Panama City Beach, FL In the ostensible land of the Free, cops claim the legal authority to extort money from you, or even kidnap you for a slew of activities which have no victim. Window Tint, smoking a plant in you own home, not wearing your seatbelt, walking across the street, sagging your pants, and even juggling can and will get you extorted, kidnapped, caged, or even killed. Now, as a recent case in Florida illustrates, we can add building a sand castle to that long list of victimless crimes.
Bryant Rylee and his family were at the beach last week building an awesome sand castle when they were confronted by police. The officer, who was protecting society by patrolling the beach for illegal sand castles, told the Rylees that their sand castle was in violation of the law.
At first, Rylee thought the officer was joking. After all, he and his son were harming no one while building their most epic castle. In a Facebook post, Rylee explains that it is illegal to build a sand castle with a hole deeper than two feet. However, he explained that their hole was only one foot deep, so there was no way it was in violation.
It wasnt the hole from which the cop was protecting society, though it was Rylees sons equipment that was criminal. According to their obscure ordinance, only plastic tools are allowed on the beach, and they had some metal ones.
It is important to note that the officer explained to Rylee that she would let him off with a warning if he simply filled in the hole. But Rylee wasnt buying it. He wanted to know what ordinance he was violating.
It was Rylees questioning of authority which led to police escalating the call. When her authority was put into question, the officer brought in backup.
Before the officer could tell Rylee which ordinance he was violating, the family was surrounded by police. In fact, four patrol units would show up and sit there for 20 minutes before any of them could produce the law which said metal beach toys were illegal.
According to FEE:
While Rylee, a devout Christian, says he supports law enforcement and prays daily for their protection, he also said on his social media account that, I do believe that we the people have a right to ask what ordinance number or to see the ordinance.
Rylee is absolutely correct. In the American legal system, there is a pillar of jurisprudence known as Mens rae, which is latin for guilty mind. The principle itself comes from the latin phrase actus reus non facit reum nisi mens sit rea, which translates to, the act is not culpable unless the mind is guilty.
This is a standard test of criminal liability that asks the state to consider whether or not a person has broken a law knowingly before guilt can even be assessed.
After it was all over, as Rylee explains, the construction of a sand castle cost him $25 and couldve cost him $500 and up to 60 days in jail.
When building a sand castle becomes a criminal act, it is high time we question where this ostensible Land of the Free is headed.
Bryant Rylee added 5 new photos.
This is the sand castle that cost me a $25 fine & could have cost me up to $500 & no more than 60 days in jail. Incase you didn't know, at Panama City Beach you can't dig deeper than 2ft & not exceeding 2ft long on the beach & you can't use any metal tools. I've been going to PCB for spring break for over 13 yrs, we've always built things digging with metal tools. So be sure you study your ordinances before you make a trip. My big mistake was asking the ordinance number & asking to see the ordinance. Apparently the beach patrol lady didn't like that so she called for back up...
That's when three other units arrived on the scene. One officer said, if I'd just cover the castle, I wouldn't get a ticket but if I must inquire or see the ordinance, I will receive a ticket. It took them 20 minutes to find the ordinance & it's not exactly the way they quoted. It said "2ft deep" but it didn't say "not more than 2ft long" & since I had dug only about 1ft deep, I was only ticketed for my metal tools. I do support law enforcement & pray daily for their protection. And I do believe that "we the people" have a right to ask what ordinance number or to see the ordinance. So... How many cops does it take to shut down a sand castle bandit & his son? The answer is 4! Be careful out there!



#92: Gatlin To: A K A Stone (#87)
It has been said by many, you will find the most beautiful beaches in the world there .westward from Panama City Beach through Fort Walton and over to Pensacola.
Having grown up in a small farming community some miles North of there, I agree with those who made the comments about the beauty, since I had the occasion to spend lots of time on the beach at Panama City Beach. Also, our Summer 4-H Club camp was not too far away from there.
During week days, it was not uncommon to stand on the beach and not see anyone when looking either to the East or the West. The big traffic [big for that period] was only on weekends.
