Every year, the Des Moines Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) pedals through towns across Iowa. Some children in Coralville, one of the ride’s host towns, wanted to participate in the event by selling lemonade in front of their houses for a quarter per cup. Police celebrated their entrepreneurial spirit by promptly shutting down at least three lemonade stands for not obtaining $400 vendors’ licenses and a health inspection.

It turns out that it’s perfectly fine to operate a rogue lemonade stand in Coralville at any other time, but ordinances are stricter for a two-day period while the cyclists are in town. That doesn’t mean that the police relished shutting down the stands, one operated by a four-year-old.

“The line has to be drawn somewhere,” the town police chief told a local newspaper. “The line was drawn in the incorrect spot. Hopefully, they take that into account the next time RAGBRAI comes though.”

Until then, back to just watching the cyclists go by and playing the Lemonade
Stand Game online.

Coralville Police Shutdown Several Children’s Lemonade Stands [KCRG]
Coralville dad sour over temporary ordinance [Iowa City Press-Citizen] (Thanks to everyone who sent this in!)

PREVIOUSLY:
Police Bust Tweens For Operating Unlicensed Lemonade Stand
Government Cracks Down On Little Girl’s Lemonade Stand
Teens Busted For Selling Cupcakes Without A License

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