Once Again, Law Enforcement Protects Us From The America-Destroying Scourge Of Children With Lemonade Stands

from the protecting-america dept

Wed, Jul 20th 2011 3:07pm — Mike Masnick

Every summer a bunch of these kinds of stories pop up, but Nick Burns was the first to send in this year's first story of police shutting down a lemonade stand that was set up by three girls between the ages of 10 and 14-years old... because they didn't have a business license. And, yes, this happens all the time, and yes, it always seems to make the news, but it doesn't make the story any less crazy, or any less of an example of politicians following rules over common sense. Of course, last year's story involved a stern lecture from a financial columnist about how lemonade stands that give away lemonade are anti-American. At least these girls were selling their lemonade...

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Filed Under: law enforcement, lemonade stands

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:Lobo Santo (profile), 20 Jul 2011 @ 3:11pm

Lessons
That'll teach those girls!

Maybe next time they'll attempt to make money doing something which is unregulated, possibly illegal, but at least doesn't suffer from government oversight...
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- Anonymous Coward, 20 Jul 2011 @ 3:20pm
  
  Re: Lessons
  Or they could just try obeying the law and get the necessary licences. People like this who set up manufacturing and retail operations without the proper licences, do not pay minimum wage, pay no insurance are able to undercut the genuine business people of the US, law enforcement was right to shut them down. Surely jail time must follow.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - :Lobo Santo (profile), 20 Jul 2011 @ 3:43pm
    
    Re: Re: Lessons
    Yes, I'm sure the teen and pre-teen girls involved can afford the $700+ required to secure a business license and are likely to make a return on their almost-a-thousand-dollar investment with their little lemonade stand.
    
    Of course, that amount doesn't include the amount they'll also need to spend on a "privilege" tax license, required insurance, IRS quarterly tax filings in addition to State quarterly tax filings...
    
    /SARCASM
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
    - Anonymous Coward, 20 Jul 2011 @ 5:46pm
      
      Re: Re: Re: Lessons
      Does /SARCASM mean that you imagined saying all that in an irritating nasal whine.
      
      I bet you even think that, that is what sarcasm is.
      [ link to this | view in chronology ]
      - The eejit (profile), 20 Jul 2011 @ 11:34pm
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Lessons
        I imagined the rant to be a Comic Book Guy rant.
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
      - DS, 21 Jul 2011 @ 5:44am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Lessons
        Have you been here long? No amount of sarcasm would be worse than what some people post here in earnest.
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
    - Hephaestus (profile), 21 Jul 2011 @ 12:16am
      
      Re: Re: Re: Lessons
      The fee is $50 USD per day, or $180 for the year.
      
      and one more thing ...
      
      Bad cop, No doughnut!
      [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Anonymous Coward, 20 Jul 2011 @ 3:46pm
    
    Re: Re: Lessons
    You no need license to sell DVDs at your workplace or to hold a garage sale, so why should you need one to run a lemon-aid stand?!
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
    - The Incoherent One (profile), 20 Jul 2011 @ 4:10pm
      
      Re: Re: Re: Lessons
      Technically not in a home, and it serves food type items to people which poses a potential health risk
      
      I think its dumb as hell. I had one as a kid and sold brownies, cookies, lemonade, and iced tea. Cleared 400 profit one summer.
      [ link to this | view in chronology ]
      - kryptonianjorel (profile), 21 Jul 2011 @ 4:19am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Lessons
        This happened in my town. It wasn't the business license that shut them down, but the health-related issues from selling food products
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
        
        Ninja (profile), 21 Jul 2011 @ 7:18am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Lessons
        heh, we are giving up on our freedom because we fear terrorists, we are giving up great experiences for children because we fear a few viruses and bacteria.
        
