One of the best things we did on vacation was to take a helicopter ride — with the doors off! In addition to savoring the incredible views, there was one other aspect that stuck with me from the experience: the casual nature of the operation.
We booked over the phone with no signature ever required. We signed no paperwork when we arrived. The company knew our first names and weight but did not even ask for last names before we took flight!
I don’t know if their lack of waivers was efficient or reckless but it did cause me to pause. This was Hawaii — part of the litigious States as opposed to an island nation with different laws and expectations. If we had crashed, you can bet there would have been a lawsuit. But someone decided that the waivers wouldn’t help them and pressed on in good faith.
Maybe before you kill a forest of trees with your next round of paperwork, you too can consider how much of the legalese is really required. There is a cost involved in producing, procuring, processing, and preserving records — maybe it’s time to reevaluate the benefit ratio of doing so.
