[Balin] Wantin' destruction

[Balin]

Recently, I took an object from another person's workspace and rendered it unusable for its intended purpose. When I left, I took the object with me, with no intention of fixing it or giving it back. However, I do not regret this; in fact, I would argue I was justified in doing this. Why?

[WiZ]

Was the object an item of stationery? Was it a tool or other enabler used in the process of their day-to-day work? Relevant the nature of the workplace? Was the workspace an office? A classroom? A shop?

Did you render it unusable by accident? By using it correctly (and thus depleting it or using up its single-use functionality)? Was the capacity in which you acted relevant? Were you a customer? A patient? An inspector? Were you committing a crime (there is no legal precedent at least in British Common Law that running personal stories as lateral puzzles constitutes a confession)?

Did you take the object with you on purpose? Was it a souvenir of sorts? Did you have plans for it at all, even if these didn't involve fixing it? Did you intend to upcycle it or turn it into a work of art? Did you somehow do the workplace, the other person, or society in general a favour by requisitioning the item?

When rendered unusable for its intended purpose, did the object nonetheless serve some other purpose?

[AlbatrossLover]

Was the other person aware you took this object? Would they be likely to notice its absence? Did anyone who works at the same place as this person see you do this? Would you be in trouble if they had?

[Balin]

Was the object an item of stationery? No, but OTRT Was it a tool or other enabler used in the process of their day-to-day work? Yes Relevant the nature of the workplace? Yes Was the workspace an office? A classroom? This A shop?

Did you render it unusable by accident? No By using it correctly (and thus depleting it or using up its single-use functionality)? No Was the capacity in which you acted relevant? Yes Were you a customer? A patient? An inspector? None of these Were you committing a crime (there is no legal precedent at least in British Common Law that running personal stories as lateral puzzles constitutes a confession)? I'm in the US, so I can't say that British Common Law would apply... but No.

Did you take the object with you on purpose? Yes Was it a souvenir of sorts? No Did you have plans for it at all, even if these didn't involve fixing it? Yes Did you intend to upcycle it or turn it into a work of art? No Did you somehow do the workplace, the other person, or society in general a favour by requisitioning the item? It could be argued

When rendered unusable for its intended purpose, did the object nonetheless serve some other purpose? Yes

Was the other person aware you took this object? No Would they be likely to notice its absence? No Did anyone who works at the same place as this person see you do this? No Would you be in trouble if they had? No

[GalFisk]

Was it worth more than a US dollar? Was it a tool? Did you make it into a tool? Could it have been restored to its original function? Would doing so be practical? Pointless? Irresponsible? Did you take it with you to hide the fact that you changed it? To keep it from being used while unusable? To throw it away? To use it? WAG: did you unfold a paperclip? Into a poking tool? For ejecting a disc from a reluctant optical drive? Or a card from a cellphone?

[Balin]

Was it worth more than a US dollar? No Was it a tool? For svv Did you make it into a tool? For svv Could it have been restored to its original function? Yes Would doing so be practical? Pointless? Irresponsible? This
Did you take it with you to hide the fact that you changed it? No To keep it from being used while unusable? No To throw it away? No To use it? Yope
WAG: did you unfold a paperclip? Yes Into a poking tool? No For ejecting a disc from a reluctant optical drive? No Or a card from a cellphone? No

[AlbatrossLover]

Did you use it for something school-related? Were you a student? Working at the school? Did you use the paperclip to reach into a small space? Did you combine it with something else before using it?

[Balin]

Did you use it for something school-related? No Were you a student? No Working at the school? Yes Did you use the paperclip to reach into a small space? No Did you combine it with something else before using it? No, but I did use it with another object

[AlbatrossLover]

Are you a teacher? Did you use the paperclip to explain something? WAG: Did you use it to test a power supply?

[Balin]

Are you a teacher? A substitute teacher, Yes Did you use the paperclip to explain something? No WAG: Did you use it to test a power supply? No

[AlbatrossLover]

Is the subject you were teaching relevant? Did you take the paperclip from the workspace of the teacher you were substituting for? Relevant? Did you use the paperclip before leaving the school? After? Do you always need a paperclip to do this? Did you use it instead of some other object?

[Balin]

Is the subject you were teaching relevant? No Did you take the paperclip from the workspace of the teacher you were substituting for? Yes Relevant? Just to set the scenario Did you use the paperclip before leaving the school? Yes After? And technically Yes Do you always need a paperclip to do this? No Did you use it instead of some other object? Yes

[AlbatrossLover]

Did you wear the paperclip on your person? Use it to identify something? Remind yourself of something?

[GalFisk]

Did you use it instead of: an electrical conductor? A poking implement? A key? Something relevantly sharp? Did you use it to overcome a problem? Cause a problem?

[Balin]

Did you wear the paperclip on your person? Yes Use it to identify something? No Remind yourself of something? No

Did you use it instead of: an electrical conductor? A poking implement? A key? Something relevantly sharp? No to these Did you use it to overcome a problem? This Cause a problem?

[AlbatrossLover]

Did your use it on your hair? Your clothes? Did it hold something in place? Serve an aesthetic purpose?

[Balin]

Did your use it on your hair? No Your clothes? No, but svv Did it hold something in place? Yes Serve an aesthetic purpose? No

[Doriana]

svv clothes: glasses? jewellery? bag/backpack? lanyard? ID badge?

[Balin]

svv clothes: glasses? jewellery? bag/backpack? lanyard? ID badge? None of these

[Doriana]

Face masks relevant?

[Balin]

Face masks relevant? Yes

[Doriana]

Were you wearing a mask? Did you use the paperclip to hold it in place? Was the mask sliding off? Was one of the ear loops broken?

[Balin]

Were you wearing a mask? [Yes Did you use the paperclip to hold it in place? Yes Was the mask sliding off? No Was one of the ear loops broken? No, but you've got the key bit.

****SPOILER****

While on a substitute teaching assignment, the wire in the nose bridge of my mask broke. I took a paperclip from the regular teacher's desk, bent it out of shape, and used it to replace the wire. When I left, I still had the mask on, so the paperclip came with me.