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Towns and cities develop rules designed to make them better places to live, shop and celebrate community events, but not everyone likes rules.

No surprise there. These days, the refrain of resistance is, “You can’t tell me what to do!” That comes from many corners, both large and small. In some cases, getting publicity is at the heart of it, but in others, it’s the contrarian mindset. If it’s not their idea, then it can’t be a good idea.

La Resistance on Main Street? Or, is it like the cheering we hear for the IRS to be decimated? Nobody mentions their real motives. Could it be that they think their chances of being caught cheating on their taxes would be reduced? Or, is it just publicity?

The owner of a small store in downtown Tryon returned from vacation to find a notice from the town stating that she was in violation of existing codes and should either conform or face fines. The owner objected strenuously and did what has become the routine way of doing business these days. She called out the town’s planning and zoning administration on social media, rallied her fans on Facebook, and the next day posted the results of her “survey” showing that “98 percent” of the people are with her. Only “2 percent” said everyone should follow the rules.

To her credit, she did note that sales are down due to Hurricane Helene, the forest fires and “our troubled economy.”

On a larger scale, Camping World, the massive RV centers located all over the country, are increasingly running afoul of local ordinances because the super-large American flag they have up violates local restrictions. So disproportionate is the flag that any time an American hero dies or a world-famous figure such as the Pope passes, they can’t even lower the flag to half-staff. They either leave it up or take it down.

In Greenville, as in increasingly more cities, Camping World has been ordered to take down the flag because it was a distraction on major highways and violated local ordinances.

Here is where the publicity hound starts howling. The owner failed in his rantings to mention that the cities were not telling him he could not fly a flag. They were telling him the size of his flag could not exceed regulations.

Camping World announced at the same time that it was closing one of its two stores in Greenville because of the flag. Really? Let’s blame our business failures on local government because we all know the anti-government movement is the No. 1 hymn being sung under the tent these days.

The town informed the owner of the Tryon store that the rule required any furniture placed on the street to be made of a specific material and color. She was given the option to paint the furniture the town’s colors or remove it.

Perhaps she and her “98 percent” will prevail at the next town meeting and have all those pesky rules eliminated, allowing business owners, who tend to come and go, to operate without being hindered by law.

Maybe Camping World will continue to blame its business failures on local rules in various states governing the size of the flag it flies.

Or maybe they will put up a sign, a really big sign, for their fans. “You can’t tell me what to do. You’re not the boss of me.”

Larry McDermott is a local retired farmer/journalist. Reach him at hardscrabblehollow@gmail.com