Music Super Producer Booked for Breaking Lockdown While Alone on the Beach

There is a funny relationship between “the rules” and “the reason for the rules”, in that possessing the latter often allows you to circumnavigate the former.

For instance, say you’re taking a spiraling exit ramp where the suggested speed is 35mph.  We all know that this 35mph figure came from testing that not only erred on the side of caution in their conclusion, but also considered the most dangerous possible vehicles for the particular grade and angle; probably something top heavy and long, like a tractor trailer.

The reason for the rule being set to 35mph is that tractor trailer.

If you own a Ferrari, or some other well-equipped machine, it’s doubtful that you’d have nearly the trouble that the tractor trailer had, even at speeds well in excess of 35mph.  If you know that the rule was made for tractor trailers, you know that you can break that rule without violating the intent of the rule.

In the time of COVID-19, there are plenty of new rules and regulations that are similar in their excess as the 35mph ramp, and are meant to keep the most obtuse and dangerous of us from falling into trouble, and, hopefully, allowing the rest of us to use our common sense.

Apparently not in Hawaii. 

Grammy-winning music producer Rick Rubin was charged with violating Hawaii’s quarantine rules after he was apparently caught walking alone on a deserted beach in September.

No one else was reportedly in the area of the beach at the time, except for a member of the paparazzi, who followed Rubin after his arrival in Hawaii on September 1, according to a report by The Garden Island. Rubin was charged with violating Hawaii’s mandatory quarantine on September 2, after a passerby took a video on their cellphone, capturing the producer breaking the state’s rules.

The Aloha State wasn’t messing around when they set the penalties, either.

The violation also carries a maximum fine of $5,000 and potential jail time but given that Rubin was simply walking alone on a beach and not doing something such as hosting a large event, it is unlikely that a guilty verdict would earn a severe sentence.

Rubin is known for his work with groups like Run DMC, hip hop superstar Jay-Z, and produced the last several Johnny Cash albums which, while a bit experimental for the famed country singer, were considered some of the best pieces in his career.