Cops Squeeze Lemonade Stand, Issue $500 Fine

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.)