Y'all enjoy your stay there, ya hear .I just couldnt pass that up.
Gatlin posted on 2017-04-03 08:45:31 Reply Private Reply
#93: Gatlin To: A K A Stone (#88)
Yea...
But every point I made was a valid one ...
Gatlin posted on 2017-04-03 08:49:16 Reply Private Reply
#94: misterwhite To: A K A Stone (#89)
misterwhite posted on 2017-04-03 09:25:16 Reply Private Reply
#95: misterwhite To: goldilucky (#83)
Which it where it should be settled.
misterwhite posted on 2017-04-03 09:27:32 Reply Private Reply
#96: Tooconservative To: Gatlin (#91)
Yet you guys have wasted all these posts ranting over some crappy trench that is one foot deep on this beach instead of the rampant crime by hordes of outsiders committed every year there. People go there from around the country for the criminal mob activity, much as they once went to Mardi Gras for the same thing.
What, you think I am a millennial? Wrong again. And you can't insult my own generation much more than I already do.
You weren't even out of high school during WW II (unless you've been lying to us).
So you were part of the So-So Generation that lost the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
Stop trying to steal the glory (such as it is) of the WW II generation. You aren't one of them. You're just a wannabe.
Tooconservative posted on 2017-04-03 11:04:53 Reply Private Reply
#97: Tooconservative To: A K A Stone, Gatlin, misterwhite, Deckard, hondo68 (#87)
For God's sake, don't dig a dinky hole in the sand with a metal hand shovel or Gatlin and misterwhite will be calling for your arrest and execution.
Tooconservative posted on 2017-04-03 11:06:32 Reply Private Reply
#98: Tooconservative To: Pinguinite (#80)
But posting an article about Justin Amash who is a libertarian and in the Freedom Caucus and is an Arab congresscritter is like winning the Triple Crown.
; )
Tooconservative posted on 2017-04-03 11:09:41 Reply Private Reply
#99: Pinguinite To: Tooconservative (#98)
Disturbing images come to mind about how Gatlin would celebrate.
Pinguinite posted on 2017-04-03 11:29:09 Reply Private Reply
#100: Tooconservative To: Gatlin (#72)
Which does imply that, as a matter of policy, that the local PD does not strictly enforce those ordinances at other times of the year.
Tooconservative posted on 2017-04-03 11:36:35 Reply Private Reply
#101: goldilucky To: Gatlin (#84)
goldilucky posted on 2017-04-03 12:25:54 Reply Private Reply
#102: misterwhite To: Tooconservative (#100)
misterwhite posted on 2017-04-03 12:33:43 Reply Private Reply
#103: goldilucky To: Gatlin (#85)
Looks like fun to me and my kind of crowd.
Part of the problem is that there is entirely too much fun in this country.
Too much fun? We are the country that is the most overtaxed and overworked nation than any other country in this world. We shell out much of our income taxes which go to USAID through the IRS and it goes to feed foreign countries. Betcha' didn't even know that. So when it comes to Spring Break, you damn right those kids are gonna party like there is no tomorrow and oggle gorgeous babes.
goldilucky posted on 2017-04-03 12:39:20 Reply Private Reply
#104: Tooconservative To: misterwhite (#102)
Nevertheless, if words have meaning, then the police chief was telling us that some of the listed ordinances are not enforced rigorously except during spring break with its huge crowds.
Which is an entirely valid observation and counterpoint on this stupendously irrelevant non-news steaming turd of a thread.
Tooconservative posted on 2017-04-03 13:01:16 Reply Private Reply
#105: misterwhite To: Tooconservative (#104)
But he never said they weren't enforced at all. Just not as rigorously.
Does that make you uncomfortable? Would you rather he enforce the law rigorously year round?
misterwhite posted on 2017-04-03 13:41:53 Reply Private Reply
#106: Gatlin To: Tooconservative, misterwhite (#100)
There you go .
Hey, what are you doing on this thread anyway?
