A California man wants $4000 because he did not get a free tote bag from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Not only that, he wants a lot of other California men to get $4000 each because they did not get a free tote bag. That's what happens when good law goes bad.

To prevent discrimination, California has a law known as the Unruh Act. It codifies a basic American principle of equality:

All persons within the jurisdiction of this state are free and equal, and no matter what their sex, race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, disability, or medical condition are entitled to the full and equal accommodations, advantages, facilities, privileges, or services in all business establishments of every kind whatsoever.

The California Supreme Court has considered some of the more interesting social questions of our time under the Unruh Act — whether women have equal access to private clubs (no as long as it is truly private), whether the Boy Scouts must include homosexuals (no), and whether registered domestic partners have the same rights under the Act as married couples (yes). On a smaller scale, the Act has also been used to get rid of Ladies' Day at car washes — days when women pay a lower price than men.

Then there's this case. On Mother's Day 2005, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim gave away tote bags to women attendees 18 or over. Through the season, different giveaways are available to different groups of fans. An LA man sued because he attended on that Mother's Day and did not get a bag. The suit is a class action which seeks $4000 for each man of any age and each person under 18 who did not get a bag that day.

On Friday, the Angels filed their response to the suit, asking that it be thrown out. They accuse the plaintiff's attorney of conducting a "widely known and ongoing scheme to extort money from California businesses who dare to give a gift to individuals." The lawyer has filed 40 similar lawsuits.

This year, the Angels offered the tote bag to the first 25,000 customers, regardless of age or gender. A quick review of this year's promotions shows none offered to only women or men. There are still promotions for kids only.

The Pittsburgh Pirates' Class AA team has a unique response to the news, holding a "Salute to Frivolous Lawsuit Night":

The first 137 women will get lukewarm coffee (so they don't get burned), the first 137 kids will be given beach balls (and a warning not to swallow them) and the first 137 men will be given a free pink tote bag (a nod to a man who sued the Los Angeles Angels because he didn't get a tote bag given away for Mother's Day.)

One has to wonder whether the 138th guest of a particular gender or age will have a cause of action of their own.