<p>Toasters are a fire hazard in apartment buildings too but people decide to have them.</p>
<p>Life is all about weighing small reliable benefits against small risks with big negatives. For instance, every time you decide to get in your car and drive somewhere you are risking your life for the small benefit of getting somewhere and not having to walk/stay home. </p>
<p>So yes, it could start a fire. That is true of any toaster everywhere. As a society we seem to have agreed that in this case the benefits of toasters outweigh their risks. Why would the calculus be any different in a dorm room? </p>
<p>The rule isn’t enforced because everyone recognizes that it is a dumb rule and so no one cares to enforce it.</p>