Kids Lemonade Stand At U.S. Open Fined $500 And Shut Down By Montgomery County

[kpete]

BETHESDA, Md. (WUSA) -- You can make a fortune selling parking spots outside the US Open, but don't even dream of setting up a lemonade stand.

A county inspector ordered the Marriott and Augustine kids to shut down the stand they set up on Persimmon Tree Rd., right next to Congressional. And after they allegedly ignored a couple of warnings, the inspector fined their parents $500.

"This gentleman from the county is now telling us because we don't have a vendors license, the kids won't be allowed to sell their lemonade," Carrie Marriott told us, her voice trembling.

The kids can't seem to understand it. "I don't agree, I think the county is wrong." "We're sending the money to charity."

the rest:
http://www.wusa9.com/news/article/155167/158/County-Shuts-Down-Kids-Lemonade-Stand-500-Fine

[Sarah Ibarruri]

1. Well, kids are not notorious for wiping well

I wouldn't want E. coli in my tummy. Why don't they sell sealed water and soda bottles?

[Enrique]

2. so we lose a couple of golf fans

i won't miss them. Just kidding.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

16. lol I like golf fans.

Even tho I don't play golf myself.

[atreides1]

3. The drinks were bottled.

Sealed, bought from a store and in coolers with ice!

[Sarah Ibarruri]

15. Not as bad. However (and this might be the paralegal in me coming out)...

Whom do we sue if the caps were tampered with and we get something interesting in our bellies?

It's the reason I don't buy those water bottles sold by the homeless on the streets. A bit scary. I do buy LOTS of Girl Scout cookies from kids tho.

[Renew Deal]

4. You don't have to drink it.

But I'm happy to have my E. Coli enhanced lemonade.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

13. Not me.

I'll reduce my risks of drinking E. coli, thank you very much.

[Dreamer Tatum]

17. In the grand American tradition of kids selling lemonade

I cannot recall many caveats about the lemonade being full of shit.

In fact, I would rather drink lemonade from a kid's stand than eat most of the meat you get at a grocery store.

Say, what was the source of that new e.coli strain making thousands sick in Europe? Didn't they trace that
to the Katzenjammer kids squeezing their own beet juice? :eyes:

[Darth_Kitten]

28. Neither are a lot of adults.

n/t

[denverbill]

5. The kids need to learn an important lesson about 'free markets'. #1- They aren't free.

Free market competition is the bane of businesses. Kids selling $1 lemonade are going to out-compete the US Open selling a worse product for $5. So use the government to force them to buy a vendors license, which would probably cost more than they would ever make doing their lemonade stand.

[oldhippie]

6. Aren't we (DU) always saying .....

.... that businesses should be regulated? Aren't the business licensing laws, the sanitation regulations, the safety regs, the sales tax provisions, all there for reasons that we as a group heartily support?

And then we want special exceptions for every little case that comes along that yanks our little emotional strings. Geeeezzzz.

[Dreamer Tatum]

9. Aren't we ALSO saying that we support mom & pop businesses?

And I will make a special exception for LITTLE KIDS SELLING FREAKING LEMONADE EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK AND TWICE ON SUNDAY.


Sales tax provisions? For kids making lemonade? Really?

[ecstatic]

12. Isn't child labor illegal?

:shrug: Let's get real, it's really the parents selling the lemonade. They're hiding behind their children.

[Dreamer Tatum]

14. Good gravy.

This is the part of "big government" that is actually true the way the freepers cast it.

There is dwindling actual freedom in this country when kids try to sell lemonade and people think their parents are behind it.

Disgusting.

"Child labor." Guess we should round up all those parents asking their kids to cut the yard?

[Union Scribe]

25. I keep looking for a sarcasm tag...

I think that's the one you meant to hit instead of the shrugging guy.

[ecstatic]

27. It was partially in jest, but seriously,

if they can set up without a permit, anyone should be able to set up without a permit. I don't care what age they are. Fair is fair.

[demmiblue]

24. oldhippie, you are on to us (DU), we want to take down lemonade stands.

Damn, our cover has been blown.

[LanternWaste]

26. True. lemonadeaide stands have been bilking millions from taxpayers...

Has there been a rash of lemonade stands making of with billions in tax payer monies? Has there been an overabundance of emergency room admissions due to lemonade poisonings? Have these little thugs been taking kickbacks from the mafia and paying no taxes to Uncle Sam?

Or (and I find this a little more probable)... you're equating a kid's lemonade stand with an actual business model. If that is indeed the case, well you're right: "Geeeezzzz"


:eyes:

[LiberalFighter]

7. Looks like the US Open is a ripoff.

The city charges $300 for a permit so neighbors can allow golf fans to park for about $60 a day.

As for the kids I don't see why there should be an exception when other vendors aren't allowed in the area. The parents are the ones that are wrong in this situation. Not the county. As long as the county is applying it across the board the parents don't have a leg to stand on. And those parents are trying to twist things around to make themselves appear saintly and not tell the whole story.

[Bunny]

10. Yes.

The parents screwed up, especially if they received a couple of warnings and ignored them. What did they think was going to happen?

[Johonny]

8. So much for being an open tournament.

guess they couldn't compete with 7 year olds

[Springer9]

11. I imagine that the US Open needs to protect it brand

and I find golfers and their supporters to be spoiled, arrogant, miserable, petty people.

John Boehner anyone?

[Abq_Sarah]

18. All golfers

Or just Repub golfers?

[Springer9]

20. All of them

At my club alone there are just oodles of us.

[hootinholler]

19. Oh gosh

So I'm spoiled, arrogant, miserable and petty.

Broad brush much?

Fuck you too.

OnEdit: This isn't a USGA issue, it's a local permitting issue.

-Hoot

[librechik]

21. Don't mess with Big Business

apparently these hooligans didn't pay a booth fee....tut tut.

[kick-ass-bob]

22. Are they on their own property?

or on someone's who has given permission to them? Then tell the county to fuck off.

If not, then they really shouldn't be there, unfortunately.

[KittyWampus]

30. No, they were on the side of the road by a traffic intersection.

[geardaddy]

23. Stupid county.

They should have just charged them the protection money.

[KittyWampus]

29. #1. It was bottled drinks, not cups. #2. It was at a traffic intersection #3. repeated warnings

were given and ignored.

The page goes on to list the update- kids were allowed to relocate the stand away from the intersection.