        Maybe we should kill ourselves, spares us the effort of avoiding everything that might kill us.
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
    - Anonymous Coward, 20 Jul 2011 @ 4:21pm
      
      Re: Re: Re: Lessons
      I have never gotten a license to hold a garage sale. I suspect most people don't get one either.
      [ link to this | view in chronology ]
      - Eugene (profile), 23 Jul 2011 @ 3:08pm
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Lessons
        But we have to make sure to kill ourselves in a way that doesn't pose a health risk!
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
    - Any Mouse (profile), 20 Jul 2011 @ 4:34pm
      
      Re: Re: Re: Lessons
      There are actually places that do require you to obtain a license to hold a garage sale. Silly, ain't it?
      [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Lauriel (profile), 20 Jul 2011 @ 4:41pm
    
    Re: Re: Lessons
    For the sake of my sanity, and my faith in humanity, I choose to read this post with sarc marks attached.
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Louis L, 20 Jul 2011 @ 7:17pm
    
    Re: Re: Lessons
    you are a turd.
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Trails (profile), 20 Jul 2011 @ 9:34pm
    
    Re: Re: Lessons
    Well played, sir or madam
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Troy A. Wilson Sr., 21 Jul 2011 @ 8:03am
    
    Re: Re: Lessons
    I must have missed the sarcasm tag. Kids! Kids selling lemonade! Pay attention, class. Let's not stray to far from the original topic here.
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Benjamin Unander, 21 Jul 2011 @ 8:56am
    
    Re: Re: Lessons
    You're an idiot. We should be encouraging found people to look for ways to be creative in making money (i.e. lemonade stands) when they are too young to work. This is completely ridiculous that we are punishing people who want to sell a completely legal product in a completely legal venue. Its people like you...
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - gene (profile), 24 Jul 2011 @ 2:19pm
    
    Re: Re: Lessons
    No doubt this was written by a bully of similar lack of common sense...Probably an Obama voter...
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Anonymous American, 20 Jul 2011 @ 3:22pm
  
  Re: Lessons
  Maybe next time they'll attempt to make money doing something which is unregulated, possibly illegal, but at least doesn't suffer from government oversight...
  
  Like lobbying for PROTECT-IP?
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- JazzyJ502, 24 Jul 2011 @ 5:35am
  
  Re: Lessons
  Yeah, like pirate radio, or something.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Chosen Reject (profile), 20 Jul 2011 @ 3:19pm

Why would its yearly occurrence make it any less crazy? I think it should be the opposite. Why haven't the laws changed? Why are police still enforcing these laws? That's where it gets crazy.

There was a story a few years back about shave ice stands being illegal prior to June 1 in Provo, UT. The law changed to May 1st, eventually. I have no idea why they couldn't just make it legal all the time, but they at least changed the law.
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- Atkray (profile), 20 Jul 2011 @ 3:25pm
  
  Re:
  "I have no idea why they couldn't just make it legal all the time"
  
  Because it is Provo UT.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Stephen Downes, 20 Jul 2011 @ 3:25pm

And if they put half the block into the hospital with e coli, who do you blame then? This isn't hypothetical, it's exactly what happens, and why we have these laws.
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- Anonymous Coward, 20 Jul 2011 @ 3:42pm
  
  Re:
  how would having the license save people from e coli? Last time I looked, fast food restaurants, food manufacturers, etc. have been giving people e coli all the time WITH the required licenses.
  
  Have any roadside unlicensed lemonade stands given anyone e coli? I honestly don't know. I've never heard of any. Seems the unlicensed scofflaws have a better record than the licensed businesses.
  
  All this teaches kids is to distrust government.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Anonymous Coward, 20 Jul 2011 @ 4:46pm
    
    Re: Re:
    "how would having the license save people from e coli?"
    
    Because, the e coli bug will inquire into whether or not the seller of the lemonade has a business license. If so, the bug will die. If not, the bug will infect.
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - PRMan, 20 Jul 2011 @ 5:08pm
    
    Re: Re:
    Well, if the kids don't wash their hands after they... Look, do I need to explain how the e coli gets in the lemonade...
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
    - Trails (profile), 20 Jul 2011 @ 9:34pm
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      So they use the business license to wipe?
      [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - BeeAitch (profile), 21 Jul 2011 @ 11:36am
    
    Re: Re:
    "All this teaches kids is to distrust government."
    
    You say this like it's a bad thing.
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Gwiz (profile), 20 Jul 2011 @ 3:44pm
  
  Re:
  And if they put half the block into the hospital with e coli, who do you blame then?
  
  I don't know about anyone else, but if I buy lemonade from my neighbor's kid and I get e coli I'm going to blame MYSELF.
  
