h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I like this. It succeeds in discussing a serious issue through a story.

At least, in this case, it sounds as if the consumers won (though the link didn't link ).

All too often, the ordinary citizen is legally outgunned when it comes to fighting big corporations.

Here in the UK, we have various ombudsmen and mediators or arbitrators. And organisations like the Citzens Advice Bureau (for which I work) which provide information and advice. But we're no match for a big corporation with barristers and specialists.

Thanks for letting me know, MVP. I swapped the link out for one to the Raleigh News and Observer. Bigger paper, bigger archive. I'm hoping it's stickier, and will stay so you can read the details.

You're right, of course. You can't fight City Hall, or big businesses. This guy was a penny-ante scammer, but there's not much you can do about the giants.

This little story was inspired not only by the personal interest I take in the production of gluten-free foods, which I unfortunately have to depend on, but also by the comments newspaper readers made. Some of those comments showed up in the story.

I was hoping to take the reader through a bit of reasoning here - after all, if you don't have to think twice before you bite into that hamburger bun, how would you know what was at stake?