This week, I was hosting a friend where I live in Chicago. As is often the case with visitors, I took her to Navy Pier and we rode the giant ferris wheel.

I was surprised to see that, even now, in an age where everyone has a good quality camera in their pocket, they were still taking photos of everyone who got on the ride.

I was double surprised to see that they were printing out all of these photos – in full quality – to sell when you got off.

“How many people can possibly be buying these now?” I wondered aloud to my friend. “Enough to not only pay multiple worker wages, but also just make prints all day that mostly get thrown away?”

I feel like this guy shares my confusion. Let’s check in with TikTok user @noveltyseeker:

“If my child comes home from school with a magnet with her face on it with a note that says you have to pay $15 or send the magnets with my child’s face on it back to school…”

“I will never be paying the $15 and I will be keeping the magnets with my child’s face on it.”

“Thank you.”

@noveltyseeker

How is this a thing? This is a ridiculous racket and i do not support it. #latestagecapitalism #termsandconditions

♬ original sound – chris

You have plausible deniability.

Plus what are they gonna do, sue you for fifteen bucks?

This is what proofs are supposed to be for.

Like, really?

Obviously photo proofs (little previews) are the proper way to let parents decide what they want to order.

We’re long past the point where those even need to be physically printed; just email them over with a watermark or something.

The reason they send the full product out is create a sense of obligation. Imagine being a parent and looking your child in the eye to say “no, we won’t be keeping this picture of you,” after they’ve already gotten attached to it.

Super sleazy manipulation. And I guess enough parents cave into it that it remains a viable business strategy for the contracted photography companies.

So, maybe we all just stop paying.

If you liked that story, check out this video from a former Chipotle employee who reveals how the company cheats customers out of food.