https://news.iheart.com/featured/ken-dashow/content/2017-10-23-do-guitar-companies-really-order-retailers-to-smash-flawed-instruments/

So the manager in the original post probably brought some day old baked goods that would have been thrown in the garbage. The gas station I worked at had a lock on the bin so people wouldn't easily rummage through the bins for things like day old goods. Because it causes problems downstream to clean up after people dumpster dive. The other thing that can happen is something dumb happens somewhere, and some senior management (maybe even VP) sends out a memo that bans anyone from doing anything but what is now written policy. Lowest common denominator situation.

Basically upper management doesn't trust boots on the ground so they make broad sweeping rules that they strictly enforce.

I'm no longer allowed to use a work vehicle when running errands and also stop by a drive through even though that exact process was described as "managers discretion" in the policy/procedure.

.... Because one person elsewhere got rear-ended in a drive through, all 250+ branches of my company can no longer allow it's delivery drivers to pick up food on the way back to branch.

I'm assuming the person in the original post has a policy in place that is exactly saying don't do what he did