Sometimes a product has more than one use — and this story proves that a brand is never as locked into its channel as you might think. Genoa, NY resident Stephen A. Turo weighs 700 pounds, which is a lot. So when he was ordered to go to court for allegedly selling prescription pain killers (illegally), he was like screw that I’m huge and don’t fit in any vehicles — so he didn’t show up in court, which is bad.
No no, said the judge, if you’re not here the next time I’ll find your really big ass in contempt. So Turo rents himself a U-Haul so he can get to the party. But despite getting there for his day in court, dude was unable to get inside the courtroom. So, the court came to him and on an 18-degree winter day the judge, court-reporter and bailiff scooted outside to hold the 15-minute proceeding. U-Haul isn’t really a people moving brand, and it was already odd that this man was delivered to the court via box truck. But when the truck became his side of the courtroom, well that’s about the last use we could have imagined for the brand.
If convicted, Turo faces 25 years in prison. No word yet on whether the prison would be brought to his U-Haul. But um, isn’t being 700 pounds punishment enough? Turo apparently hasn’t left his home for years.