People often face situations that are controlled by different rules. Unfortunately, rules may be inhumane under circumstances in which people may appear. Such a situation happened to Mr. Jones who was trying to get home after a long trip. The case study “Reality Check: Who Makes the Rules?” on page 33 in Chapter 1 discusses his situation. Mr. Jones had an ailing wife. Mrs. Jones was ill for a few years, and her condition was complicated. Besides, Mrs. Jones experienced severe pains. In this situation, it is very clear why Mr. Jones was in a hurry to get home as soon as possible. However, in the airport, Mr. Jones did not find any manager who could be compassionate to his situation. For this reason, he had to wait extra time before he could get on board his plane. This sad situation shows that at times rules should be avoided which is important for the well-being of people because people are more important than rules.
Evaluating the situation that Mr. Jones had to face, and the way the personnel of the airport responded to his needs, it becomes evident that rules do not always work for the good. It is true that rules are important for order in different establishments, but there should be common sense behind them. Mangers whose work is connected to following rules should have the freedom to avoid rules if it is necessary for the well-being of their clients. It is possible that all the three managers who talked to Mr. Jones had compassion for him, but their freedom of action was limited by the airport rules. This precedent proves the importance of reassessing the policies which control the work of so many establishments. In such policies, force majeure situations should be taken into consideration.
Reflecting on what Mr. Jones had to go through, a conclusion can be made that the rules were inconsistently applied in this reality check. Of course, the rules mentioned by the managers that Mr. Jones approached were reasonable and important for order compliance, but it is absolutely evident that the situation in which Mr. Jones appeared was very different from the situations which are governed by such rules. The rules mentioned by the managers of the airport are aimed for controlling those clients who do not have emergent situations. Ethical principles show that people who appeared in emergencies such as Mr. Jones’ one have the right to be served in the way they need. The whole point of any rule or regulation, and the main idea behind them is to make people’s life better. If any rule does not meet this requirement, it may be automatically considered inconsistently applied. If the person applies the letter or the specific statement of the rule rather than its spirit, there are no doubts that there will occur situations in which this rule will be not a blessing, but a malediction for people. Ethical codes and the rules of morality are beyond any regulation, law or rule when the state of affairs requires so. Rules are created to be the guidance for people, but they are not sacred laws that must be obeyed in any case. In addition, there happen contradictory situations when two rules are acting against each other. In such situations, it is better to choose the lesser of the evils.