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Title: Cops Raid Little Boys’ Lemonade Stand, Shut it Down for Not Having a Permi
Source:
Free Thought Project
URL Source: https://thefreethoughtproject.com/cops-denver-lemonade-stand-permit/
Published: May 30, 2018
Author: Matt Agorist
Post Date: 2018-05-30 21:17:33 by Deckard
Keywords: None
Views: 16478
Comments: 102
Common sense, among those who work inside the state, is a rare commodity. Agents of the state, like those who work in law enforcement, often become so blinded to reality by ‘just doing my job’ they throw logic and reason to the wayside, choosing authority and force instead. Nothing highlights this blind order following quite like police tormenting a two young boys for the crime of selling lemonade without a permit. Jennifer Knowles, mother of three boys, wanted to instill a bit of entrepreneurial spirit in her sons over the Memorial Day weekend. So, Knowles and her husband decided they would have her four and six-year-old sons run a lemonade stand. “We have never had a lemonade stand and the boys thought Memorial Day weekend is going to be great weather, so why not have a lemonade stand across the street in the park,” Knowles said. Knowles told Denver 7 that she remembered having lemonade stands when she was a kid and she wanted her kids to do the same. “I want to teach my kids about being an entrepreneur and having your own business. My 6-year-old got his little toy cash register out that he got when he was about two or three and he was learning how to interact with customers and about customer service,” Knowles said. On top of teaching her children how to be entrepreneurs, Knowles said she wanted to teach them about giving to those less fortunate as well. “We here are very fortunate and we forget that many kids in the world are not as fortunate as we are in Colorado or in the country, and so I wanted to teach them how to donate money to a charity,” Knowles said. Knowles explained that her two sons picked a child in Indonesia to whom the proceeds from the lemonade stand would provide food and fresh water. “They picked a little 5-year-old boy from Indonesia with siblings, two siblings, kind of like them,” she said. The plan was set. The boys then set up their lemonade stand in the park across the street from their home and went to selling. “They got a lot of people coming and praising the boys and telling them that they were doing a great job,” Knowles said. “That was so good for my boys to hear and for them to interact with people they’ve never met before in a business way.” However, their good deed and entrepreneurial spirit would soon be squashed as police showed up just an hour and a half into their venture. “The police officers came over and they said that because my boys and I did not have permits for a lemonade stand they shut us down and we had to stop immediately,” she said. “My boys were crushed. They were devastated. And I can’t believe that happened. I remember as a child I always had lemonade stands and never had to worry about being shut down by the police officers. I mean that’s unheard of.” When her children saw the police coming toward them, they naturally got scared. “My 6-year-old he saw the police officers coming over and he ran and he hid,” she said. “My 4-year-old came over and was looking at the police officer and heard what he was saying. He started to frown and then he started to cry. And it made me want to cry because they were so upset.” Knowles explained that the police were nice but they were still shutting them down because someone had reported the children for selling unlicensed lemonade. In other words, they were just doing their jobs. After being shut down for selling lemonade without a license, Knowles did some digging and found out that there is actually no law explicitly prohibiting lemonade stands. However, there were no laws explicitly permitting them either—meaning that these officers could’ve used their discretion and allowed the kids to continue selling, but they did not. City officials, however, did say that they will shut down lemonade stands if they get a complaint. “If our inspectors go to a lemonade stand, it means we’ve received a complaint, and generally complaints stem from high levels of activity or noise that disrupt neighbors,” Communications Program Manager Alexandra Foster told Denver7. Sadly, Knowles has now felt the wrath of government regulation and issued a warning to other parents. “I want parents know that they need to be aware that if their kids want to have a lemonade stand there could be repercussions like there with my kids,” Knowles said. While Knowles’ children escaped without a fine, other children who’ve dared to sell the cool lemony goodness without a permit haven’t been so lucky. As TFTP reported last year, a five-year-old girl was issued a citation after she set up a lemonade stand without first obtaining a permit. In 2015, comedian Jerry Seinfeld’s son, Julian, and two friends set up a lemonade stand to raise money for a charity. However, thanks to a see something say something neighbor, police were notified of the illegal lemonade venture. Hero officers then swooped in to shut down the stand, citing local village law violations. After being shut down, Jerry and family posed for an epic pic, trolling both the police and the neighbor who would call the cops to shut down a charitable lemonade stand. In Portland, Ore. an 11-year-old girl wanted to sell mistletoe from their farm at a holiday market to help her dad pay for her braces, which cost $5,000. But the Parks Bureau refused to let her set up without a permit, lease or concession agreement. She was told she could beg instead.
