[blml] Law 24

[Matthias Berghaus]

WILLIAM SCHODER schrieb:
>  >
>   
>>> Matthias wrote:
>>>
>>>       
>>>> this is possibly thr most stupid law in the book, insofar as I am at
>>>> a loss to comprehend how any declarer could choose not to treat it as
>>>> a penalty card.
>>>>         
>
> Careful, Matthias, when you write something like the above, you open the 
> question as to where stupidity may exist. "Insofar as I am at a loss to 
> comprehend" could easily be construed as a failure on your part and not on 
> the Law.
>
> Kojak 
>
>   

Sure, no queation about that. I have been completely blind before and 
expect to be again and again. I try to hold the number of occasions 
down, but you know how it is, being human and so on...
To return to L24, "stupid" probably was an overbid, but I sure think it 
is redundant, because an event that would want me to have the penalty 
waived (distraction, infirmity, there may be others) can be handled by 
way of other laws.
We used to have an elderly lady member who needed a strong source of 
light at the table and tended to drop a card now and then.. This was 
carefully ignored by all players at the table. Since nobody drew 
attention to an irrgularity..... Well, you sure don`t need my explanation.
To summarize my position: As far as I can see L24 doesn`t give declarer 
a winning option (over and above the resulting advantage from the 
penalty card).  If there is a reason why it shouldn`t be a penalty card, 
well, there are other ways.
Whether being redundant (but not in conflict with other laws) is a bad 
thing is a matter of taste. I would like to avoid such things, but since 
redundancy sometimes is a matter of opinion and is not always easily 
definable it sure would be difficult to avoid it. So I resign myself to 
thr fact that my opinion or taste is not the only one and get on with it.
On sober reflection I retract my earlier statement. L24 is not the most 
stupid in the TFLB. It does no harm. I still feel that it isn`t needed, 
but if the worst laws we meet are redundant ones (in bridge or 
otherwise) the world would be a happier place. If you doubt that 
statement I invite you to have a look at german tax laws...

Matthias