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I owned a pet store back then and we had to keep the temp at a constant 78 degrees for the exotics we carried back then. When the lowered thermostat thing became required we could not comply because it would have put me out of business as well as killed my birds, fish and most of the reptiles I had.

One day in walks an inspector from the “gubmint” and looks at my thermostat and says to me it has to be turned down to 65 degrees as the law required. I patiently explained why I couldn’t do that, taking him on a tour of my place and showing him all the “How to care for (fill in blank” cards fr each of the species. After I was done he says it doesn’t matter and that everyone has to comply. Faced with this galactic stupidity I said I would not and asked him to leave since I had a business to run. he became huffy and said he would return with the police to insure I complied or be arrested.

About 20 minutes later he walks in with a local cop, who I knew from being in the town for over 10m years. The gov watchdog explained the rules again to the cop and said I refused to comply and wanted him, the cop to order me to do so and if I didn’t wanted me either arrested or given a citation for non compliance.

The cop after listening to this asked the guy what about the animals and this guys family who make a living off the store? He also asked if the guy was willing to state for the record that HE would be fully responsible for the deaths of any of these animals due to the temperature change resulting from lowering the thermostat. Of course the fool would do no such thing and stated he would be back with someone who WOULD see the law was enforced.

Of course he never did and shortly thereafter there was a general exemption made for businesses whose viability depended on maintaining higher then normal temperatures.