Arent you the one who said:
Gatlin posted on 2017-04-03 13:42:40 Reply Private Reply
#107: goldilucky To: All, Gatlin (#103)
https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/competent-authority-assistance
https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/tax-treaties
goldilucky posted on 2017-04-03 13:45:30 Reply Private Reply
#108: Tooconservative To: misterwhite, Deckard (#105)
Some posters on this thread seemed to be trying to portray this as a strictly enforced ordinance year-round despite the fact that the officer who was on patrol for exactly these kinds of infractions was so unfamiliar with enforcing them that it took her and several backup units of police to finally know the correct statute number to cite if they were to write a ticket for the infraction. Which means that the cops themselves are extremely unfamiliar with writing tickets for that infraction for beach holes (which was not violated) and the "metal implement" infraction.
I suppose the perp should be happy that the cops didn't just shoot his dog and his kid.
Tooconservative posted on 2017-04-03 14:04:25 Reply Private Reply
#109: Tooconservative To: Gatlin (#106)
I don't even get your point. I doubt anyone else does either.
It seems I've been sucked into the vortices of a Complete Bullshit Thread.
Tooconservative posted on 2017-04-03 14:06:33 Reply Private Reply
#110: misterwhite To: Tooconservative (#108)
Whoa! Who? According to the article the officer said she'd let him off with a warning. That's not strict enforcement. Why would anyone think this ordinance was strictly enforced?
You're just making shit up again.
misterwhite posted on 2017-04-03 14:43:54 Reply Private Reply
#111: misterwhite To: Tooconservative (#108)
And yet he never thanked the cops for not shooting his dog and his kid. What a jerk.
misterwhite posted on 2017-04-03 14:46:18 Reply Private Reply
#112: Tooconservative To: misterwhite, A K A Stone (#111)
Reading this thread is likely to make LF readers more stupid than before they read it. It sucks your brain slowly, a Dracula of a soul-sucking thread.
Delete it now. Before someone gets hurt.
Tooconservative posted on 2017-04-03 15:05:54 Reply Private Reply
#113: goldilucky To: Tooconservative (#108)
Did you see Gatlin's post #71 where there does exist a public notice on that beach? The city is supposed to work with local authorities to impose such ordinances as needed on public places so as to provide legal notice to the public to avoid liability. Local authorities are not only supposed to be informed about them but also to enforce them to avoid liability not just in their official capacities but also as personal.
goldilucky posted on 2017-04-03 15:15:50 Reply Private Reply
#114: Tooconservative To: goldilucky (#113)
In #71, those were rules for an entirely different beach (as Gatlin noted).
In #72, Gatlin posted some recent actual published (or posted) rules from the same Panama City beach:
Keep in mind, they were trying to threaten someone with a $500 fine. But he hadn't broken that ordinance because his hole was only a 1' deep hole and the ordinance only fines those who have dug a 2' hole. So, after threatening and summoning backup units, they finally got a $25 fine out of him. That was a piss-poor use of the time of the 5 officers involved for a couple of hours. If that's all that that PD has to do with their time, they need to fire some unneeded cops.
Tooconservative posted on 2017-04-03 15:39:04 Reply Private Reply
#115: Gatlin To: Tooconservative, misterwhite, aA K A Stone (#112)
This is without question the most asinine post you have ever made.
And the good Lord knows .you have made many before.
Just pray tell, specifically who is going to get hurt?
Maybe only you .with your overly sensitive feelings and you may start bawling like a little baby.
Crying your heart out the same way your libertarian asshole buddy, Amash, did when he missed his first vote in the House and openly cried like a wussie in front of all his fellow Congressmen.
My goodness, TC, what is your generation coming to?
Your weak ass generation is nothing but a bunch of whining cry babies.
What are you to do
[Cue scene from the movie Top Gun here].
Gatlin posted on 2017-04-03 16:02:19 Reply Private Reply
#116: Tooconservative To: Gatlin (#115)
It's not even a contender.
Tooconservative posted on 2017-04-03 16:06:30 Reply Private Reply
#117: Gatlin To: Tooconservative, goldilucky (#114)
From the ordinance notice .read this carefully.
The youth minister asshole had a metal shovel on the beach.What is there that you dont understand about that breaking the ordinance?
