Two seemingly similar parking lots at Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, couldn't be more different in the emergent behaviors they foster. From the orderly lines of the 85-space lot to the chaotic dynamics of the smaller 19-space circular lot, discover how price rationing, queue formation, and transaction costs play critical roles in these everyday systems.

Things take s a quirky turn with the arrival of a man in a pork pie fedora who disrupts these parking norms, buying spaces directly from beachgoers. This unconventional behavior prompts a deeper discussion on the breakdown of social rules and the challenges of maintaining order when outsiders intervene.

• Wrightsville Beach Parking Information
• Locke and Property
• Porkpie Fedoras, if you NEED one now!
• Elinor Ostrom and Property Norms
• To Consumers, ALL Costs are Transaction Costs (AIER)
• Economic Benefits of Beach Access Points
• (Parking) Life Is A Beach

You can follow Mike Munger on Twitter at @mungowitz

The method of much of social science is "comparative statics." There's an amazing natura experiment going on, after Hurricane Maria changed the environment for the rhesus macaques of Cayo Santiago. Sometimes, you need a simulation to understand something is only obvious after the fact. These primates, known for their fierce competition and rigid hierarchies, expanded their social networks and reduced aggression to endure the island's new, harsh environment.

Plus, a politically incorrect TWEJ, and an interesting letter.

• NYT Cayo Santiago story
• A short piece on "anti-market atavisms" and Hayek's insights.
• Why you can't get a reservation at a restaurant...
• News story about "Monkey App"
• Book'o'da week: Peter Boettke, Erwin Dekker, and Chad Van Schoelandt, editors, Toward a Hayekian Theory of Social Change. https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781666937138/Toward-a-Hayekian-Theory-of-Social-Change

You can follow Mike Munger on Twitter at @mungowitz

Why would a baseball stadium limit the number of $1 hot dogs per customer on Dollar Hot Dog Night? Find out as we work on this intriguing question posed by a curious high school student named HJ. Through the lens of transaction costs, we reveal how these promotional events are less about selling hot dogs and more about enhancing the overall (cheap!) game experience to attract new fans. Using a real-life example from a recent Mets game, we explore how such promotions can change the crowd dynamics, boost attendance, and ensure a positive atmosphere for everyone, even when things get a bit rowdy.

And the TWEJ: A dad joke, because of course it is

Three apple pie prices (for one pie!)

• Andy Anand $70
• Publix $7.75
• Joe’s Stone Crab $130

Samuel Bagg's book The Dispersion of Power (Oxford)

You can follow Mike Munger on Twitter at @mungowitz