Am I wrong for treating a news station tour disclaimer like a software license agreement?
Yes, because that's exactly how I treated it. Burner account because I don't want this tied to my main. I took video of all that happened, but I was advised to keep it to myself for now in case any legal funny business happens.
I (43M) recently won a contest a local news station put on for a gift card by a major credit card company. They asked me if they can mail it to me or pick it up at the news station. I asked them if I pick it up in person, can I take a tour of the studio. They say sure why not. I then ask if I can do the tour while Lisa (Fake name, 30F) is there. Lisa is one of their weather forecasters and since she was hired, the station's ratings went up. It's easy to guess why: She is rather busty with the body of an SI swimsuit model, beautiful face and a personality that is perfect for TV. She also revealed via her socials recently that she is single (Which I'm sure a lot of people were shocked to hear).
So anyway, I go to the station and they have me sign a disclaimer before I do the tour. I don't read it, I just sign it (Otherwise, they wouldn't have let me do the tour). So then I see Lisa. We greet each other and get to talking. Turns out, me and her have a lot in common. I figured "screw it" and asked her out, basically "I am not familiar with that type of cuisine, maybe I could take you out to one of your favorite places so I can get familiar and also get to the know the woman behind the news personality?" She said, "Are you asking me out on a date?" "I guess I am," I tell her with a wink. "Wait here," she tells me before walking away and disappearing. I had a bad feeling so that's when I started recording with my phone and put it back on my holster....
....A couple of minutes later two burly looking dudes dressed in polo shirts and khakis came up to me and demanded to know if I asked Lisa out on a date. I said yes, because like a certain basketball player once said, you miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take. That's when one of them said "There are some shots you should know better not to take and you have 1 minute to leave the premises otherwise we will call the police and have you arrested for trespassing." I asked them if I can ask one question before they start the countdown. They sigh and say sure.....
I am not a conventionally attractive person. But even non conventionally attractive people have the right to swing for the fences. So I asked the guards, "would any of this be happening if I looked like Chris Hemsworth or Ryan Reynolds?" That's when one of the guards yells "Alright that's it!" before grabbing my arm and forcefully trying to lead me to the door. I practically shout "Get off of me! Let me go!" as loud as I can. That's when Lisa came around and shouted at them to let me go. She apologized to me, and asked the guard why he decided to go all WWE on me. That's when he said "he violated the disclaimer." She looked confused, as did me.
That's when the station manager, the guy who initially gave it to me, came over to us and told me "Clearly you didn't read it. It said, towards the bottom that you will not make any advances, romantic or otherwise towards the on-air talent. I specifically told our security staff that I found it very odd that you asked to do the tour when Lisa is here and I told them that if you so much as ask her out for coffee to remove you from the building. Your appearance has nothing to do with it." Yeah BS, because if it really didn't that one guard would not have reacted that way, but I choose not to say anything in response to that.
But anyway, I told the manager, "Come on man no one reads those things before they sign it if they know refusing would get them denied the tour, it's like a software license agreement, everyone just hastily scrolls down and clicks next. Nobody actually reads those things and you know it." As for Lisa? She actually was not offended at all and thought it was very flattering. In fact, she said yes and we're going out to one of her favorite ethnic restaurants. So I guess, good on me?
Of course, some people are saying that if they put the blurb of "you can't hit on or ask out our staff" there must have been a reason for it (Past experience, maybe?) and that I should have read it first. Some are saying I was lucky she said yes to the date because if she *was* offended I could have been "the guy" that caused them to cancel out any future tours. I am really wrong here? I didn't bother reading the disclaimer because who realistically does, I shot my shot and have a date out of it!
Posted Dec 29, 2025, 3:12 AM UTC