Cops Squeeze Lemonade Stand, Issue $500 Fine

You can sell parking spots in US Open neighborhoods, but not lemonade
By Mary Papenfuss,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 17, 2011 8:20 AM CDT
Cops Squeeze Lemonade Stand, Issue $500 Fine
This April 4, 2011 photo shows lemonade in bloom in Concord, N.H. This refreshing floral infused lemonade combines flowers with lemonade.   (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)

A group of kids got a bitter lesson in American justice when they were hit with a $500 fine for operating a lemonade stand without a license. The real rub? The profits were earmarked for a charity to fight pediatric cancer. Officials said they cracked down on the stand, set up near the US Open in Bethesda, Maryland, because it was a major operation. "Cute little kids making five or ten dollars is a little bit different than making hundreds. You've got coolers and coolers here," the inspector grumbled. The fine was reportedly issued after they ignored several warnings.

But some consumers were wondering why authorities were letting the public continue to get squeezed by hustlers in the area who, after buying a nearly $300 permit, are selling parking spaces on their lawns for as much as $60 a head. One neighbor boasted to a cop he had made enough in parking fees over the years to cover his kid's college tuition, reports WUSA-TV. (More US Open Golf stories.)

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