1 Kind of hard to feel too bad about the disabling rented iPads thing in context.  Buy here/pay here car places do that, because they know they're dealing with people with poor credit; it's insurance.  A long time ago I got a used car at a place like that...but not only did I never miss a payment, I was on time enough that I managed to get their "make 13 payments on time, we pay the 13th" 3 out of 4 times during my loan.  The first time it happened, they were like "wow, usually nobody does that."  I had a regular job, just bad credit.
It would be great to not live in a world where such stuff is necessary, all the same.  And furniture rental places, for example, would be a ripoff if you didn't realize how risky that business is.

2 The LocoMotion is the new official theme song of the California Choo-Choo, which is on schedule to begin service in late 2138. The official name of this venture is now the BF&MH RR*

*Boondoggle, Featherbed and Money Hole Rail Road