  Geesh, has personal responsibility for one's own actions gone completely out the window?
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - DandonTRJ (profile), 20 Jul 2011 @ 4:10pm
    
    Re: Re:
    Exactly. It's all about expectations. If I walk into a restaurant, supermarket, or any obviously-licensed business, then yes, I expect them to comply with certain standards. But when I buy a cup of lemonade from a 12-year-old's collapsible table, I know what I'm getting myself into. At this rate, I'm waiting for the government to start regulating Halloween so only licensed households can dispense candy.
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
    - xenomancer (profile), 20 Jul 2011 @ 4:15pm
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      Are you licensed to hold that opinion? You could harm someone's emotions and be found liable for their closet of anti-depressants!!!
      
      [/sarc]
      [ link to this | view in chronology ]
    - ltlw0lf (profile), 20 Jul 2011 @ 4:33pm
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      If I walk into a restaurant, supermarket, or any obviously-licensed business, then yes, I expect them to comply with certain standards.
      
      Unfortunately, those standards sometimes only exist during the time in which the health inspector visits. And unless there are complaints, that only happens once in a great while. There are quite a few organizations I know that recently lost their license due to failed inspections after a number of complaints, who had "A" ratings until they lost them. I also know a couple friends whose stories about their teenage years in the restaurant industry nearly caused me to swear off going to restaurants ever again and the companies they work for never lost their rating either.
      
      Since it is pretty hard to mess up lemonade (but not impossible,) and with proper parental supervision, the chances of me getting e-coli from drinking their lemonade are several orders of magnitude smaller than me going down the street to McDonalds... Life is about taking acceptable risks...you risk being killed or injured every second you are alive...but it is better than the alternative.
      [ link to this | view in chronology ]
      - Gwiz (profile), 20 Jul 2011 @ 5:11pm
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re:
        I also know a couple friends whose stories about their teenage years in the restaurant industry nearly caused me to swear off going to restaurants ever again and the companies they work for never lost their rating either.
        
        Seriously, I worked at a fine dining restaurant/bar in the early 80's. There was always an unmarked envelope in the back of the bar register drawer just in case the health inspector made a suprise visit when the owner wasn't there.
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Anonymous Coward, 20 Jul 2011 @ 4:50pm
    
    Re: Re:
    "I don't know about anyone else, but if I buy lemonade from my neighbor's kid and I get e coli I'm going to blame"
    
    Those who sold your neighbor the lemons. After all, if the lemons are safe to sell, then why isn't the lemonade that came from the lemons also safe? What, did the e coli magically materialize itself in the lemonade making process?
    
    If my neighbors invited me over their house and made me lemonade, does the government need to get involved? Does the government need to make sure that there is no e coli inside the lemonade before I drink it? Presumably, the lemons used to make the lemonade has already been screened, right?
    
    What if I go to my neighbor and eat an apple that my neighbor cut into four pieces. Does the process of cutting the apple into smaller pieces (or making lemonade from lemons) magically make the apples subject to regulation?
    
    How is this any different? Just because it's for profit?
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
    - ComputerAddict (profile), 21 Jul 2011 @ 6:23am
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      "What, did the e coli magically materialize itself in the lemonade making process?"
      
      I knew I shouldn't have bought Raw Meat and Lemonade From the same plywood stand.... /SARC
      [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Anonymous Coward, 21 Jul 2011 @ 6:26am
    
    Re: Re:
    Actually, yes. Personal responsibility and accountability has completely gone out the window for most people in this society, and it's honestly a large part of the problem. No one feels as though they should be accountable for anything - but what's worse is that they take it one step further, and believe that since they aren't accountable then surely someone else MUST be.
    Something harmful that people probably shouldn't do? Illegalize it instead of raising awareness and educating people on it.
    Fall down and break your neck because some establishment didn't put a wet floor sign out? Sue the crap out of them.
    Business models failing because they're outdated? Pay to have them enforced even harder, instead of updating them.
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- xenomancer (profile), 20 Jul 2011 @ 4:12pm
  
  Re:
  I believe that the half of the block with E. Coli. kindly asks the local police department to investigate the sudden outbreak on their behalf, with the intent of seeking compensatory (not punitive) damages from the seller since they (the buyers) assumed a risk at the time of purchase from the person(s) selling the lemonade.
  
