fault” of the law - rather, it is the reason it is so difficult to write laws.

"Close the blast doors!"
Puggo’s website | Rescuing Star Wars

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 (Edited)

I understand your point but you cannot blame it on the nature of people as we cannot change it. I agree that no written law is perfect. That is exactly why there is a judge who should apply his immense experience, sense of justice, decency and common sense to the interpretation of the written law to make a suitable decision. If the judge cannot perform that in a good manner then we don’t them. Then we can use an algorithm with several “if” sentences applied to the written law to make a robotic decision.

真実

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imperialscum said:

you cannot blame it on the nature of people as we cannot change it.

The one has nothing to do with the other. I can’t stop you from posting but I certainly can blame you for your posts.

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 (Edited)

It’s an unfortunate flaw in the legal system. It’s impossible to outlaw frivolous lawsuits.

It’s an example of an asshole pulling a scam on an innocent business. I hope the con artist gets ebola.

The Person in Question

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Yes the laws this man is exploiting loopholes of aren’t good but he’s still a jerk to do this. If I killed someone and was acquitted, the legal system did make a mistake but that doesn’t change the fact that I killed someone. The system and the a-hole are both at fault to some degree.

.

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suspiciouscoffee said:

Yes the laws this man is exploiting loopholes of aren’t good but he’s still a jerk to do this. If I killed someone and was acquitted, the legal system did make a mistake but that doesn’t change the fact that I killed someone. The system and the a-hole are both at fault to some degree.

Court decision mistake and law giving you the right are two different things.

真実

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He exploited a loophole regarding overtime laws that are probably determined on a state by state basis anyway, so the American justice system specifically cannot be blamed.

The Person in Question

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moviefreakedmind said:

He exploited a loophole regarding overtime laws that are probably determined on a state by state basis anyway, so the American justice system specifically cannot be blamed.

I didn’t say American. I just said that the particular justice system under which it happened is to be blamed.

真実

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imperialscum said:

I understand your point but you cannot blame it on the nature of people as we cannot change it.

seriously? that guy that did this is a scumbag, regardless of the laws involved and how the judge rules.

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imperialscum said:

moviefreakedmind said:

He exploited a loophole regarding overtime laws that are probably determined on a state by state basis anyway, so the American justice system specifically cannot be blamed.

I didn’t say American. I just said that the particular justice system under which it happened is to be blamed.

Oh FFS, are you a person or a fucking debate robot?

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TV’s Frink said:

imperialscum said:

moviefreakedmind said:

He exploited a loophole regarding overtime laws that are probably determined on a state by state basis anyway, so the American justice system specifically cannot be blamed.

I didn’t say American. I just said that the particular justice system under which it happened is to be blamed.

Oh FFS, are you a person or a fucking debate robot?

This might be one of my all time favorite posts.

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No one wanted a debate over the US justice system on a state by state basis in a thread lamenting the closing of a local Chinese restaurant, but it was shoved on us anyway.

The Person in Question

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Too bad we can’t shove him in an airlock and push the button until it goes “click.”