Cops have nothing better to do in N.J.?

[atvdave]

I did this when I was a teenager many of times.


Police stop teens seeking snow shoveling work

 

[hornadylnl]

"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victim may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated, but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience." -- C.S. Lewis

 

[MCgrease08]

So sad. I did this kind of thing when I was a kid. I had a handful of neighbors regularly paying me to cut grass and shovel snow by the time I was 10. Once I got to high school some friends and I would shovel roofs too when the snow got real deep.

These days you've got to pay a cut to Uncle Sugar just for the "privilege" of being able to try and make a little spending cash.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Someone called and complained.

The cops came and checked on them. They did not arrest them or issue them tickets. They informed them of what the law was and how they could legally continue their business venture.

What's the complaint?

Jannone said his department has no interest in cracking down on kids who want to shovel sidewalks or driveways. The law was made for transient scam artists who prey on the vulnerable, he said.

 

[hornadylnl]

Someone called and complained.

The cops came and checked on them. They did not arrest them or issue them tickets. They informed them of what the law was and how they could legally continue their business venture.

What's the complaint?

This one falls on the neighborhood watch captain and HOA tyrant types. C'mon, at least one of the kids was wearing a hoodie. And they'll be the same one *****ing about them lazy, disrespectful kids.

 

[churchmouse]

So sad. I did this kind of thing when I was a kid. I had a handful of neighbors regularly paying me to cut grass and shovel snow by the time I was 10. Once I got to high school some friends and I would shovel roofs too when the snow got real deep.

These days you've got to pay a cut to Uncle Sugar just for the "privilege" of being able to try and make a little spending cash.

I had the same thing. My paper route (remember those) put me in touch with about 75 households for odd jobs. Mowing grass, raking leaves, even moving the trash to the curb for a few elderly. Shoveling snow, washing cars....you name it.

 

[churchmouse]

Someone called and complained.

The cops came and checked on them. They did not arrest them or issue them tickets. They informed them of what the law was and how they could legally continue their business venture.

What's the complaint?

Thanks BBI

 

[MCgrease08]

I had the same thing. My paper route (remember those) put me in touch with about 75 households for odd jobs. Mowing grass, raking leaves, even moving the trash to the curb for a few elderly. Shoveling snow, washing cars....you name it.

Yep I had a paper route. That's how I got most of my clients too.

I remember delivering papers after we got 3 feet of snow during the blizzard of '93. This was in PA btw. To commemorate, the newspaper sent all the delivery kids t-shirts with the image and headline of the paper from that day and it read "We delivered" on the back. I thought that was just about the coolest thing ever back then.

 

[churchmouse]

Yep I had a paper route. That's how I got most of my clients too.

I remember delivering papers after we got 3 feet of snow during the blizzard of '93. This was in PA btw. To commemorate, the newspaper sent all the delivery kids t-shirts with the image and headline of the paper from that day and it read "We delivered" on the back. I thought that was just about the coolest thing ever back then.

I delivered in the 60's () and we had some weather as well. Seemed like we shoveled out tails off every winter. Made some serious dough for the times.
I always had a new bike, mini bikes, go carts etc.

 

[Shadow]

Someone called and complained.

The cops came and checked on them. They did not arrest them or issue them tickets. They informed them of what the law was and how they could legally continue their business venture.

What's the complaint?

 

[atvdave]

Someone called and complained.

The cops came and checked on them. They did not arrest them or issue them tickets. They informed them of what the law was and how they could legally continue their business venture.

What's the complaint?

You are right... The title should have been: Butt-hurt neighbor turns in kids who just wanted to make a little extra cash. The Cop's did nothing wrong.

 

[Rocketscientist]

I realize the cops on the street have to respond and check what they are dispatched to, but come on. In a so called "state of emergency" (which really means, "we've never seen snow before and we're having a panic attack.") why on earth would the dispatchers even send them to such a BS call during an SOE in the first place? IMO, their response should have been, "sorry ma'am, our officers have more important things on our plate right now." followed by a big 'ol fat CLICK!

 

[phylodog]

I realize the cops on the street have to respond and check what they are dispatched to, but come on. In a so called "state of emergency" (which really means, "we've never seen snow before and we're having a panic attack.") why on earth would the dispatchers even send them to such a BS call during an SOE in the first place? IMO, their response should have been, "sorry ma'am, our officers have more important things on our plate right now." followed by a big 'ol fat CLICK!

That's all well and good as long as you agree with the discretion used by dispatchers or the officers. As soon as you don't, it becomes "I called for police assistance and they refused". I agree that it's a BS call but BS calls make up a significant portion of the work street officers are called to perform. I guarantee you the officers would much rather be looking for criminals than dealing with kids shoveling snow, kids who won't mind their parents or the lady who calls three times a week because someone knocked over her garden gnome.

Police departments are beholden to politicians. Politicians are beholden to voters/taxpayers. Voters/taxpayers expect service in return for their votes/tax dollars and don't like being told that their requests are ridiculous.

 

[Mark 1911]

So sad. I did this kind of thing when I was a kid. I had a handful of neighbors regularly paying me to cut grass and shovel snow by the time I was 10. Once I got to high school some friends and I would shovel roofs too when the snow got real deep.

These days you've got to pay a cut to Uncle Sugar just for the "privilege" of being able to try and make a little spending cash.

This is how I made money when I was a kid too. The main difference being was most average lawns or sidewalks were worth about $3, $5 tops for an extra large job. That was in the '60s.

I don't blame the cops, I blame the DB neighbor who called in the complaint. But what goes around comes around. Every now and then stuff happens that makes it difficult to do for ourselves, and we become a little more dependent on the good will of our neighbors. The day may come when that DB wishes he had been a little nicer to those young entrepreneurial neighbors of his.

 

[Rocket]

Phylo, are the politicians really beholden to the voters? Who knew, please enlighten them because I don't think that word means what they think it means. But I digress. Cops did fine. But it is (as usual) a crappy outcome to a possibly well intentioned law. What kid could pay that much for a liscense? Seems to me that is just more incentive to not work.

 

[phylodog]

Phylo, are the politicians really beholden to the voters?

In theory.

 

[KittySlayer]

Someone called and complained.

The cops came and checked on them. They did not arrest them or issue them tickets. They informed them of what the law was and how they could legally continue their business venture.

What's the complaint?

Sounds like the cops and the kids had a perfect understanding of the situation, reached a mutual agreement, and both parties returned to what they should be doing.

But just like the whiny neighbor that made the phone call some INGOers got wadded panties as soon as they heard a cop stopped to talk to the kids.

 

[rob63]

You have to love this part...

"The Bound Brook ordinance does not apply to people going door to door for political reasons or to volunteer firefighters or real estate and insurance salesmen licensed by the state."

At least the important people can still go door to door.


It should be a rule-of-thumb that if you have to include exclusions in your law, then your law probably isn't a good idea.

 

[bgcatty]

Having lived in NJ a while, this does not surprise me. The local cops have nothing better to do.