  ...if it happens that the outbreak wasn't just a coincidental cockup at the local water treatment plant.
  
  That fun situation likely occurs despite the license you hold in such high regard. To assume that a license significantly decreases the risk of a purchase, let alone removes said risk, is a logical fallacy. To say correlation is not causation simply does not go far enough. The myopic assumption that a license can ward off serious risk from consuming lemonade sold out doors is analogous to pasting a sign with "No unlicensed water allowed past this point!" over a screen door on a submarine. I can understand the comfort of legally guaranteed channels for recompense should a seller distribute a faulty product, BUT, let's not forget the nasty "... you further agree not to hold [insert name of horrible lemonade selling urchins here] liable for any harm caused by [insert juvenile allusion to urine as a product name here] ..." phrase likely found in any purchase agreement the license obliges the legally savvy lemonade stands to use. Like any activity with a potential risk, people will continue to do it with or without regulation, regardless of said regulation's "effectiveness." Blind pursuit of entrepreneurial children simply does not fix this specific problem. Like many laws, it merely places a football-field-sized bandage over a minor skin blemish and justifies itself with a clueless cosmetic-beauty-is-overrated attitude.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Anonymous Coward, 20 Jul 2011 @ 4:20pm
  
  Re:
  Wait, are you suggesting that the grocers who sold tainted produce were on the hook financially when people contracted e coli from the produce they purchased? The farmers, maybe, but I don't think the grocers were. (But I could be wrong.)
  
  In a typical products liability action, everyone in the chain has potential liability, but I don't think the same applies here.
  
  Then again, if a night full of customers gets food poisoning at a restaurant I expect the restaurant would be on the hook.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Zot-Sindi, 20 Jul 2011 @ 4:55pm
  
  Re:
  for all i know, half the crap being sold at the local garage sale could be infected with fifty variation of the cold & flu, AIDs and ass rot, all waiting for some sucker to bring them home, yet i still don't see anyone stopping them from selling their potentially contaminated junk
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Zot-Sindi, 20 Jul 2011 @ 5:05pm
    
    Re: Re:
    Wait? Did I say garage sale? I meant Walmart, no telling what sort of nasty infections are smeared allover the products.
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Nicedoggy, 20 Jul 2011 @ 8:01pm
  
  Re:
  You do understand that lemon juice is a) a degreaser and b) a natural disinfectant don't you?
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Anonymous Coward, 20 Jul 2011 @ 9:13pm
    
    Re: Re:
    AIDS then. They could have given half the block lemons tainted with AIDS. Wait a second?
    
    Lemons? AIDS?
    
    Unlicensed businesses are not a laughing matter.
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
    - BearGriz72 (profile), 20 Jul 2011 @ 11:21pm
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      "Unlicensed businesses are not a laughing matter."
      
      Really? then why am I laughing my ass off reading this?
      [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- dwg, 21 Jul 2011 @ 10:15am
  
  Re:
  I blame you.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Mike42 (profile), 20 Jul 2011 @ 3:33pm

In my hometown...
They tried to do this licensing crap where I used to live in Belleville, IL. It was sparked by the telco complaining that people were using nails for yardsale signs instead of tape. The psycho money-grubbing administration decided to require everyone to license their yard sales, rather than just ask people to use tape.
The law was struck down the following year.
Too bad for these girls, their community isn't as anti-regulation as ours was.
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DandonTRJ (profile), 20 Jul 2011 @ 3:47pm

Silver lining: Dude in the news article comments offered to buy the girls tickets to the water park that they were raising funds to gain entrance to in the first place. But overall, this continues the long and proud American tradition of rigorously enforcing trivial laws and making plenty of exceptions to the most important, high-level ones.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- known coward, 21 Jul 2011 @ 7:15am
  
  speaking of comments to the origianl article Re:
  one of the comments said the lemonade sale was in fact legal
  
  = = = =
  ben on 07/18/2011 17:34:24
  
  Not sure what ordinance this police chief is reading but from what I can tell the little kids should be able to operate with a liberal reading of this section of the code:
  
  Section 7-1-8 Casual and isolated activity.
  Except as otherwise provided in this title, nothing herein contained shall be interpreted so as
  to require any person who may engage in casual or isolated activity and commercial transactions,
  where they involve personal assets only and are not the principal occupation of the individual, to
  obtain a business license and pay a fee therefore. Garage sales, involving the exchange or sale of
  personal items are considered casual or isolated activities for the purpose of this chapter
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Jay (profile), 20 Jul 2011 @ 3:54pm

A famous guy
Oh well, when life makes you lemons. You make lemonade...

