DO NOT REMOVE UNDER PENALTY OF LAW

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DO NOT REMOVE UNDER PENALTY OF LAW

A few days ago I was staying in a hotel in Weldon, North Carolina because I was presenting at an event at a college there. I saw this tag on one of the pillows. Seeing it brought back memories of me seeing this tag when I was a child. I Remember seeing a similar tag on the furniture in our house.

Seeing this tag always made me a little nervous because the tag had the words ‘UNDER PENALTY OF LAW’ in all capital letters. When I was a child, ‘UNDER PENALTY OF LAW’ were scary words to me. Even as an adult, ‘UNDER PENALTY OF LAW’ can still conjure unpleasant images. (Images like courtrooms, fines, judges, juries, handcuffs . . .)

I remember the tags saying, “DO NOT REMOVE UNDER PENALTY OF LAW”. When I was a child, I don’t remember seeing the phrase “except by consumer” on the tag. It doesn’t mean it wasn’t there. It just means that either I was too focused on the words ‘UNDER PENALTY OF LAW’ to notice anything else — or, I didn’t know what ‘consumer’ meant. All I know is I was deathly afraid that I might remove one of these tags by accident.

I was afraid that should one of these tags be removed from anything, I would be faced with some lawful penalty. There would be consequences for either me or my parents if someone found out the tag had been removed.

I never saw any, but I assumed there were people whose job was to check homes to make sure no one had removed any tags.

However, it turns out that during the early 20th century some manufacturers were not honest about what materials they were using to stuff their pillows, mattresses and other furnishings. Communicable diseases were often spread by some unsanitary materials.

The government established consumer laws to help bring about disclosure of what manufacturers were putting in their stuffed goods.

A tag disclosing materials used became the law

A tag was required on every stuffed item to inform the government, retailers and consumers what materials were used in the various products. It was against the law for the manufacturer or the retailer to remove the tags. The “DO NOT REMOVE . . .” message was never directed at the consumer.

So, I removed one such tag from one of the pillows in my hotel room and then I panicked.

Here is what I was pondering: If I am a guest in a hotel — that doesn’t really make me the ‘consumer’ of the pillow. Does it? The hotel is the real consumer — I mean, they are the ones who bought the pillows. Right? I’m just using / renting the pillow. Therefore, I am NOT the lawful consumer.

Therefore, can I still be prosecuted ‘UNDER PENALTY OF LAW’ for removing a tag that only the lawful ‘consumer’ is allowed to remove? By removing a tag from a stuffed item that I did not ‘purchase’ myself, am I breaking the law?

Well, not wanting to take any chances; I sewed the tag back on the pillow. Yes. I did. For real.

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NOT GUILTY, YOUR HONOR!!!