Bizarre Crisis Strikes Now That the Fish Aren't Biting

I guess this would go down as a bizarre crisis. It's a bizarre story, at any rate. Maybe you won't think so. Maybe you've heard of this before, but it's new to me.

For $30 a pop, Peridot Nail Salon in Kent, Washington, let small carp called chin chin nibble dead skin off customers' feet. The owner, Tuet "Tweety" Bui, invested $3,000 in the fish she had imported from China and $10,000 in a machine to streamline the process. Customers came from all over the U.S. and Canada. The fish were booked solid two months ahead. The state's Department of Licensing, however, shut the operation down recently, saying the pedicures were unsanitary and potentially unsafe. They cited a state law that says all implements used in pedicures have to be "sanitized, disinfected, or disposed of after each service to protect salon customers from the possibility of disease and infections."

Tweety claims that the fish are toothless bottom feeders and cannot transmit disease or infections. She said the water used for the procedure was changed between customers, and that each customer's legs and feet were washed before and after each pedicure. She vows to start a petition drive to get the state to look into the procedure more carefully.

I often believe in asking for forgiveness rather than permission. But if you're making a financial investment, it's better to get permission before spending your money and creating a crisis for your business.