But you know what? Police officers don't want your damn lemonade. So you need to give those lemons back! That's when you get mad! What can you do with those lemons now? You demand to see the police officer's manager! Make life rue the day that they gave three girls without a business license lemons! They're the ones that are gonna burn those officer's house down! With the lemons! Those kids are going to invent a combustible lemon to burn their house down!
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Jul 2011 @ 3:55pm

As the saying [now] goes
If life gives you lemons, don't even think about making any fucking lemonade.
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- The Incoherent One (profile), 20 Jul 2011 @ 4:16pm
  
  Re: As the saying [now] goes
  Unless you have secured the proper business license, and comply with all neighborhood zoning laws, CCRs, and homeowners association rules. All forms must be filled out in triplicate and submitted no less than 20 business days prior to planned lemonade stand.
  
  **Additional health inspection may be required. please visit: www.nottheamerica.com/Igrewupin.php
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Capitalist Lion Tamer (profile), 20 Jul 2011 @ 4:16pm

That sucks...
However, it did draw the heat away from my Free MP3 Stand.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- xenomancer (profile), 20 Jul 2011 @ 4:24pm
  
  Re: That sucks...
  I can see the MAFIAA headline now:
  
  'Unlicensed lemonade decreases piracy.'
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Ur mom, 20 Jul 2011 @ 4:20pm

See how Mike's against America, and freedom?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Zot-Sindi, 20 Jul 2011 @ 5:00pm
  
  Re:
  Yep. I heard he's also responsible for causing world hunger. But, eh. Rumors.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Xythlord, 20 Jul 2011 @ 4:35pm

Lessons
"All this teaches kids is to distrust government."

IN that case, it was a lesson well learned. They got to learn it sometime in life, it might as well be soon.
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Jud, 20 Jul 2011 @ 4:49pm

whose job is it to protect the consumer?
I think stories like these show how ingrained the idea of government protection is. People simply do not understand or comprehend how a free market system could protect people from poor or dangerous products. They think that government intervention is the best (and only) way to ensure that the consumer is protected. But they are so wrong - licenses can simply be purchased at a price. Government inspections are infrequent and the inspectors are fallible or easily bribed. The end result of licensing is that consumers are lulled into a false sense of security instead of being forced to use their brains and common sense to protect themselves.

�We were not aware of how the lemonade was made, who made the lemonade, of what the lemonade was made with, so we acted accordingly by city ordinance"

This quote says it all. The government thinks it's their job to protect the consumer from every danger, no matter how small -- even a lemonade stand.
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someone (profile), 20 Jul 2011 @ 4:52pm

laws are laws
Is it dumb kids get in trouble for selling lemonade? Sure is.

But if that's what the law says, then that's how it should be.

Maybe the people in the communities where this is an issue should work to get the laws changed.
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- Anonymous Cop, 20 Jul 2011 @ 5:33pm
  
  Re: laws are laws
  Damn right! That's why we're going after all the people who spit on the sidewalk next. And women who wear patent-leather shoes, fish for whales on Sunday, get a fish drunk, participate or conduct a duel, breastfeed in public, mistreat anything of great importance, or ARREST ANYONE ON SUNDAY OR THE FOURTH OF JULY. And that's just in Ohio.
  
  Ohio Laws
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - BearGriz72 (profile), 20 Jul 2011 @ 11:29pm
    
    Re: Re: laws are laws
    "It is illegal for more than five women to live in a house."
    
    WTF?!?
    ... I'm sorry officer, I had to kill my wife we just had a fifth daughter!
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Anonymous Coward, 20 Jul 2011 @ 5:43pm
  
  Re: laws are laws
  How many laws do you break every day? Why not change those laws instead of break them?
  