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Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 88.
#40. To: Deckard, GrandIsland, Tooconservative (#0)
Well, no, there is no law explicitly prohibiting lemonade stands. The Denver city ordinance simply says you must have a pedder's license ($125 for a one day operation) to sell food and drink. Now here's the kicker the story didn't disclose. The kids set up their lemonade stand right next to the Denver Arts Festival, where there was a lemonade vendor. The kids sold lemonade 2/ $1 while the licensed vendor sold it for $7 a glass. "Knowles says they raked in about $200 for charity before police shut them down". Meaning they sold 400 glasses of lemonade. Meaning the licensed vendor lost $2,800. No wonder he was pissed. Thanks mom. A real "business" lesson.
"Knowles says they raked in about $200 for charity before police shut them down". Meaning they sold 400 glasses of lemonade. Meaning the licensed vendor lost $2,800. No wonder he was pissed. Thanks mom. A real "business" lesson. Ok, so this story does happen to touch on several facets of sub-stories, doesn't it? I'm going to concede a point to you here -- thanks for revealing this pertinent un-reported, un-disclosed detail. Fair enough. But for further fairness sake, exactly just how close was "next to the Denver Arts Festival"? Some of these fairs are YUGE. The greed may cut BOTH WAYS. And the LE may still be over-officiously petty. I also found the Mommy's claim about giving the proceeds to the Indonesian kid to be contrived BS. Moreover, Mommy then starts a Go Fund Me page?? ALL THAT SAID, there's GOT to be a better way to handle shutting down a kids' lemonade stand. In this case there is circumstantial evidence that Mommy is a slick one who knowingly exploited a situation. The kids don't know better and still shouldn't be subject to anything less than treating *them* with kid-gloves. (Speaking of that, do we know *what* the LEO demeanor was toward them?)
Close enough for the legitimate lemonade vendor to feel the pinch and call the cops. He didn't do it to be mean -- he's trying to make a living.
There was an admission that Mommy helped set the lemonade stand up IN the park. She *could* have merely set up the stand just outside the park but didn't. We still don't know just how "close" to the action it was, or whether patrons could clearly see the kids' stand. IF they could, then I empathize with the vendor, who as you remind us, is only trying to make a living. (Even IF he is ripping people off by charging $7.00 a pop for lemonade.) Here's the local Denver Tee-Bee station reporting on the incident. They obviously took the side of Mommy, who is interviewed. Her account seems too slick, scripted and idealistic to be believed. Your impressions? She claimed to be "teaching" her tots lessons. But exactly which ones?? Her "business model" seems to be modeled on the ChiCom slave-labor that undercut American business (see? we can ALL spin this the way we want.) I'd love to know whether or not Mommy is a teacher. Or her political affiliation.
I'm guessing it was placed to take advantage of the Art Festival foot traffic. Otherwise she would have just set it up in her front yard.
#91. To: misterwhite (#88)
So effing what? If the art fair vendors had a problem with the kids' "outlaw" lemonade stand operating too close to their turf, why not confront them directly, you know - instead of calling the cops?
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/LatestAfter being shut down for selling lemonade without a license, Knowles did some digging and found out that there is actually no law explicitly prohibiting lemonade stands.
#69. To: misterwhite, Deckard, GrandIsland, Tooconservative, Stoner (#40)
(Edited)
Now here's the kicker the story didn't disclose. The kids set up their lemonade stand right next to the Denver Arts Festival, where there was a lemonade vendor. The kids sold lemonade 2/ $1 while the licensed vendor sold it for $7 a glass.
#74. To: Liberator (#69)
exactly just how close was "next to the Denver Arts Festival"?
#82. To: misterwhite, TooConservative, Stoner (#74)
Close enough for the legitimate lemonade vendor to feel the pinch and call the cops. He didn't do it to be mean -- he's trying to make a living.
#88. To: Liberator (#82)
or whether patrons could clearly see the kids' stand.
Replies to Comment # 88. I'm guessing it was placed to take advantage of the Art Festival foot traffic.
End Trace Mode for Comment # 88.
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