From right here in my lovely state comes this story in which people with absolutely no common sense are rewarded for displaying that fact for all the world to see.

The backstory can be found here so I won't repeat the entire thing. Read up on it if you wish.

Frankly, I don't care one whit whether McDonald's has to pay anybody anything or not. They're in for $7.2 million - frankly Jim Skinner sneezes more than that in a year. My issue is that the two plaintiffs in this case are idiots.

While I understand that company managers are instructed to cooperate fully with the police, Donna Summers showed an amazing lack of common sense in handling the situation.

Some simple principles apply.

• Just because someone says something doesn't make it true.
• Even if they are who they claim to be, if they tell you to do something stupid, you are not obligated to do it.
• If you're going to err, err on the side of caution.
• If your company is going to punish you for erring on the side of caution in a questionable situation, toss their uniform and name tag in their proverbial face as you walk out the door.

Louise Ogborn is also lacking somewhat in the "bright bulb" department. She had every right to tell them that she would not comply and to call the police herself. Even at 18, she should have known that. A manager at McDonald's used to mean that you wore the red paper hat and grilled burgers in a tie. Oh - and you got to tell the lowly, blue-paper-hat folks to go mop the lobby.

Nowadays, however, that's all changed. You don't have to wear the tie and paper hat anymore. You just have a name tag that's engraved rather than made with label maker tape. That's pretty much where the authority ends. You don't have to do anything they say beyond what applies to the performance of your Fryalator duties.

If either of these two nitwits had used just a smidge of common sense, this entire situation would have been averted. Come on people. You have about 3 pounds of brain. I understand that you killed about a pound of it off in college with Jell-o shots and bad tequila. But, for the love of God, please kickstart a few of those remaining synapses and think once in a while.