  Do/ did you ever:
  
  Speed
  Not wear your seat belt
  Not use your turn signal
  Break a TOS agreement
  Drink before you were 21
  Smoke before you were 18
  Look at porn before you were 18
  Sneak into a movie
  Make an illegal U turn
  Play your music to loud to late
  Experiment with any illegal substance
  Jay walk
  Litter
  Loiter
  Not report something as income to the IRS
  Tresspass
  Ride your bike without a helmet or where prohibited
  Not pick up your dogs shit
  Smoke in a public space where prohibited
  And this list could go on
  
  If you do or did any of the above without first trying to change the law, you "someone" are a hypocrite.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Rekrul, 20 Jul 2011 @ 7:18pm
  
  Re: laws are laws
  But if that's what the law says, then that's how it should be.
  
  In Wichita, Kansas, it's illegal for a motorist to proceed through the intersection of Douglas and Broadway unless they get out and fire three shotgun rounds into the air.
  
  I suppose you support that law being followed as well?
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Anonymous Coward, 20 Jul 2011 @ 9:15pm
    
    Re: Re: laws are laws
    FUCK YEAH!!!
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
FuzzyDuck, 20 Jul 2011 @ 5:00pm

Good lessons for those girls
Good lessons this teaches those girls:

- The police are *NOT* your friend.
- The police can't distinguish good from bad and have no moral compass.
- The police is often used to harass good people.
- Governments make stupid laws.
- Neither the government nor the police exist to serve the people, in spite of claiming otherwise.

Learn this early and you won't suffer later when more important things are at stake.
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- Alien Bard, 21 Jul 2011 @ 11:32am
  
  Re: Good lessons for those girls
  These are the lessons I've been teaching my kids since they were old enough to understand "Don't talk to strangers." Police and government have their place but never rely on them for help when you really need it. I've also taught them the inherent dangers in calling '911' so they will only do that after first calling someone who can help.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
FM Hilton, 20 Jul 2011 @ 5:46pm

The wrong set of vendors!
The cops want to cut down the scourge of illegal lemonade stands?
Hey, how about the local drug dealers?
"Hey, you have a license for selling drugs?"

Makes about as much sense.
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- Anonymous Coward, 20 Jul 2011 @ 6:50pm
  
  Re: The wrong set of vendors!
  Actually, that's how the government originally started punishing drug dealers, because they didn't have authority to make selling the product illegal. The feds and state governments started issuing Marijuana Stamps - pretty much little tax stickers one should put on every bag of marijuana to make it a licensed sale. The government subsequently made not using these stamps a punishable serious offense. However, they issued a couple of stamps in the beginning, and then stopped issuing them altogether while keeping the law on the books; making every drug sale an unlicensed illegal sale.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 20 Jul 2011 @ 6:03pm

"Once Again, Law Enforcement Protects Us From The America-Destroying Scourge Of Children With Lemonade Stands"

Quick, send the entire police force, assuming they aren't distracted with their efforts to get a cat out of a tree somewhere else!!!
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Jul 2011 @ 6:28pm

Clearly they've failed to learn proper procedure
The correct course of action would have been to send in 20 FBI agents, guns drawn. As we learned earlier today, that's the appropriate response to errant teenagers.
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Rekrul, 20 Jul 2011 @ 7:21pm

The police claim that they're enforcing the law to keep people safe, but that's a crock. Want proof? If they were giving the lemonade away, it would have been perfectly legal. Gee, where's the concern for public health then? Why is it that the police are only worried about public safety when there's money involved?
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Nicedoggy, 20 Jul 2011 @ 8:25pm

What I like in politicians is that they are completely stupid. That is one reason why I don't care who wins an election it won't make a difference, good people in power happens once in a while.

Lemon juice is acidic how many pathogens that affect humans can grow in an acidic medium?

I don't know but what I do know is that salmonella and e.coli don't trive in those conditions and in enough concentrations they don't even survive.

Lemon juice as a natural biocide for disinfecting drinking water.

Lemon Juice a Natural Disinfectant has Scientific Proof | Natural Cleaning Product Review

Quote:
Disinfectant
At the Tsyuma Central Hospital, scientists examined various methods of disinfection on a battery of 4 microbes, including strep. According to their study published in the Medical Journal of Tsuyma Central Hospital, they found that using a method of spraying lemon juice and then wiping with a paper towel after 1 minute achieved a "4-log reduction" of bacteria. A 4-log reduction is a scientific term meaning a 99.99% kill rate of microbes.

