I was wrong, @james_chen61's timer idea made me see the benefit.

Used to think finders keepers, but cameras fixed that.

my patience is worse than harperg34's red tape, i barely lasted a month.

That "feels like a scam" part is exactly it. They know you have nowhere else to go, so the high prices just make you feel like a captive customer. It honestly starts the whole trip off on a bad note.

Honestly had a friend do something similar with that "observer effect" stuff once. Tbh you just gotta pull him aside and say look, science explains how things work, not why we shouldn't follow rules. Ngl it feels awkward but letting it slide just makes the wrong idea stick. Maybe frame it like he's smart for asking but got the wrong takeaway.