America's Most Wanted

My twelve-year-old stepson is not from America, and I wanted to teach him the time-honored, American tradition of kids making a few bucks selling lemonade. We modified our approach a little bit and decided to sell smoothies and green tea which we had brought from Japan after the earthquake. Yesterday, we went to the store near our house, and we bought watermelon, peaches, mangos, orange juice, apple juice, whole milk, ice, cups, and three poster boards for signs.

The two of us woke up early this morning and made our signs along with my two-year-old daughter, who indicated that she wanted to help with the drink stand as well. (She didn't understand that she was supposed to color inside the bubble letters I had written and spread pink crayon all over the board. But that's okay.) After some experimentation around the middle of the day, we created the perfect fruit punch with whipped cream on top and, in the early afternoon, we headed down to the end of our street, where we'd sell iced tea for two dollars and smoothies for three.

Almost as soon as we got down there, my daughter said she was hungry and wanted to go home to eat something. It wasn't the best timing in the world, but these things happen with little kids. My twelve-year-old stepson is quite mature for his age and he's experienced a lot more than most twelve-year-olds, so I had no problem leaving him in charge of the drink stand while I went home to make my daughter some food. Plus, he was just at the end of our street, so if I wanted to check on him, I could just walk out into the street from my front door a bit and have a look. 

After my daughter finished eating and as we approached the end of our street where the drink stand was, I could see from afar that the sign was pulled up and put away, the cooler was shut with everything which we had so carefully arranged on the tray table put away, and my stepson was huddled up and sitting on the rail, staring out between his knees at the ocean. 

"What happened?" I asked when I got down there. I wondered if he had gotten discouraged that no one was buying his drinks or maybe that no one could understand his accent. Or maybe he was just lonely down there by himself. 

"The police told me to pack up and go home," he said. Or, more accurately I discovered after making a few phone calls, the town police swung by and wished him good luck, and then afterwards, "someone in brown" came by and made my stepson stop selling drinks at the end of our street, because this required a permit, and my stepson did not have a permit to sell drinks.

After hearing a little more from my stepson and talking to the town police, I discovered that the drink stand was on land under the jurisdiction of the Massachusetts State Police. After attempting several times to contact the State Police, I reached only answering machines. Apparently, having someone on call on weekends is not in the Massachusetts budget (but breaking up lemonade stands is somehow cost-effective).

In what world is it acceptable to go around breaking up kids's drink stands? What are we teaching our children?

UPDATE 8/29/2011:

There has been some controversy over my assertion that it was the Massachusetts State Police that broke up my stepson's drink stand. I admit that I may have jumped to conclusions and apologize for my ignorance of Massachusetts state organizational structure and corresponding uniform color. I have amended the piece above accordingly. I wish to reiterate that I mean no ill will towards the Massachusetts State Police or law enforcement in general. This post is clearly not about demonizing any one police officer or policing entity.

Let me reiterate: this post is about how ridiculous - and how obviously ridiculous - it is that a twelve-year-old isn't allowed to sell green tea because it is in violation of some ill-conceived or ill-applied regulations.

Comments

[Paul]

What kind of idiot in Mass. would shut down the icon of a youngster's entrepreneurial spirit? Why the government of course. From Obama to the local authorities, these people are KILLING the simplicity of free enterprise right down to a freaking lemonade stand.

I am sick and tired of government intervention in EVERYTHING. Now these idiots are telling our CHILDREN they need a permit to sell something as simple as lemonade? Maybe the government authorities need to be FIRED and then they can go compete selling lemonade and shining shoes to make a living.

When I was a kid, I shined shoes, sold lemonade, and did all kinds of things to make some pocket change. I never once heard of needing a freaking permit.

Furthermore, it gave me a sense of confidence in myself that as I grew up, I did not need to rely on government hand outs like many do today. How much more does the government want to do to destroy our country? Something as simple as running a lemonade stand teaches kids the value of business and money and SO MUCH MORE. So does telling them they need a permit. Now dad and mom have to explain that idiots run the 'regulation game' and they want a CUT of your profits son/daughter.

This makes me want to rise up and strike back at the jack offs who run government agencies. Last time I checked they were supposed to be our servants, not our masters.

I think there needs to be a NATIONAL LEMONADE STAND DAY to protest the idiocy of government. So today I decided to look at what others are saying and found another story http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2011/08/03/the-inexplicable-war-on-lemonade-stands/. Behold! - there is someone who started a movement called http://www.lemonadefreedom.com/. Check it out and sign up. I am doing the same. It is time to take back our rights starting with lemonade stands!