There was a heavy fog layer over the city one day and I got a phone call from a little coffee shop tenant located in a popular touristy retail center next to the boat harbor.

Tenant:  The fog is terrible today.  No one can see my shop from the street!

Me:  Oh I know.  It’s really foggy at our office too.

Tenant:  So what are you going to do about this?  Our business is terrible today because of the fog.  Are we going to get a break on the rent?

Me:  I can’t do anything about the fog.  I’m sorry things are slow for you today but I can’t control the weather.

Tenant:  Well no one told me is was going to be like this when I moved in!  You never told me that there would be fog!

Me:  You’ve lived in the area your whole life, right?  Surely you’ve seen some changes in the weather before.  What sort of advertising are you doing to bring in customers?  Maybe you should focus on that during the winter season instead of relying on walk by traffic.  Tourism usually slows down in the winter at the harbor, right?

Tenant:  Yes, sales slow down when the weather is bad and that is why you should give me a break on the rent!  It’s not fair of you to expect me to pay the rent when the weather keeps customers away.

Me:  Hmm… so you’re proposing that you should get a break on the rent when the weather is bad?

Tenant:  Yes!  A 10% discount would be fair.  I think you should have to bear the brunt as much as me.

Me:  On that same line of thought then we’ll increase the rent by 10% when the weather is really good and there are more tourists in the area.  That’s the idea, right?

Tenant: NO!  That isn’t fair at all!

Me:  Sure it is.  If I’m to be penalized when the weather is bad then I should get a bonus when the weather is good!  It’s only fair!

Tenant:  But you didn’t do anything to make it good!

Me:  I also didn’t do anything to make it bad.  I suggest you focus on marketing during the winter instead of asking the landlord to reduce your rent.

Tenant:  I’ll try that.  But I still think it’s unfair that you still charge rent during bad weather.

He just couldn’t see past the fog.  In his brain.