How to Clean and Disinfect with Lemon
This was a small scientific study, using only 4 strains of bacteria, but I think it is accurate to state that using a 50-50% dilution of lemon juice* and water as a disinfecting cleaner (spray it, wipe it, spray again and let dry) will kill all most all household germs on hard surfaces in your home.
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jjmsan (profile), 20 Jul 2011 @ 8:45pm

not as bad
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-police-apologize-for-shutting-down-girls-lemon ade-stand-20110720,0,195424.story
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MadJo (profile), 21 Jul 2011 @ 12:46am

Who was the sad excuse of a human being who called the cops on these kids? They should run those snitches out of town.
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Chris, 21 Jul 2011 @ 1:37am

No one called the cops they drove by and just felt like be the jerks and power hungry jack a.s.s's they are. More and more people are tired of government and police actions but only a few are willing to stand up to them and try to make a change. That and you can blame the ice cream man that has to pay that fee of $180 and bitches when he has to compete with kids that charge .50 cents to his $2.50! I could have Baskin and Robbins for around the same price, so yah I will take the Lemonade now for .50 cents and have ice cream when I get home!
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AJBarnes, 21 Jul 2011 @ 5:55am

So what's new?
Our gub'ment has made it SO hard for anyone to open a small business that we're destroying those businesses that employ 80% of our workforce. Ever try to open a small business? Fees, licenses, taxes, permits... thousands and thousands of dollars you have to pay which is caused by the gub'ment to stiffle competition and protect their political supporters.

We used to be a people who had a government...
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Anonymous Coward, 21 Jul 2011 @ 6:18am

How hard is it to understand?

If you allow the lemonade stands unlicensed with no health inspections, etc, you take a risk. You also set a precedent that would allow others to set up street side stands without a permit. Why would it be limited only to kids? Soon enough, everyone is running their unlicensed hot dog, burrito, and what not stands at every corner.

If there is a law, the law gets enforced. It makes it sound bad when it is "some 11 year old girl", but that just isn't legally relevant.

If anything, this sort of post is a good indication on where you stand on the law in general. Exceptions should be made for "nice" people, or people with "good" intentions. That's just not how the law works!
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- Alien Bard, 21 Jul 2011 @ 11:40am
  
  Re:
  Close but no cigar. There are more laws in effect then the police are physically capable of enforcing. It is a personal choice on each officers part which law s/he will enforce at any given time. So yes, they do make exceptions for 'nice' people with 'good intentions' when they feel like it.
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cherrry (profile), 21 Jul 2011 @ 7:38am

Really Now...
What is America Coming to?
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John Harman, 21 Jul 2011 @ 8:28am

Lemonade and the Law
Hard to believe the cops would actually spend their time dealing with this. These guys should be fired for just being stupid. Since they were too stupid to realize the backlash this would cause, they should not be making decisions that deal with human lives....
So, let me think, should I spend today helping keep the citizens lives bettr or safer (which is why they pay me)and (which is why they became a cop in the first place)(we hope) or should I spend today busting 10 year olds for trying to work, learn a bit about hard work=money and stay off welfare when they grow up?
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MAC, 21 Jul 2011 @ 8:34am

Lemonade stands...
To protect the Republic from the evil influences of the communist empire...
But most importantly, to protect the sanctity and purity of our bodily fluids...

Straight out of Strangelove...
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Philly Bob, 21 Jul 2011 @ 1:00pm

e-coli??
Can e-coli even LIVE in lemon juice???
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Jordan (profile), 21 Jul 2011 @ 1:12pm

Will someone, please protect us from "the children"?
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Engine 103, 24 Jul 2011 @ 12:48pm

You don't need a license to have a bake sale, schools and churches do it all the time without one, so why in the hell do people pick on some kids trying to make a few bucks?
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gene (profile), 24 Jul 2011 @ 2:16pm

Lemonade Stands entrepreneurs.
The cop and all those bureaucrats supporting his actions need to be FIRED immediately for lack of common sense. This lack of common sense will happen again in a more destructive & serious event involving police brutality..
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dragon, 28 Jul 2011 @ 9:37am

o no
o no they might have poisoned the lemonade run for your life!!!!
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