And BTW, you are correct .in that Chief Drew Whitman didnt STICTLY enforce the ordinance year round.
Instead of his officer strictly following the rules year round, whereby the asshole minister would have seen that a .
the benevolent officer kindly let Bryant Rylee off with a $25 fine and no night in the county jail, no criminal record that would follow him, and not a $500 fine or by imprisonment in the county jail not to exceed 60 days.The minister asshole was so lucky
You can stop with your libertarian SPIN anytime you start to feel dizzy
Wait, you libertarians are always dizzy
Gatlin posted on 2017-04-03 16:28:01 Reply Private Reply
#118: Gatlin To: Tooconservative (#116)
Okay....so you have made more asinine posts than this.
Gatlin posted on 2017-04-03 16:33:22 Reply Private Reply
#119: Tooconservative To: Gatlin (#118)
I accept your concession with all humility.
Of course, this is precisely why I was always so deservedly your Literary Hero.
Tooconservative posted on 2017-04-03 16:58:13 Reply Private Reply
#120: Gatlin To: Tooconservative, goldilucky (#114)
This is not all they needed to do.
The PCB police can multi task when dealing with crime.
In addition to handling this minister asshole .the PCB police arrested hundreds of violators.
[No specific number has been released yet, only that generality]
Furthermore, the number of arrests were down this year .could be for various reasons, but most probably because of the new ordinance. One would objectively think so.
So, you see .that is not all that the [PCB police] has to do with their time .they did this and everything else they needed to do.
Again, crime was down this year .GREAT JOB, PCB Police Department!
But, you keep on spinning, TC .even thought it does no good.
Gatlin posted on 2017-04-03 17:03:30 Reply Private Reply
#121: Gatlin To: misterwhite, Tooconservative (#110)
TC ...
Gatlin posted on 2017-04-03 17:10:30 Reply Private Reply
#122: misterwhite To: Gatlin (#115)
I don't think so. Let me check my various lists for Tooconservative: Stupid ... no ... Ignorant? ... no ... Dumb? ... no ... Ah. Here it is ... Asinine.
Whoo. It's a long list. And this latest post is ranking 26. So it's far from #1.
But hey. Let's give him some time. He'll get there.
misterwhite posted on 2017-04-03 17:58:18 Reply Private Reply
#123: Gatlin To: misterwhite (#122)
Gatlin posted on 2017-04-03 18:45:37 Reply Private Reply
#124: Hondo68 To: Gatlin, DANGER Will Robinson DANGER (#115)
The most dangerous sand sculpture ever made.
Hondo68 posted on 2017-04-03 19:11:04 Reply Private Reply
#125: Hank Rearden To: misterwhite (#1)
Neither. You slink away in shame for being a dumbshit who doesn't watch where he's going.
Hank Rearden posted on 2017-04-03 19:35:57 Reply Private Reply
#126: A K A Stone To: Hank Rearden (#125)
A K A Stone posted on 2017-04-03 20:07:03 Reply Private Reply
#127: goldilucky To: Tooconservative, Gatlin (#114)
From what he recently posted in addition to the previous post #71, it looks like PCB Police made no exceptions to the rules especially during Spring Break. The rules stand. If you don't like those rules go to a different beach from a different county or city that is more lenient. I'd prefer to go to a different beach that is more tolerant than this. However, there has been a case where (I cannot remember where in the US) a beachgoer was digging so damn deep that the ground caved in and he fell in six feet and it took a firetruck crew, police and first responders to dig around him to get him out at he had buried himself alive. Amazingly though he survived. True story. I could be wrong but I think it occurred in Florida.
goldilucky posted on 2017-04-03 20:18:33 Reply Private Reply
#128: Gatlin To: goldilucky (#127)
Gatlin posted on 2017-04-03 20:27:55 Reply Private Reply
#129: Tooconservative To: goldilucky (#127)
So all this fuss and this mindbogglingly stupid thread is about a guy getting a $25 ticket because his kid had a little metal hand shovel on the beach.
Much ado about nothing.
