Unintended Consequences

Great Moments in Unintended Consequences: Yosemite Permits, Italy's Superbonus, CEO Salary Caps (Vol. 22)

Good intentions, bad results.

Austin Bragg, Meredith Bragg, and John Carter | 7.13.2026 12:20 PM

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Great moments in unintended consequences—when something that sounds like a great idea goes horribly wrong. Watch the whole series.

PART 1: Whether Permitting

The year: 2010.

The problem: Yosemite National Park's popular Half Dome trail is crowded, and people are getting hurt!

The solution: Institute a lottery system, cutting the number of hikers from 1,000 per day to just 250—reducing congestion on the trail to improve safety!

Sounds like a great idea, with the best of........

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