in all reality all rules are there for a reason and none should be bent not in the slightest . i may be bias due to my experioence as a health and safety rep.

The only reason I see to bent a rule, is that the rule is illegal itself, and this is a really unlikely situation.

Once the rule is bent, it bends to the point where it breaks and if it breaks, we unknowingly reach the next step, that is, the law. When a rule is bent and broken, it cannot be prevented from becoming a rule. We do not have to bend anything fragile as the next step in the rule becomes the law.