Tooconservative posted on 2017-04-03 21:06:30 Reply Private Reply
#130: goldilucky To: Tooconservative (#129)
goldilucky posted on 2017-04-03 21:21:02 Reply Private Reply
#131: goldilucky To: Gatlin (#128)
goldilucky posted on 2017-04-03 21:25:31 Reply Private Reply
#132: Tooconservative To: goldilucky (#130)
I assure you: this is not national news.
Tooconservative posted on 2017-04-03 21:25:59 Reply Private Reply
#133: goldilucky To: Tooconservative (#132)
goldilucky posted on 2017-04-03 21:29:16 Reply Private Reply
#134: Tooconservative To: goldilucky (#133)
I can't believe people actually care about something this dumb.
Tooconservative posted on 2017-04-03 21:32:16 Reply Private Reply
#135: goldilucky To: Tooconservative (#134)
In reference to my post #131 maybe after watching the above video, it might change your mind. All those people digging are beachgoers along with fire department and first responders; all trying to save this young man's life.
goldilucky posted on 2017-04-03 22:02:25 Reply Private Reply
#136: Gatlin To: goldilucky, Tooconservative, misterwhite (#130)
I need to repeat that with emphasis
Even the local TV station and newspaper carried the same story .he was arrested for using a metal shovel. Bryant Rylee was fined for using a metal shovel, which has been prohibited by Panama City Beach ordinance since 2015. Bryant Rylee and Tooconservative keep typing to spin this to be all about a kid building a sand castle.Another source
There are many other sources stating the same thing .he was arrested for using a metal shovel.I have no idea why TC keeps up his mantra with the false narrative about the man being fined for digging a hole when he was definitely not fined for digging a hole. He was fined for using a metal shovel on the beach.
Well, I guess I do have good idea .TCs extreme libertarianism causes him to be a contrarian firmly dedicated to opposing or rejecting any and all popular opinions, especially those supporting law enforcement; those going against his libertarian anarchist philosophy.
Gatlin posted on 2017-04-03 22:11:14 Reply Private Reply
#137: Gatlin To: Tooconservative, goldilucky, misterwhite (#134)
You really should be ashamed of yourself, if that is what you must resort to.
You sound like Deckard .and that definitely is no compliment.
He resorts to the same type charge .each time he loses, and that is almost all the time.
What you are saying is, I cant believe that you people will not agree with my point of view. You lowly peons should never challenge my superior intelligence and argue against my conclusion. I will not tolerate it.Be honest with yourself, at least once .admit that is true.
Try
Gatlin posted on 2017-04-03 22:27:42 Reply Private Reply
#138: Gatlin To: goldilucky (#135)
I only knew about the one that happened at Panama City Beach, the one I linked you to.
Gatlin posted on 2017-04-03 22:30:47 Reply Private Reply
#139: Gatlin To: Tooconservative, goldilucky (#132)
Now you have resorted to groveling, acting in an abject manner showing great fear that you are completely without any reasonable ideas to support your position .a position that was tenuous from the start, with your first post on this thread.
Not everything must be national news to be of importance to some people. That statement shows evidence of your elitist mentality, something that keeps raising its ugly head during your discussion with us common folks.
Why dont you just give it up. Say that you lost and your position to defend this guy ....but moreover, to castigate the police, was a wrong position to take.
Man up
Confession is good for the soul
Step in here, my son
Gatlin posted on 2017-04-03 23:09:08 Reply Private Reply
#140: goldilucky To: Gatlin (#138)
From my video, when I think about it now, I remember seeing it on The Weather Channel on matters concerning "What Would You Do in circumstances like this". They showed that Newport Beach video and how they managed to finally get the guy out alive. They dug around the hole area where he was buried and just kept digging as if they were working in a circumference-style distance all the way around the hole. That's how they managed to find the guy. It was unbelievable and great work from all who participated in that rescue effort. He's damn lucky to be alive.
goldilucky posted on 2017-04-03 23:44:38 Reply Private Reply
#141: Gatlin To: goldilucky (#140)
That WAS good news....he was lucky.
Gatlin posted on 2017-04-03 23:46:13 Reply Private Reply